Principal Solutions Architect

Principal Solutions Architect Purpose of the Role

The Principal Solutions Architect is M2A Media’s senior-most authority on client solutions architecture. This role defines the technical vision for scalable, reliable, and secure cloud-based customer workflows built using M2A’s products and AWS Media Services. The Principal Solutions Architect sets design standards, mentors senior architects and engineers, and ensures all client solutions embody M2A’s core principles of being Simple, Scalable, and Secure, while aligning with the company’s delivery methodologies and product interfaces.

• Act as the authority on all client solutions architecture, ensuring every design upholds M2A’s commitment to Simple, Scalable, and Secure workflows.
• Lead innovation across new and existing client solutions, evaluating cloud and media technologies that strengthen reliability, automation, and security.
• Maintain a deep understanding of M2A product capabilities and integration boundaries, ensuring solution designs make effective and appropriate use of M2A’s platform.
• Own and continually refine client architectures to improve simplicity, scalability, and security, optimising for operational effectiveness and cost.
• Exercise expert judgement in defining where custom solution components are needed versus where to leverage existing product features.
• Provide structured feedback to Product Management where solution-level insight indicates potential roadmap enhancements.
• Review and approve all solution designs, ensuring compliance with M2A’s standards for architecture, resilience, and information security.
• Serve as the subject matter expert on current and future client solution states, including transition plans and technical risk assessments.
• Be fastidious about implementation detail, including data flow security, IAM design, encryption, and network isolation.
• Mentor Senior Solutions Architects and Solutions Engineers, reinforcing best practice for secure, scalable, and maintainable client solutions.
• Represent M2A’s solutions architecture capability in client workshops, technical presentations, and partner engagements.

Reports to:

VP of Customer Success (line manager)

• VP of Operations – to ensure solutions are operationally scalable, observable, and support-ready.
• VP of Architecture – to align on design standards, documentation templates, and security governance.
• VP of Product / Product Engineering Lead – to ensure solutions integrate correctly with the product platform and APIs.
• Provides detailed architecture designs and governance direction to the Solutions Engineering team.
• Collaborates with Production Operations to ensure deployments are efficient, resilient, and secure.
• Supports Operations with incident investigation and root cause analysis, particularly where design or integration issues are identified.
• Engages with AWS and key technology partners to maintain alignment with current best practices for cloud-based media delivery.

• Extensive experience designing and governing secure, scalable AWS-based client solutions, ideally in broadcast or live media workflows.
• Proven ability to simplify complex workflows into clear, maintainable architectures that integrate cleanly with existing products.
• Strong expertise in AWS Media Services (Media Connect, Media Live, Media Package, Media Store) and related content delivery networks and control planes.
• Demonstrated leadership in embedding security controls (IAM, encryption, VPC design, monitoring) into solution design.
• Expert in documenting and communicating solution architectures, from high-level diagrams to detailed configuration.
• Deep understanding of agile SDLC practices and how solution architecture supports iterative delivery.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, able to collaborate across operations, engineering, and client stakeholders.
• Experience mentoring and developing other architects and engineers, promoting M2A’s architectural principles and standards.
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect / AWS Media & Entertainment Speciality.
• Commercial awareness and ability to balance cost, performance, and security in solution design.

• 25 days annual leave
• Medical & dental insurance
• Travel insurance
• Life cover
• Company Pension
• Company Bike scheme