Solution Architecture Manager

Electricity Supply Board; Dublin; Hybrid; EUR 86,000 - 102,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Net zero mission

Career development

CSR opportunities

Well-being programmes

Diversity & inclusion

Parental leave

Job summary

ESB, Ireland’s leading energy utility, seeks a Solution Architecture Manager to lead a team of Solution Architects and ensure secure, sustainable designs across ESB’s technology landscape. The role partners with Enterprise and Domain Architects, delivering end‑to‑end solutions while evolving governance and operating models.

The position requires 10+ years in IT, strong stakeholder skills and a track record of leading architecture across large programmes.

Qualifications

• Degree in a relevant field or equivalent work experience.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills.
• Track record leading high‑performing architecture or technical teams, including coaching and performance management.
• Experience managing a professional service, practice or capability and governance.
• Strong solution architecture leadership across complex programmes and portfolios.
• Understanding of Enterprise/Domain Architecture and governance frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of Solution Architects, fostering architectural excellence and collaboration.
• Drive the evolution of the Solution Architecture service, governance, tooling and practices for decentralised architecture.
• Partner with Enterprise and Domain Architects to ensure end‑to‑end designs align with business objectives.
• Provide architectural leadership across programmes and projects to ensure deliverable designs.
• Drive consistency and quality through common patterns and best practices.
• Lead architecture assurance and governance with emphasis on security, resilience and supportability.
• Build architecture capability across ESB with mentoring and community development.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Communication

Influencing

Leadership

People management

Architecture governance

Solution architecture leadership

Mentoring

Education

Degree in a relevant field

Equivalent work experience

Job description

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

The Solution Architecture Manager is responsible for leading a team of Solution Architects and ensuring the delivery of high-quality, secure and sustainable solution designs across ESB's technology landscape.

Working closely with Enterprise Architects, Domain Architects, delivery teams and business stakeholders, the role translates business requirements and architectural direction into coherent end-to-end solution designs. The Solution Architecture Manager plays a key role in evolving ESB's Architecture operating model, helping to establish and embed new ways of working, governance approaches and collaborative practices as the organisation transitions to a decentralised architecture model.

This role combines people leadership, architecture governance and service development, ensuring the Solution Architecture function continues to meet the evolving needs of the business while enabling successful delivery of strategic technology initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of Solution Architects, fostering a culture of architectural excellence, collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement.
• Drive the evolution of the Solution Architecture service, enhancing ways of working, governance processes, tooling and practices to support ESB's transition to a decentralised architecture operating model.
• Partner with Enterprise Architects, Domain Architects and delivery teams to ensure architectural responsibilities are clear and that enterprise and domain direction is effectively translated into end-to-end solution designs.
• Provide architectural leadership across a portfolio of programmes and projects, ensuring solution designs align with business objectives and can be delivered effectively within ESB's technology landscape.
• Drive consistency and quality across solution designs through the adoption of common patterns, reusable approaches and architecture best practices.
• Lead solution architecture assurance and governance activities, providing constructive challenge and oversight to ensure solutions are secure, resilient, supportable and aligned with agreed architectural principles.
• Build architecture capability across ESB, developing talent, mentoring architects and fostering a strong and connected architecture community.

Experience and Qualifications

• At least 10 years' experience working within a corporate IT environment, including significant experience in solution architecture or equivalent technical leadership roles within large and complex organisations.
• Third level degree in a relevant field, or equivalent work experience.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships and lead organisational change across business and technology functions.
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing high-performing architecture or technical teams, including coaching, mentoring, performance management and capability development.
• Proven experience managing a professional service, practice or capability, including service improvement, prioritisation, stakeholder engagement and operational governance.
• Strong solution architecture or equivalent technical leadership experience, with responsibility for guiding, governing and assuring solution designs across complex programmes, projects or technology portfolios.
• Understanding of Enterprise Architecture, Domain Architecture and architecture governance frameworks and how they interact within a large organisation.
• Knowledge of the utility industry landscape and associated regulatory environment.
• Experience engaging with technology vendors and external partners.
• Knowledge of modern technology trends and architecture domains, including cloud, data, AI, security and integration.

Location

This position will be based inESB’s Head Office at Fitzwilliam 27, Dublin 2.

Smart Working at ESB is designed to make ‘in-person’ time together as purposeful as possible while also enabling the effective use of digital tools and hybrid arrangements to preserve our commitment to flexibility. The successful candidate may work flexibly within the jurisdiction where they have been employed, with attendance at the workplace for in-person collaboration at least two days per week. All Smart Working arrangements are subject to regular review based on the operational requirements of the role, the team, and the business.

Reporting To

Senior Manager, Method & Resources, IT Delivery

Why Work with Us?

• Opportunity to lead Ireland’s transition tonet zero carbon future
• Career developmentthrough mentoring andtraining
• Corporate Social Responsibility Opportunities
• Sports and Social Clubs
• Networking opportunities
• Credit Union
• Access to staff well-being programmes
• Generous parental leave entitlements
• Strong values-based and inclusive culture
• Strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
• Great team environment working to our Core Values: Courageous, Caring, Driven and Trusted

€86,300 - €101,600 per annum (depending on experience)

Closing Date

2nd September 2026

Interview

Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will complete a Behavioural Interview based on each of the following Behaviours, which underpin how we work at ESB and are critical to delivering our strategy:

• Your application will be held in reserve for 6 months should you be suitable for the role.
• The successful candidate will be required to evidence their right to work in the Republic of Irelandprior to commencement of employment.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement

ESB is committed to being an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all sections of society and ensure that no one is discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion or belief, ethnicity or nationality, disability, age, citizenship, marital status, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation or gender identity, or any other basis as protected by law.

Applicants who anticipate requiring assistance or reasonable accommodations for any part of the application or interview process may contact, in confidence, [e-mail].

About ESB

Join us in our mission to achieve a net-zero electricity system by 2040. ESB is Ireland’s leading energy utility, with activities spanning electricity generation, transmission and distribution, energy supply, energy services and international consultancy. Operating in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain, we invest over €1 billion each year to deliver a new energy future based on reliable, affordable zero-carbon electricity.