Head of Solution Architecture

Head of Solution Architecture role with management responsibility

Opportunity to work across Bristol, London, or Edinburgh, with hybrid work culture

Responsibility for leading a team of Solution Architects and driving technical strategy

Involvement in complex, business-critical initiatives and large-scale transformation programmes

Requirement for experience in solution architecture and technology transformation

Location
:
Bristol, London, or Edinburgh, Hybrid.

In this position, you’ll be based in the Bristol, London, or Edinburgh, office for a minimum of three days a week, with the flexibility to work from home for some of your working week. Find out more about our flexible work culture at  .

As our Head of Solution Architecture for the Chief Technology Officer’s Architecture team, you will have management and leadership responsibility for a small team of Solution Architects providing support to technology delivery teams by providing architecture services and system design while driving innovation and technical strategy.

Are you someone who enjoys solving complex challenges, balancing strategic thinking with hands‑on architectural leadership? Do you enjoy working within a global technology environment? This role provides the perfect combination of technical influence, hands‑on support, team leadership, and business impact.

It's an exciting opportunity to drive meaningful change, develop architectural capability, and leave a lasting mark on a growing and evolving technology function.

This is an opportunity to make a genuine impact at both a strategic and operational level. You'll play a pivotal role in shaping the technology direction of the organisation, leading solution architecture across some of the most complex and business‑critical initiatives while influencing technology decisions at the highest levels.

You'll have the opportunity to work closely with engineering teams, enterprise and domain architects, security specialists, and business leaders, allowing you to shape solutions from concept through to successful delivery. The role also offers significant exposure to senior stakeholders, giving you the opportunity to influence strategic planning, technology investment decisions, and large-scale transformation programmes.

Other key responsibilities:

• Manages the resource pool and assignment of work from the demand pipeline
• Manages senior stakeholders’ expectations and initiative time frames
• Ensures effective support of business and technical change through direct architecture support of the team’s project activity and early engagement in technical change. Supports the evolution of architectural designs through delivery.
• Formally identifies and acts as an escalation point for architecture issues and design blockers for key projects and programmes
• Develops and mentors the Solution Architecture team to create a high performing and highly engaged team
• Operates and designs the Solution Architecture governance processes and chairs technology design authorities and manages controls
• Works with Domain Architecture to ensure the design supporting capabilities are in place (principles, patterns, methodology, standards and current state) and aligned to wider technology global standards
• Actively participates in global governance and Architecture communities
• Contributes to annual project delivery and technology planning across the technology department

You will bring experience in solution architecture, with a strong track record of designing and delivering complex, scalable technology solutions within large organisations.

You will be a confident communicator, capable of building trusted relationships with senior stakeholders,…