Find a job 
Featured Companies 
Featured Universities 
For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and govern technology architecture strategy, ensuring best practices in cloud and software engineering.
- Company: Join Skipton Building Society, a forward-thinking organisation focused on cloud engineering and architecture.
- Benefits: Enjoy learning opportunities, career progression, and a generous benefits package including health and wellbeing perks.
- Why this job: Be part of a collaborative team, driving impactful cloud transformations and modern architecture solutions.
- Qualifications: 7+ years in software engineering and architecture, with strong Azure and leadership experience required.
- Other info: Opportunity to mentor teams and bridge technical and business strategies.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 108000 £ per year.
WRK digital are thrilled to be partnered with Skipton Building Society supporting the growth of their cloud engineering and architecture functions. As their highly skilled team expands, they are seeking a Principal Architect to help define, lead and govern the technology architecture strategy across the organisation. The Principal Architect will provide leadership, technical expertise, and strategic direction to teams, ensuring best practices in software engineering, cloud technologies, and enterprise architecture are upheld. This role spans both IT infrastructure and Engineering domains, ensuring robust architectural solutions across diverse technology landscapes.
As Principal Architect, you will be responsible for:
- Defining cloud adoption strategies leveraging Azure’s suite of services.
- Ensuring high availability, scalability, and security in cloud deployments.
- Driving the implementation of Azure-native solutions.
- Providing technical leadership and mentorship to engineering and IT infrastructure teams.
- Leading cross-functional teams, ensuring architectural decisions align with business goals.
- Serving as a trusted advisor to the GCIO, Director of Enterprise Architecture & Technology Strategy, bridging the gap between technical and business strategy.
- Advocating for modern architecture patterns such as event-driven architectures and microservices.
- Maintaining a structured approach to documenting architectural designs and decisions.
- Ensuring traceability of decisions and impact assessments.
- Applying best practices such as the Repository Pattern, CQRS, and Domain-Driven Design (DDD).
- Ensuring systems are highly-available and resilient through the use of relevant technologies such as load balancing.
- Ensuring systems are designed to be highly secure through the use of suitable technologies such as IDS/IPS and WAF.
- Supporting the development of runbooks and operational procedures for production systems.
As Principal Architect, you will have:
- A minimum of 7 years in software engineering, IT, and architecture roles.
- Proven experience leading large-scale cloud transformations.
- Strong experience with Azure cloud services.
- Strong knowledge of event-driven architectures and microservices.
- Experience of technical leadership and stakeholder management.
- Proficiency in modern software engineering and IT patterns.
- Strong documentation and decision-recording capabilities.
- Experience in on-prem and hybrid cloud solutions.
- Strong security awareness, including identity and access management.
- Expertise in observability and monitoring solutions.
What They Offer:
- Learning Opportunities: Access to training, workshops, and professional development courses to enhance your skills and knowledge.
- Dedicated learning and development time.
- Career Progression: Opportunities for advancement within the organization based on performance, skills, and dedication.
- Collaborative Work Environment: Be part of a supportive and collaborative team where your contributions are valued and recognized.
- A generous benefits package including health, lifestyle, monetary and wellbeing perks.
If this sounds of interest, click apply or email Gareth Squires at to discuss further.
Contact Detail:
WRK digital Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Architect
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with Azure's suite of services, as this role heavily focuses on cloud adoption strategies. Understanding the specific tools and technologies within Azure will not only boost your confidence but also demonstrate your commitment to the role during discussions.
✨Tip Number 2
Showcase your experience in leading large-scale cloud transformations by preparing examples of past projects. Be ready to discuss how you overcame challenges and what architectural patterns you implemented, particularly around event-driven architectures and microservices.
✨Tip Number 3
Network with professionals in the field, especially those who have experience with Skipton Building Society or similar organisations. Engaging in conversations about their architecture strategies can provide valuable insights and potentially lead to referrals.
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare to discuss your approach to technical leadership and stakeholder management. Think of specific instances where you successfully bridged the gap between technical teams and business goals, as this is a key aspect of the Principal Architect role.
We think you need these skills to ace Principal Architect
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights your experience in software engineering, cloud transformations, and architecture roles. Emphasise your proficiency with Azure services and any relevant projects that showcase your leadership and technical expertise.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your enthusiasm for the Principal Architect role and how your background aligns with the responsibilities outlined in the job description. Mention specific experiences that demonstrate your ability to lead cross-functional teams and implement cloud strategies.
Showcase Technical Skills: Clearly outline your technical skills related to event-driven architectures, microservices, and security awareness. Provide examples of how you've applied these skills in previous roles, particularly in cloud environments.
Highlight Leadership Experience: Detail your experience in providing technical leadership and mentorship. Include examples of how you've managed stakeholders and aligned architectural decisions with business goals, as this is crucial for the Principal Architect position.
How to prepare for a job interview at WRK digital
✨Showcase Your Cloud Expertise
Make sure to highlight your experience with Azure cloud services during the interview. Be prepared to discuss specific projects where you defined cloud adoption strategies and how you ensured high availability and security in those deployments.
✨Demonstrate Leadership Skills
As a Principal Architect, you'll need to provide technical leadership. Share examples of how you've mentored teams or led cross-functional groups in previous roles, focusing on how your decisions aligned with business goals.
✨Discuss Architectural Patterns
Familiarise yourself with modern architecture patterns like event-driven architectures and microservices. Be ready to explain how you've applied these concepts in past projects and the benefits they brought to the organisation.
✨Prepare for Technical Questions
Expect in-depth technical questions related to software engineering and IT patterns. Brush up on best practices such as the Repository Pattern, CQRS, and Domain-Driven Design (DDD), and be ready to discuss how you've implemented these in your work.
