At a Glance
- Tasks: Design innovative solutions for London's transport challenges and lead complex technology projects.
- Company: Join TfL, a forward-thinking organisation dedicated to improving London’s transport system.
- Benefits: Enjoy free travel on TfL, 30 days leave, and a final salary pension scheme.
- Other info: Hybrid working model allows flexibility between home and office.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on London's future while working with cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: Experience in solution architecture and designing large-scale digital platforms is essential.
Job title: Senior Solution Architect - Digital
Salary: £70-85k Grade: Band 3
Contract type: TfL Reference: 4928
External - All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory right‑to‑work checks. Candidates must be able to demonstrate their right to work in the UK. At the present time TfL is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.
* Hybrid working within this role enables a balance of 50 per cent of time split between the office and home over a 4‑week period. Hybrid working arrangements can evolve subject to business requirements.
Overview
TfL exists to move London forward safely, inclusively, and sustainably. London’s success depends on colleagues continuously improving and innovating to make moving around our city more safe, inclusive, and sustainable. We have the opportunity to improve people’s lives and help our city navigate the future more than almost any other transport body in the world.
To do this we have to navigate an ever‑changing environment. Technology is evolving at breakneck speed. When and how customers use our network is shifting. The climate emergency is accelerating. TfL needs Solution Architects to work on projects that cover all of its responsibilities: public transport, roads, walking, cycling, real estate, asset management, regulation, and enforcement.
We are looking for solution architects who are passionate about working for TfL, have the business and technical skills to help deliver complex solutions across multiple technologies, business units and technical teams. Interpersonal skills are as important as your technical capabilities. You must be a critical thinker, with the ability to research and provide summarised results. You must be comfortable presenting your recommendations to all role levels within impacted business and technical teams. You must be able to prioritise your work, meet deadlines, anticipate, and resolve problems.
The role requires you to be in the office 50% of your time. The technology and development teams are based in North Greenwich.
Project / Role Overview
You will be responsible for the creation of project level architecture designs for solutions that are built in‑house or are delivered by partners. In creating the solution architecture, you will build consensus and gain approval from impacted business and technical teams. You will support project teams through delivery to ensure the desired outcomes are achieved and design changes are fully considered, agreed, and approved.
Key Accountabilities
- You will ensure that the project vision, scope, and desired outcomes are properly defined and will meet the needs of the business.
- Understand organisational objectives and external drivers. For example, legislation or industry compliance.
- Lead the end‑to‑end solution architecture for customer‑facing digital and mobile services.
- Work within business and technical constraints.
- Work with colleagues in other technical teams to ensure principles and best practice are applied.
- Ensure that functional and non‑functional requirements are fit for purpose. Ensure they align with project scope, vision, and criticality of the service.
- Stay up to date with technology trends and approaches.
- Analyse and present solution options to business and technical stakeholders. For example, develop build verses buy options.
- Work with technical teams to build costs and delivery estimates.
- Manage risks, decisions, and assumptions in a transparent way.
- Design and document high‑level and low‑level designs aligned with TfL enterprise architecture principles. Ensure their approval through formal governance.
- Communicate and work collaboratively with business and technical stakeholders. Help teams to understand technical and business perspectives in order to build consensus.
- Support project teams through delivery to ensure the desired outcomes are achieved and design changes are fully considered, agreed, and approved.
- Contribute to long‑term target state architecture and digital roadmaps.
Knowledge, Skills & Experience
- Experience as an architect on large scale, complex technology projects with responsibility for designing products, systems, components, and service integration.
- Experience of designing integration solutions across internal and external services on the cloud and on‑premises.
- Be able to define and apply solution design patterns. For example, integration, microservices, data management, web & mobile applications, SOA and IoT.
- Be able to produce designs using UML, Sparx Systems Enterprise Architecture, Visio and Office 365.
- Experience of working on medium and large‑scale public sector IT procurement projects.
- Qualification in a relevant subject area is desirable (e.g., Solution Architecture, TOGAF).
- Design for high availability, disaster recovery, and regional resilience.
- Embed Infrastructure as Code and DevOps practices.
- Industry knowledge of Information technology trends, particularly those within public transport operations and payments.
You will have hands‑on technical knowledge, skills, and experience in designing and building customer facing cloud‑native client (mobile and web) applications and API services. This includes:
- Design scalable microservices architectures using Kubernetes‑based platforms.
- Design and govern solutions using Microsoft Azure services including:
- Azure App Services
- Azure API Management
- Azure Functions
- Azure AD B2C / Entra External ID
- Azure Service Bus / Event Grid
- Azure Redis Cache
- Azure Front Door / Application Gateway / Cloudflare
- Proven experience designing and delivering large‑scale, public‑facing digital platforms, including APIs, event‑driven/pub‑sub architectures, and open data services.
- Knowledge of open data standards (e.g. SIRI, GTFS) and best practices for exposing real‑time and historical datasets to external consumers.
- Experience implementing API‑first and event‑driven architectures, including consumer onboarding processes, developer portals, and clear usage policies.
- Expert understanding of API governance, including security, version management, performance monitoring, and rate limiting.
- Familiarity with Azure cloud‑native services for hosting APIs, event streaming and system integration.
- Knowledge of modern web frameworks.
- Experience delivering mobile applications for consumer use, ideally in transport planning, routing, or payment services.
- Strong understanding of UX/UI collaboration, customer journey mapping, and delivering intuitive, accessible, mobile‑optimised services.
- Understanding of core identity concepts and protocols, including OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect (OIDC), access tokens, and refresh tokens.
- Knowledge of API and web security best practices.
Benefits
- Final salary pension scheme
- Free travel for you on the TfL network
- Reimbursement of 75% of the cost of a standard class Ticket for National Rail travel from home
- 30 days annual leave plus public and bank holidays
- TfL is committed to work‑life balance, operating a hybrid working approach where business and role requirements allow
- Tax‑efficient cycle‑to‑work programme
- Retail, health, leisure and travel offers
- Discounted Eurostar travel
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We want to represent the city we serve, which will help us become a more innovative and efficient organisation. Our goal is to make our recruitment as inclusive as possible. We are a disability confident employer who guarantee an interview to any disabled candidate who meets all of the essential criteria. We also use anonymising software that removes identifying information from CVs and cover letters to make the process fair.
Senior Solution Architect - Digital employer: Future of London
Transport for London (TfL) is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment that fosters innovation and inclusivity. With a strong commitment to employee growth, TfL provides opportunities for professional development while ensuring a healthy work-life balance through hybrid working arrangements. Employees enjoy generous benefits, including free travel on the TfL network, a final salary pension scheme, and a focus on equality, diversity, and inclusion, making it a rewarding place to build a meaningful career in the heart of London.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Solution Architect - Digital
✨Join the IT Consultancy Buzz
Get involved in local or virtual IT consultancy meetups and forums. This is where we can rub shoulders with industry professionals, get insights into what Future of London values, and even spot unadvertised opportunities. Don't miss out on these chances to make a name for ourselves in the IT world!
✨Show Off Your Skills
Create a personal project or case study relevant to the challenges Future of London might face. Use platforms like GitHub or Medium to share your findings. This not only demonstrates our consulting skills but shows a proactive attitude, making us stand out from the crowd when applying for that full-time gig.
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Follow and engage with the relevant thought leaders and influencers in IT consultancy on LinkedIn. Share insightful content and join discussions to gain visibility. A well-placed comment or shared article could catch the attention of someone at Future of London!
✨Direct Apply to Future of London
Let's not forget to apply directly through the Future of London website! Tailor your application to showcase our understanding of their consulting style and how we can contribute to their projects. A personalised approach can make a huge difference in landing that full-time position!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Solution Architect - Digital
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills:In IT consulting, it's all about problem-solving, so make sure your CV highlights your analytical skills and any relevant projects you've tackled. Mention specific technologies or methodologies you've used to resolve issues or improve processes; this shows you can think critically and deliver results, which is vital for us at Future of London.
Highlight Relevant Certifications:Certifications like ITIL, PMP, or even specific tech stack qualifications can really make you stand out. Make sure to include these in your CV, as they not only demonstrate your expertise but also your commitment to staying current in the field. We love seeing candidates who are proactive about their professional development!
Tailor Your Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to connect personally with us at Future of London. Share stories about your experiences in IT consulting, and how they shaped your desire to join our team. Mention why you’re excited about this particular role, and how you see yourself contributing to our projects.
Keep It Clear and Concise:We're all busy, so make sure your application is easy to read. Use bullet points for key achievements, and don’t overload us with jargon. A clean, professional layout goes a long way. Remember, the clearer your application, the more likely we are to invite you in for an interview!
How to prepare for a job interview at Future of London
✨Brush Up on Your Technical Skills
For an IT consulting role, be ready to demonstrate your technical prowess. You might face questions on systems integration, cloud technologies, or even troubleshooting specific software. If you have experience with tools like AWS, Azure, or even specific programming languages, make sure you can talk about them fluently.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Approach
IT consulting is all about solving problems for clients. Think about how you can illustrate your approach to a past challenge using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). It's a great way to show how you tackle complex issues and come up with effective solutions.
✨Know the Business Impact of IT Solutions
When discussing your experiences, focus not just on the tech solutions you implemented, but also on their business impact. Employers want to see that you can connect IT with organisational goals. Prep examples that highlight how your tech contributions improved efficiency or reduced costs for past clients or projects.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
Since IT consulting often involves teamwork and client interactions, expect behavioural questions that assess your interpersonal skills. Be prepared with examples that demonstrate your adaptability, communication skills, and how you handle client feedback. Before the interview, think of situations where you worked closely with clients to create effective IT strategies or changes.
