Solution Architect - Azure - (SC cleared or eligible) - £650-£700 per day - Inside IR35 - Hybrid working from a site near Bristol or Bridgwater - Initial contract until end of 2026.
We're partnering with a well-established, highly regulated organisation to appoint an experienced Solution Architect with strong Microsoft Azure expertise. This is an excellent opportunity to join a mature Enterprise Architecture function, playing a pivotal role in designing and governing technology solutions across a large-scale digital estate.
Working within an established Architecture team, you'll collaborate with Delivery, Digital Operations, Service Management and Data teams to produce secure, scalable and resilient solutions that enable business transformation.
The Opportunity -
This role is ideal for an experienced Solution Architect who enjoys working across a broad technology landscape, balancing hands-on solution design with architecture governance and stakeholder engagement.
You'll be responsible for translating business requirements into end-to-end technical solutions while ensuring designs align with enterprise architecture principles, cyber security standards and long-term technology strategy.
What You'll Be Doing-
- Producing high and low-level solution designs for enterprise-scale initiatives.
- Translating business and technical requirements into scalable Azure-based solutions.
- Defining architecture roadmaps, technical standards and reusable design patterns.
- Providing architecture assurance through governance forums, including Architecture Review Boards (ARB).
- Designing solutions across Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Azure networking, Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure (HCI), Enterprise Content Management (EDRMS), PLM and End User Computing.
- Reviewing and challenging supplier designs to ensure technical quality and alignment with architectural standards.
- Working closely with delivery teams, infrastructure specialists, security, data governance and external partners.
- Ensuring all solutions comply with cyber security, regulatory and operational requirements.
- Supporting the evaluation and adoption of emerging technologies across the organisation.
What We're Looking For -
You'll have a proven track record delivering solution architecture within large, complex enterprise environments and be comfortable engaging with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
We're particularly interested in candidates with experience across:
- Microsoft Azure architecture, including networking, identity, integration and security.
- Azure DevOps and modern CI/CD delivery pipelines.
- Azure integration services and enterprise application integration.
- MuleSoft integration platform.
- Databricks and modern data platform technologies.
- Microsoft SQL Server.
- Enterprise networking concepts including firewalls, proxies, load balancing and secure connectivity.
- Producing high-quality architecture documentation and technical design artefacts.
- Architecture governance, technical assurance and supplier management.
- Essential Skills
- Extensive Solution Architecture experience within complex enterprise environments.
- Strong Azure architecture expertise across cloud infrastructure, networking and security.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Experience delivering architecture through structured governance processes.
Key Deliverables-
- High-Level Designs (HLDs).
- Low-Level Designs (LLDs).
- Solution architecture documentation.
- Architecture assurance and governance reports.
- Integration and environment strategies.
- Supplier design reviews.
- Architecture Review Board (ARB) submissions.
- Technical risk assessments and compliance documentation.
- Contributions to enterprise architecture roadmaps and technical standards.
