Technical Architect

Solution Architect (Contract)
Location: Hybrid 3 days onsite/week (Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester, Manchester, Blackpool, Birmingham, Newcastle)
Contract: 6 Months

Opportunity We are supporting a major UK Government programme seeking an experienced Solution Architect to lead the design and delivery of enterprise-scale solutions across business-critical functions including People, Finance, Commercial and Estates.
This is an excellent opportunity to join a high-profile transformation programme where you will shape technical strategy, design modern cloud-based solutions, and work closely with senior stakeholders, engineering teams, and delivery partners.
Key Responsibilities

• Design end-to-end technical solutions that align with business requirements and enterprise architecture standards.
• Lead architecture design for large-scale enterprise systems and transformation initiatives.
• Evaluate, select, and implement SaaS products and services.
• Design and govern solutions using microservices, APIs, event-driven architectures, and file-based integrations.
• Produce architecture artefacts, solution designs, and technical documentation for a range of audiences.
• Work closely with engineering and delivery teams to ensure successful implementation.
• Drive the adoption of architecture best practices, patterns, and standards.
• Identify and reduce technical debt while improving long-term platform sustainability.
• Develop technical roadmaps and present solutions at architecture governance forums.
• Communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Collaborate with business and technology leaders to deliver value-for-money solutions.

Essential Experience

• Proven experience working as a Solution Architect within large and complex organisations.
• Extensive experience selecting and implementing Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions.
• Strong expertise in:
  • Microservices Architecture
  • API Design and Integration
  • Event-Driven Architecture
  • File-Based Data Transfers and Integration Patterns
• Experience designing solutions within public cloud environments (AWS, Azure and/or GCP).
• Strong understanding of enterprise architecture principles and governance.
• Experience creating architecture diagrams, solution views, and technical documentation.
• Demonstrable experience leading architecture on enterprise-scale programmes.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence senior leadership.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.

Desirable Experience

• Experience delivering solutions across People (HR), Finance, Commercial, or Estates domains.
• Experience working within Government or highly regulated environments.
• Familiarity with architecture frameworks and governance processes.