Solutions Architect

Hybrid | 2 days on site (Lancaster) | £65,000–£75,000 + Great Benefits

If you’re tired of over-engineering for organisations that aren’t ready, this is where “good enough” actually gets things done.

You’ll step into a genuinely meaningful Solutions Architect role where your judgement matters more than buzzwords — helping a large, complex critical systems without drowning in unnecessary process.

This is a hands-on, delivery-focused architecture role
, not a strategy ivory tower. You’ll be trusted to decide what really needs doing — and what doesn’t.

You’ll own solution architecture across four live programmes
, all moving towards SaaS or cloud-hosted platforms:

• Reviewing current “as-is” application landscapes (what exists, what integrates, what needs to go)
• Shaping pragmatic solution designs that work within real-world constraints
• Supporting vendor selection and tender processes
  , translating needs into clear architectural requirements
• Designing application and integration approaches (authentication, data flows, interoperability)
• Working end-to-end — from early discovery through to delivery and implementation

These aren’t theoretical exercises. These are real systems used by tens of thousands of users.

• Data awareness (understanding entities, flows, migrations — not pure data architecture)
• Producing clear, usable architecture artefacts — not shelf-ware
• Helping a growing architecture function mature without slowing delivery

If you enjoy context-switching
, ambiguity, and working with non-technical stakeholders — you’ll thrive here.

You don’t need 15 years’ experience. You do need evidence that you’ve done this kind of work in complex environments.

You’ll bring:

• Proven experience in a Solutions Architect role within a complex organisation
• Strong application architecture background with exposure to integration and data concepts
• Experience analysing existing solutions and proposing practical, implementable designs
• The ability to explain technical decisions clearly to non-technical stakeholders
• Confidence operating in environments that aren’t perfectly mature yet

This is not about building an architecture empire.

It’s about:

• Doing enough architecture to move projects forward
• Leaving things better than you found them

If you’ve ever felt frustrated by organisations that talk about transformation but never deliver it — this will feel refreshing.

You don’t need a perfectly polished CV.

If this sounds interesting:

• Send what you have
• Or request an informal 15-minute conversation to explore the role first