Senior Solutions Architect

As we evolve into Social Wellness Clubs, we are creating spaces and experiences that support every aspect of our members’ physical, mental, nutritional and social wellbeing. By bringing together expert guidance, genuine community, personalised experiences and innovative technology, we make wellness feel accessible, welcoming and easy to navigate.
Virgin Active is committed to recruiting the finest people who share our passion for creating exceptional experiences and delivering world-class service every day. We are looking for Senior Solution Architect to join our Digital & Technology Transformation Team.

Technology is central to this evolution. We are building globally scalable solutions that connect our mobile applications, websites, data platforms and third-party services across multiple countries.

You will lead the architecture of our digital ecosystem, creating secure, scalable and maintainable solutions. This is a hands‑on role, working closely with Product, Engineering, Data, Marketing and IT teams to set technical direction and solve complex challenges.

Role Type:
Permanent - Full Time

• Own the target architecture and technical roadmap across Virgin Active’s digital ecosystem.
• Define architectural standards for applications, APIs, integrations, data, security and cloud infrastructure.
• Design secure, scalable solutions across mobile, web, backend services, data platforms and third‑party systems.
• Lead the design of complex features spanning multiple products and technical domains.
• Create reference implementations and work directly with engineers to solve complex technical challenges.
• Guide our transition towards a cloud‑native, API‑led and event‑driven architecture.
• Work with our Group Chief of AI to support the safe and effective introduction of AI into member experiences.
• Partner with Product, Engineering, Data, Marketing and IT teams to align technical solutions with business priorities.
• Lead architecture reviews and communicate technical decisions, risks and trade‑offs clearly.
• Provide technical guidance to engineers and help strengthen architectural capability across the team.
• Oversee Microsoft Azure architecture, including networking, identity, security and infrastructure.
• Establish standards for reliability, observability, testing, CI/CD and production readiness.
• Balance long‑term architectural goals with technical debt, cost and delivery priorities.
• Provide technical oversight for third‑party platforms, vendors and external delivery partners.

• Significant software engineering experience, including experience as a Solution Architect, Principal Engineer or in a similar senior technical role.
• Experience leading architecture across mobile, web, backend, integration and data platforms.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Azure, cloud‑native architecture, distributed systems and microservices.
• Experience designing API‑led and event‑driven solutions.
• Experience integrating third‑party platforms and services at scale.
• A good understanding of security, identity, privacy and data architecture.
• Hands‑on experience with C#, .NET, CI/CD and modern Dev Ops practices.
• Experience introducing AI or machine‑learning capabilities into digital products.
• Strong technical judgement and the ability to balance scalability, maintainability, cost and delivery.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder‑management skills, with the ability to lead through influence.

It would also be beneficial to have:

• Experience with Azure Functions, API Management, Service Bus, Event Grid or Logic Apps.
• Knowledge of Azure data and AI technologies.
• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes or Azure Kubernetes Service.
• Experience supporting consumer‑facing digital products across multiple countries.
• Experience working with external technology partners and delivery teams.

• The opportunity to be part of a brand redefining the future of wellness
• A premium environment with industry‑leading facilities
• Development and progression opportunities aligned to your level
• Access to a vibrant, engaged member community
• The platform to build your career, reputation and impact
• 25 days (excluding bank holidays) annual leave, plus a Celebration Day –…