Solution Architect Lead

Solution Architect Lead
Location: Hybrid 60% office-40% remote - Knutsford
Duration: 30/10/2026
Rate £706
MUST BE PAYE THROUGH UMBRELLA
Role Description:
The Solution Architect Lead provides end to end ownership of programme architecture, ensuring solutions are secure, scalable, integrated, and aligned with enterprise standards. This role serves as the design authority across all technical domains, guiding engineering teams and validating architectural decisions.
Key Responsibilities:

• Own the end to end technical architecture across all solution components, ensuring coherence, alignment, and technical viability.
• Lead architectural design sessions, blueprint creation, and technical governance.
• Define solution patterns, integration approaches, and technical standards across the programme.
• Ensure security-by-design principles are embedded, including IAM, data protection, encryption standards, and threat modelling.
• Oversee integration architectures across APIs, data pipelines, cloud platforms, microservices, and third-party systems.
• Act as final approver for technical design decisions, architectural reviews, and engineering escalations.
• Work with security, infrastructure, DevOps, and engineering teams to ensure compatibility and compliance.
• Participate in vendor assessments, technology evaluations, and tooling strategy.
• Manage architectural risks, technical debt, and system interdependencies.
• Ensure technical documentation, design artefacts, and architectural repositories are maintained to enterprise standards.

Technical/Delivery Components:

• Strong understanding of cloud architectures (Azure/AWS/GCP), containerisation (Docker/Kubernetes), and serverless design patterns.
• Expertise in integration patterns (REST, GraphQL, Event Driven Architecture, messaging queues).
• Knowledge of security frameworks (ISO27001, NIST, Zero Trust), identity management (OAuth, SSO, Azure AD).
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, DevOps toolchains, infrastructure as code, and environment strategy.
• Ability to translate business requirements into scalable technical designs."