Solution Architect

Company Description

About us

We believe in the power of ingenuity to build a positive human future. 

As strategies, technologies, and innovation collide, we create opportunity from complexity.

Our diverse teams of experts combine innovative thinking and breakthrough technologies to progress further, faster. Our clients adapt and transform, and together we achieve enduring results.

We are over 4,000 strategists, innovators, designers, consultants, digital experts, scientists, engineers, and technologists. And we have deep expertise in consumer and manufacturing, defence and security, energy and utilities, financial services, government and public services, health and life sciences, and transport. 

Our teams operate globally from offices across the UK, Ireland, US, Nordics, and Netherlands.

PA. Bringing Ingenuity to Life.

Job Description

We are currently looking for Solution Architects to join our collaborative team, driving business transformations through strategic insights to enable lasting change through pragmatic use of technology. Contribute to innovation and PA's mission for a more positive human future in a tech-driven world.

Work with our clients to design and deliver their most complex business and technical solutions. Working through the full delivery lifecycle, our Solution Architects bring a hands-on, delivery focus across all domains and leading technologies to our clients. 

Qualifications

As a Solution Architect and technology leader in our Digital & Data team, you will:

• Work directly with PA and client colleagues to define robust technology solutions based upon our clients’ needs. Sometimes you’ll even need to help our clients understand what those needs are as they start their digital transformation journey. Many of our clients are FTSE 100 companies, large government departments or critical national infrastructure providers and you can expect to get involved in projects that have genuine impact from day 1.
• Own, create and assure key architecture artefacts such as: Key Design Decision, Technical Options Paper, High Level Design, Low Level Design, Reference Architecture and Roadmap. To do this, you’ll need to deploy a range of consulting and stakeholder management skills to inform, engage and influence colleagues and decision makers from across our client’s businesses.
• Support our client’s senior leaders to help shape their case for change, typically leading on cost estimation and supporting creation of detailed planning and benefits realisation for the technology solutions you design.
• Work closely with Engineering teams, often taking a lead SME role helping to define the vision, establish Architectural Guardrails, Architecture Runways and Detailed Designs as well as unblocking the team as issues arise. Whilst operating as a Solution Architect, you will likely come from a hands-on Software Engineering background with experience leading engineering teams to deliver applications and services, enabling you to quickly build credibility.
• Rapidly understand and effectively communicate complex technical ideas to board-level business leaders and their teams. You’ll use your technical writing and presentation skills to do this supported by productivity tools such as: PowerPoint, Word, Visio
• Be confident using your architecture skills and experience across the full range of architectural domains, with a specialism in at least one: Business, Data, Application, Technology and Security
• Bring to bear a clear understanding and practical application of architecture and delivery methodologies such as: TOGAF, Zachmann, MODAF or SAFe
• Use your understanding and application of architecture modelling tools and frameworks to communicate your ideas: UML, ArchiMate, Ardoq, and others.
• Design and deliver architecture solutions within governance and target operating models, using a range of ways of working and delivery methodologies: Waterfall, SAFe, Scrum, Kanban
• Commit yourself to continuous improvement and professional development. Everyone’s experience is different so we’re not prescriptive about this. Certifications in appropriate methodologies and cloud technologies are advantageous: AWS, Azure, GCP, TOGAF, SAFe
• Thrive in a trust-based, inclusive environment that values excellence, innovation and curiosity. To support you, we’ll provide a number of career accelerators including training opportunities – both business and technical, focused mentoring and the variety of engagements needed to really invest in your consulting skills and take your work to the next level!

We’re technology agnostic, using the right tools for the job at hand, and you’ll have access to our strong partnerships with AWS, Azure and GCP. We’re interested to hear from Solution Architects with experience across the majority of leading vendors including Azure, AWS, Google Cloud Platform, Oracle, IBM, Salesforce and more.

Additional Information

• Private medical insurance
• Travel allowance 
• 25 days annual leave with the opportunity to buy 5 additional days
• Company pension scheme
• Annual performance-based bonus
• Life and Income protection insurance
• Tax efficient benefits (cycle to work, give as you earn)
• Additional optional benefits (Dental, critical illness, spouse/partner life assurance)

PA is committed to building an inclusive and supportive culture where diversity thrives, and all of our people can excel. We believe that greater diversity stimulates innovation, enabling us to fulfil our purpose of ‘Bringing Ingenuity to Life’, supporting the growth of our people, and delivering more enduring results for our clients.

We only recruit, promote and reward our people based on their contribution, without regard to gender, race, disability, religion, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age or marital status.

We welcome international applications, but we are unable to offer sponsorship for work permits, so you will need to have the full right to live and work in the UK. Unfortunately, your application will be automatically rejected if you do not have these rights.