Solution Architect (Lead / Principal) Contract – Inside IR35

London (2 days onsite)

We are supporting on a strategic Next Generation platform transformation within Financial Services.
The programme is focused on defining the business architecture, platform roadmap and transition plan for a modern cloud-based ecosystem supporting retail investment products.
This role will work closely with enterprise architects, product teams and engineering leadership to deliver detailed solution architecture designs that support the organisation’s modernisation strategy.

Contract Details
Location: London
Onsite: 2 days per week
Contract: Inside IR35
Start: 30 March 2026
End: 30 October 2026

Interview Process:
• 1 interview
• 1 interview with the end client

Role Responsibilities
• Collaborate with Product Owners, Platform Leads, Architects and Engineering teams to develop the architectural runway for product delivery
• Produce detailed solution architecture designs supporting modernisation initiatives
• Design scalable, resilient distributed systems in the cloud
• Partner with CTOs and service providers to validate technology assumptions and architecture decisions
• Evaluate implementation options, lifecycle risks, dependencies and architectural trade-offs
• Deliver solutions that are decoupled from legacy enterprise systems where possible
• Support funding decisions by providing technical input to investment processes
• Promote architectural best practices across engineering communities
• Ensure security, risk and compliance are embedded into design from the outset
Required Experience
• Proven experience as a Solution Architect in complex technology environments
• Strong experience designing cloud-based distributed architectures (AWS preferred)
• Experience working across modern platform technologies and architectural patterns
• Ability to influence and collaborate with 3rd party technology providers
• Understanding of retail investing or financial services platforms
• Strong understanding of technology’s role in delivering business transformation

Desirable Experience
• Experience working within high-performing cloud product organisations
• Experience within enterprise software environments
• Exposure to modern frontend frameworks (React, Vue.js)
• Experience with major programming languages
• CI/CD pipelines and cloud-native delivery models
• Experience with developer platforms or tooling (Terraform, CDK)
• Experience building systems at large consumer scale