Solution Architect (Customer Servicing)

We’re looking for a skilled and highly motivated Solution Architect to help define and realise our strategic outcomes through IT change and innovation. Nationwide is using modern technologies to unite teams and create engaging digital experiences for today's and tomorrow's customers. We’re also investing in our branches and contact centres to offer the best mix of human and digital services. Our ambitious strategy aims to transform our technology to better support our customers. The 'Customer Servicing' domain is central to this effort, driving the systems our front-line colleagues use to deliver smooth customer journeys and simplify processes with 'evergreen' platforms.

As an experienced Architect, you will be responsible for the definition and delivery of the Architecture and solution design that supports our Colleague Servicing landscape. You will provide thought leadership and architectural direction to Engineering teams and protect solution integrity. You will use your technical expertise to lead on the creation of technical artefacts, enabling high quality (technical/business) solutions to be delivered at pace, along with hands on experience in the Customer Servicing solutions.

You will be working with Architecture/Engineering Leads to shape and design solutions, using existing technology guardrails and use cases for creating architectural views and patterns. This is a fantastic opportunity to join the team at a time of real change, where you will be at the heart of driving this agenda, and able to make a real impact. The successful candidate will have a broad range of experience of driving complex modernisation agendas to adopt and exploit both on-prem and cloud native technologies in a regulated environment.

At Nationwide we offer hybrid working wherever possible. More rewarding relationships are supported through our hybrid approach, bringing colleagues together across our UK wide estate, whilst also supporting generous access to home working. We value our time in the office to solve problems, to learn, and to feel connected.

For this job you'll spend at least two days per week, or if part time you'll spend 40% of your working time, based at either our Swindon or London office. If your application is successful, your hiring manager will provide further details on how this works.

What you’ll be doing:

• Help shape the ongoing evolution of the architecture capability to ensure it continuously improves and can meet the ongoing needs of the Society.
• Champion new technologies, methodologies, and innovations, including cloud-based solutions, to enhance efficiency and agility.
• Create and own target state roadmaps and architecture runways.
• Lead and author Solution designs, ensuring they align to our technology strategies, guardrails and key outcomes for Colleague Servicing, covering all aspects of the architecture stack, people, process, data, integration and infrastructure.
• Help define and improve our architectural principles, design patterns, and implementation techniques.
• Work with our partners and external parties (software vendors, research companies, industry bodies, and strategic partners) to ensure the definition and delivery of architecture is future proofed and in line with industry best-practice.
• Responsible for ensuring the E2E integrity of Solution Architecture and Design.
• Creation and management of ‘architecturally significant questions’ (ASQ’s).
• Playing an active role in solution design governance.

You will use your leadership skills and Subject Matter Expertise to collaborate with stakeholders and peers to understand and influence how the technical infrastructure deliverables align with activities both within and outside the team. When necessary, you will provide designs and solutions that adhere to engineering principles and architectural strategy.

About you:

• Experience of reviewing and approving technical designs and configuration documents as part of ongoing peer-reviews.
• Participating in proof of concepts to assist in defining technology direction and enabling business strategy.
• A proven track record in providing leadership, technical security design and delivery of resilient solutions.
• Demonstrable experience in an engineering practice, with a keen passion to move into architecture.
• A strong technical background (e.g. design and development) including experience with various software designs, languages, and architecture. Familiarity with cloud computing platforms like AWS and Azure is essential.
• Experience in providing guidance and technical assurance as part of project governance.
• The ability to interpret and understand the business need, aligning technical solutions with business goals and objectives to drive cost effective and fit-for-purpose solutions.
• An effective communication style that can be adapted across multiple stakeholders, including management, engineering and operational teams.

You will have knowledge & experience of the following:

• Back-office domain that covers at least one of the following Retail business areas including Retail Services, Collections and Recoveries, Remediation and Complaints.
• Experience of Customer/Colleague systems and working with Customer Servicing stakeholders.
• Working in a highly regulated environment and ensuring solutions are compliant.
• Taking complex problems and designing solutions that drive to support a simplification agenda.
• Participating in ‘proof of concept’ projects to assist in defining technology direction and enabling business strategy.
• Working with on-Premises and Cloud (e.g. PaaS, SaaS solutions).
• Networking and Infrastructure security concepts.
• Working with 3rd parties / suppliers.

Our customer first behaviours put customers and members at the heart of how we work together. They are the set of behaviours that every colleague needs to display, in every role:

• Feel what customers feel - We step into our customers’ shoes, using their feedback and insights to empathise with them and to understand their needs, so that every decision we make starts and finishes with our customers in mind.
• Say it straight - We are brave in speaking out and saying what we think – we’re honest and direct with good intent, openly sharing diverse perspectives to reach the best conclusions and using language everyone can understand.
• Push for better - We don’t settle for mediocrity, we challenge the status quo, taking responsibility for continuous improvement and personal development.
• Get it done - We prioritise what will have the greatest impact, we are decisive, and we take accountability for delivering brilliant customer outcomes.

You can strengthen your application by showing how our customer first behaviours resonate with you, and where you may have already demonstrated these.

The extras you’ll get:

• A personal pension – if you put in 7% of your salary, we’ll top up by a further 16%.
• Up to 2 days of paid volunteering a year.
• Life assurance worth 8x your salary.
• A great selection of additional benefits through our salary sacrifice scheme.
• Wellhub – Access to a range of free and paid options for health and wellness.
• Access to an annual performance related bonus.
• Access to training to help you develop and progress your career.
• 25 days holiday, pro rata.

Banking – but fairer, more rewarding, and for the good of society. We forge our own path at Nationwide. As a mutual, we’re owned by our members - those customers who bank, save or have a mortgage with us. We challenge the financial sector status quo. We don’t see customers as the engine of our own profit. We share our profits with them and put their needs first. Always there when they need us. Supporting them and their lives.

If you’re inspired by fairer finances, passionate about making a meaningful impact, and truly care about our customers, you’re one of us. At Nationwide, you are challenged to grow and rewarded for doing so. Valued. Recognised. Inspired to be your best. As a community we want our working lives to count. As a team, we celebrate what we achieve. As a standard-setter, we work for the good of customers, communities, and broader society. We are Purpose-driven. Uncompromisingly Customer. Unstoppably Nationwide.