AQA
Solution Architect
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Solution Architect
Permanent
Manchester: £73,600 - £85,800
Milton Keynes: £76,700 - £89,300
Hybrid working - a minimum of 2 days per week in the office
Introduction
Are you a solution architect who enjoys turning complex business needs into practical, scalable technology solutions? This is an opportunity to shape enterprise-wide technology decisions, influence strategy and work across a varied technology landscape while helping AQA deliver services that support learners and education.
Purpose of the Role
As a Solution Architect, you'll play a key role within the Enterprise Architecture team, working closely with business and technology stakeholders to design solutions that deliver real business value. You'll provide architectural leadership across enterprise technologies, guide solution delivery and help ensure technology investments align with long-term strategic goals. You'll also contribute to the evolution of AQA's technology landscape by balancing innovation, governance and practical delivery.
In this role, you'll be responsible for:
- Designing and guiding technology solutions that meet business requirements while aligning with architectural standards, strategic objectives and delivery priorities.
- Providing expert architectural advice and leadership to stakeholders, project teams and technology colleagues, ensuring solutions are scalable, secure and fit for purpose.
- Driving architecture governance and continuous improvement, including technology roadmaps, horizon scanning, standards development and compliance with enterprise architecture principles.
What's in it for you?
You'll have the opportunity to influence technology decisions at an enterprise level while continuing to develop your expertise across a broad and evolving technology environment.
- Shape strategic technology direction and influence major business and transformation initiatives.
- Work with a wide range of stakeholders, gaining exposure to enterprise, assessment and group technology teams.
- Develop your professional capability through complex architecture challenges and emerging technology opportunities.
- A 35-hour working week with flexible, hybrid working.
- 25 days’ annual leave rising to 30, plus Christmas closure days.
- A benefits package including up to 11.5 percent pension contribution, BUPA healthcare support, wellbeing programmes and volunteering opportunities.
You'll thrive in this role if you have:
- Proven experience as a Solution Architect with a strong track record of delivering technology solutions within complex enterprise environments.
- Strong knowledge of enterprise architecture, cloud platforms, integration approaches and modern technology frameworks, including experience working across applications, infrastructure and data environments.
- The ability to communicate and influence effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders at all levels.
- Experience balancing strategic thinking with practical delivery, helping organisations modernise technology while managing legacy environments and operational realities.
- A collaborative, pragmatic mindset with a focus on solving problems, improving ways of working and delivering positive outcomes.
Diversity and Inclusion Statement
At AQA, we are committed to fostering a workplace that celebrates diversity and promotes equity and inclusion. We believe that a diverse team brings richer perspectives and drives better outcomes. Our ED&I strategy ensures that everyone—regardless of religion, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, age, disability, sexual orientation, or background—is valued, respected, and empowered to thrive. We actively promote inclusive language, avoid stereotypes, and strive for representation across all dimensions of diversity. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and lived experiences.
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Application deadline: Sunday 6th September
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Full Job Description
Summary
Purpose:
In your role as Solution Architect you will operate within the (Enterprise Technology) Enterprise Architecture team working closely with the Enterprise Architect. You will lead on the delivery of Solutions Architecture services, designing and ensuring delivery of IT solutions that meet business requirements.
You will provide solution architecture consultancy support to colleagues and business stakeholders, providing effective and pragmatic advice, guidance, direction and architectural liaison between technology and business stakeholders shaping and guiding solution delivery in the drive to deliver proportionate and effective solutions that meet desired business outcomes.
You will deliver a solution architecture service and approach that positively influences and evolves the information technology landscape across both Enterprise and Assessment technology areas of the business, providing overarching architectural oversight and compliance assurance.
You will support the delivery of effective architectural strategies within Enterprise Technology that promote proportionate and effective solutions and will engage with key stakeholders across Assessment Technology and (where appropriate) wider group entities to ensure alignment and oversight of approaches.
You will maintain and apply high levels of technology knowledge and architectural expertise in the production of architectural designs and approaches ensuring attainment of business objectives whilst balancing deliverability, architectural principles and alignment to the wider AQA strategy and objectives.
You will establish, lead on and champion coherent corporate wide architecture model(s) and standards where appropriate, taking ownership of, and resolving (or escalating), related issues or concerns you identify.
You will design, implement, guide and support the delivery of technology solutions to address business requirements and liaise between technology / business stakeholders, peers and colleagues both within the team and across the wider business.
You will maintain and apply a high level of technology design knowledge in the production of solution architecture designs and solutions and demonstrate appropriately commensurate levels of knowledge and expertise across other related architectural areas.
Landscape:
The Enterprise Technology Division sits within the Corporate Services Division, enabling the centralised delivery of core corporate services. In addition, Enterprise Technology operates in close partnership with Assessment Technology and Programme Management, collectively delivering the full IT service portfolio of current operations to future change programmes.
Enterprise Technology consists of the following functions:
- Service Delivery
- Enterprise IT Services (Core IT Delivery teams - desktop, systems & infrastructure)
- Enterprise Applications
- Architecture & Security
Architecture & Security consists of:
- Architecture (including Enterprise oversight)
- Security & Risk
- Security Operations (including Security Operations Centre)
- Data Protection & Compliance
The Architecture team compromises of 5 team members delivering into the roles of:
- Enterprise Architect
- Information Architect
- Solution Architect(s)
Due to the nature of the role and function, stakeholder engagement with colleagues / teams within other AQA UK locations may be required.
Key relationships
Key internal (AQA Education and AQA Milton Keynes) relationships
- Enterprise Technology functions
- AQA Assessment Technology architecture and development teams
- AQA Education business functions
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Key external relationships
- Third party technology providers
- Relevant third-party providers
- Other teams within the AQA Group (e.g. AlphaPlus and Doublestruck)
Activities:
To maintain the required knowledge and expertise in the following architectural areas and take the lead in the area of Solution Architecture, supporting colleagues in delivery across the areas of Solution and Domain Architecture in the fulfilment of business requirements and delivery of Enterprise Technology priorities.
Business Architecture
Information/Data Architecture
Application Architecture
Technology Architecture
Develop, take ownership of, and maintain policies, procedures, guidance and standards that make up the IT Strategy & Enterprise Architecture management system, evolving them in line with business drivers and goals to establish robust yet flexible and adaptive controls.
Support the Enterprise Architect in refreshing and implementing the AQA technology strategy, leading on specific areas as required.
Active participation, contribution, control, and management of architectural community, forums, and design authorities.
Directly contribute to the definition and verification of adherence to technical standards covering areas such as Application, Infrastructure and Integration architectures, Security and Access Control, Resilience and Reliability, Processing, Storage and Network architectures etc.
Take ownership, work with, and support business stakeholders and Enterprise Technology colleagues in the design and delivery of appropriately scoped architectural solutions ensuring that what is proposed satisfies business requirements and quality, cost and time criteria and is in line with current architectural standards ensuring buy-in to the proposed solution propositions.
Undertake purposeful 'horizon scanning' ensuring that AQA is positioned well to be able to benefit from emerging technologies, architectures and standards. Research and explore opportunities for solutions to meet AQA’s business objectives and develop clear cost benefit analysis for the adoption of particular approaches.
As part of the evolution of the IT strategy, establish and regularly review clear technology roadmaps and associated systems life cycles ensuring that AQA is able to identify technology opportunities and manage technology and architecture related risks effectively.
Review all systems solutions implemented across Enterprise and Assessment Technology areas of the business to ensure compliance with the IT strategy and related Enterprise Architectural policies, quantifying and proposing mitigations to any risks identified through effective operation of a ‘design control’ governance function.
Ensure architecture and standards maintained by the architecture team are fully compliant with all statutory and regulatory legislation.
Develop and maintain architectural artifacts of all systems, their interdependencies, technical profiles and their position in the estate.
Develop and maintain high levels of technical expertise across all relevant areas to support good architectural design. Ensure aspects such as compatibility with current and future business strategy, integration with existing systems, support of business processes including usability and performance and ease of maintenance are key areas of focus in any designs.
Guide and support Enterprise Technology team members through relevant transformational activities, ensuring that team members remain motivated and engaged.
Collaborate with programme and project management functions in order to establish product roadmaps, delivery plans, identify and advise on architectural cross project / portfolio dependencies including recommendations to address such items.
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