Solutions Architect

Solutions Architect - GDS/Governmment project - £550 - 600 inside IR35 - London/remote

Skills/Experience
Significant experience (typically 15+ years in IT, including 5+ years in solution architecture) leading enterprise-scale solution design for complex, multi-team programmes.
Proven experience as a Solution Architect across multiple ARTs or delivery streams within a SAFe or scaled agile environment.
Strong hands-on understanding of Microsoft Azure architecture and services (PaaS, containers/AKS, serverless, networking, security, DevOps).
Solid experience of Microsoft Power Platform and Dynamics 365/M365 solution design, including Dataverse, ALM, environment strategy and platform governance.
Experience of architecting systems built with Scala (or other JVM languages) and microservices/cloud-native design.
Deep expertise in integration architecture: RESTful APIs, API management, event-driven architecture, messaging and enterprise integration patterns.
Demonstrable experience presenting and defending designs at Design Authorities/Architecture Review Boards and working alongside Enterprise Architects.
Experience delivering UK public sector digital services and familiarity with the GDS Service Standard, Technology Code of Practice and government assurance processes.
Strong grasp of security architecture, NCSC guidance, data protection (UK GDPR) and non-functional design (performance, availability, resilience, accessibility).
Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to create a compelling architectural narrative and influence at senior level.

Desirable Skills & Experience
TOGAF certification or equivalent enterprise architecture framework knowledge.
Microsoft certifications such as Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) and Power Platform Solution Architect Expert (PL-600).
SAFe certification (eg SAFe Architect, SAFe Agilist).
Experience with architecture modelling tools (eg ArchiMate, Sparx EA, LeanIX) and Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Bicep).
Experience of large-scale Legacy modernisation and data migration in government.
Knowledge of GOV.UK Design System, GOV.UK Notify/Pay and GOV.UK One Login.