Solutions Architect

Our Solutions Architect (SA) is a hands‐on technical leader responsible for designing, shaping, and delivering high‐quality technology solutions that support the organisation’s manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, and enterprise operations. Working within the Enterprise Architecture function, the SA translates business and operational requirements into clear, feasible, and maintainable solution designs that align with architectural standards and long‐term technology direction.

The SA operates across a complex multi‐site environment, producing end‐to‐end solution designs that integrate effectively with ERP systems, MES, WMS/WCS, cloud platforms, and integration technologies. The role requires strong technical expertise, practical problem‐solving skills, and the ability to collaborate closely with delivery teams, operational stakeholders, and vendors.

While the Enterprise Architect provides strategic direction and architectural governance, the SA plays a critical role in ensuring that solutions are delivered correctly, consistently, and in line with enterprise principles. The SA supports project teams throughout the delivery lifecycle, providing technical guidance, reviewing vendor designs, and ensuring that solutions are secure, scalable, and operationally fit for purpose.

The role is essential in bridging the gap between business needs and technical implementation, ensuring that solutions not only meet immediate project requirements but also contribute to a coherent, sustainable, and modern technology landscape.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Translating Requirements into Solution Design

• Work with business analysts, project managers, and operational teams to understand business requirements and translate them into clear, feasible solution designs.
• Produce high‐quality solution architecture artefacts, including system landscape views, architecture and integration diagrams, high‐level designs, data flows, non‐functional requirements, and detailed specifications that clearly describe how the solution will operate end‐to‐end.
• Ensure solution designs align with EA principles, technology standards, and long‐term strategic direction.
• Ensure solution options are evaluated objectively, balancing cost, complexity, risk, and long‐term maintainability.
• Translate operational constraints from manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics environments into practical, implementable technical designs.

Delivery Support and Technical Leadership

• Provide hands‐on architectural guidance to project teams throughout design, build, testing, and deployment.
• Clarify technical decisions, resolve design issues, and ensure alignment with agreed patterns and standards.
• Review vendor solution designs, ensuring they meet business needs and integrate effectively with existing systems.
• Manage vendor technical delivery, ensuring quality, compliance, and alignment with enterprise architecture.
• Support development and engineering teams by providing clear technical direction, reference models, and integration guidance.
• Ensure non‐functional requirements (performance, resilience, security, scalability) are understood, designed for, and validated during delivery.

Collaboration and Cross‐Functional Engagement

• Work closely with Infrastructure, Data, and Security teams to ensure solutions integrate effectively with platform capabilities, data governance, and security frameworks.
• Engage with manufacturing, warehousing, and supply‐chain stakeholders to ensure solutions support operational processes and constraints.
• Support the EA in identifying dependencies, risks, and impacts across the technology landscape. Facilitate workshops, design sessions, and technical discussions to ensure shared understanding across teams.
• Build strong working relationships with operational teams to ensure solutions reflect real‐world workflows and site‐level requirements.

Architectural Governance and Standards

• Apply architectural standards, patterns, and principles to solution designs.
• Escalate complex architectural decisions to the EA while ensuring local governance is applied consistently.
• Contribute to the refinement of architectural patterns, templates, and best practices.
• Identify opportunities to simplify integrations, reduce duplication, and improve consistency across the application landscape.
• Ensure solution documentation is complete, accurate, and maintained throughout the project lifecycle.

Continuous Improvement and Knowledge Sharing

• Stay informed about emerging technologies, industry trends, and best practices relevant to manufacturing, logistics, and enterprise systems.
• Contribute to communities of practice, knowledge‐sharing sessions, and architectural documentation.
• Share lessons learned from projects to improve future solution design and delivery approaches.
• Actively contribute to the development of reusable patterns, reference architectures, and design accelerators.

KEY EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE, AND SKILLS

Experience

• 8-10 years of IT experience, including hands‐on involvement in solution design, technical delivery, or architecture‐related roles.
• Experience working in manufacturing, supply chain, logistics, or warehousing environments, with exposure to MES, WMS/WCS, ERP, and related operational systems.
• Proven ability to produce high‐level designs, integration specifications, and architectural artefacts that support successful project delivery.
• Experience collaborating with Infrastructure, Data, and Security teams to ensure cohesive and compliant solution outcomes.
• Experience reviewing vendor solution designs and managing technical delivery to ensure alignment with internal standards.
• Exposure to cloud‐based architectures and modernisation initiatives, ideally involving Azure or AWS.

Knowledge & Skills

• Strong understanding of application and integration architecture, including APIs, messaging, and real‐time data flows.
• Ability to translate business and operational requirements into clear, feasible, and maintainable technical designs.
• Knowledge of ERP platforms (e.g., SAP), manufacturing systems (MES/SCADA), and supply‐chain technologies (WMS/WCS).
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (Azure or AWS) and modern application patterns such as microservices and event‐driven architecture.
• Strong analytical and problem‐solving skills, with the ability to identify risks, dependencies, and practical solution options.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to explain complex concepts to non‐technical audiences.
• Ability to work collaboratively across diverse teams and manage multiple concurrent project demands.
• Strong documentation skills, producing clear, structured, and accurate architectural artefacts.

Preferred Certifications

Certifications are highly desirable for this role and demonstrate professional credibility:

• TOGAF Foundation (desirable)
• Architecture modelling tools (ArchiMate, UML)
• ITIL Foundation (beneficial)

Cloud certifications (Azure/AWS Associate or Professional)