At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead projects by designing innovative solutions and guiding their development lifecycle.
- Company: Dynamic tech company in Reading with a focus on collaboration and innovation.
- Benefits: Up to £90,000 salary, 26 days holiday, car allowance, and private healthcare.
- Other info: Hybrid work model with excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by shaping technology solutions that meet business needs.
- Qualifications: Degree in STEM, experience in architecture frameworks, and strong communication skills.
The predicted salary is between 54000 - 126000 € per year.
A key part of the role will be to ensure we make progress on our key issues, while keeping solutions aligned to organisation and industry standards and with other programs/projects. The solutions architect provides the necessary leadership, analysis and design tasks related to supporting the development of technology solutions to ensure that solutions meet business needs and align with architectural governance and standards.
What you’ll be doing as a Solution Architect:
- Understand the problem space: delivery of solution architectures and designs through their full lifecycle.
- Create architectural designs to guide and contextualise solution development across products, services, projects, and systems, including applications, technologies, processes, and information.
- Create and maintain the architecture models and related reference data in our enterprise repository as part of your normal project tasks.
- Facilitate the evaluation and selection of solution options, software product standards and services, as well as the design of standard and custom software configurations.
- Provide solution architecture deliverables, including current and target state architecture, standard definitions, reference models, architecture designs and patterns.
- Support product managers in product decisions to maintain, refresh or retire services, or systems, including applications, technologies, processes, and information.
- Use your experience on projects to suggest, and in some cases implement, changes to our modelling environment to better support the needs of our various stakeholders; this may require some software engineering.
Base location – Hybrid – Clear Water Court Reading 36 hours a week. We are recruiting for 4 x Solution Architect positions.
What you should bring to the role:
- Being able to lead a project from an architecture perspective, ensuring that all decisions that are architecturally relevant can be taken following the appropriate governance (including peer review) and proactively informing the project plan in that direction.
- Excellent communication skills with ability to operate within cross-functional teams.
- A track record of delivery in both waterfall and agile environments.
- Practical experience using an architecture framework such as TOGAF or ArchiMate.
- Educated to degree level or equivalent in a STEM subject.
Extra qualities that would be a great fit for our team:
- Experience using an architecture modelling tool such as BiZZdesign, Sparx, Lean IX, CACI MooD, Orbus.
- Exposure to process modelling, for example, in BPMN.
- Certification in an architecture framework (e.g. TOGAF or ArchiMate).
What’s in it for you?
- Competitive salary of up to £90,000 per annum, depending on experience.
- Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays).
- Car Allowance.
- Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.
- Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
- Private Medical Health Care.
- Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.
Solution Architect - Reading, Berkshire employer: Thames Water
As a Solution Architect at our Reading location, you will join a dynamic team that values innovation and collaboration, offering a competitive salary of up to £90,000 per annum along with generous benefits such as 26 days of annual leave, a car allowance, and a robust pension scheme. Our hybrid work culture promotes flexibility and work-life balance, while numerous employee growth opportunities and a commitment to health and wellbeing ensure that you can thrive both personally and professionally in a supportive environment.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Solution Architect - Reading, Berkshire
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to current employees on LinkedIn or attend industry meetups. It’s all about making connections that can help you get your foot in the door.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews by practising common questions and scenarios related to solution architecture. We recommend doing mock interviews with friends or using online platforms to boost your confidence.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your skills through a portfolio! If you’ve worked on relevant projects, create a presentation or document that highlights your architectural designs and solutions. This will set you apart from other candidates.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our team.
We think you need these skills to ace Solution Architect - Reading, Berkshire
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Solution Architect role. Highlight your experience with architecture frameworks like TOGAF or ArchiMate, and showcase how your skills align with the job description. We want to see how you can lead projects and make architectural decisions!
Showcase Your Communication Skills:Since excellent communication is key in this role, don’t forget to demonstrate your ability to work within cross-functional teams. Use examples from your past experiences where you effectively communicated complex ideas or facilitated discussions. We love a good story!
Highlight Relevant Experience:When detailing your work history, focus on your track record in both waterfall and agile environments. Mention specific projects where you delivered solution architectures and designs, as this will show us you’re ready to hit the ground running!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates. Plus, we love seeing applications come in through our own channels!
How to prepare for a job interview at Thames Water
✨Understand the Role Inside Out
Before your interview, make sure you thoroughly understand the responsibilities of a Solution Architect. Familiarise yourself with key concepts like architectural governance, solution delivery lifecycles, and relevant frameworks such as TOGAF or ArchiMate. This will help you speak confidently about how your experience aligns with the role.
✨Showcase Your Communication Skills
As a Solution Architect, you'll need to work with cross-functional teams. Prepare examples that demonstrate your ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively. Think of times when you facilitated discussions or led projects, and be ready to share these stories during your interview.
✨Prepare for Technical Questions
Expect technical questions related to architecture modelling tools and frameworks. Brush up on your knowledge of tools like BiZZdesign or Sparx, and be prepared to discuss how you've used them in past projects. This shows you're not just familiar with theory but have practical experience too.
✨Demonstrate Problem-Solving Skills
The role involves understanding problem spaces and delivering solutions. Be ready to discuss specific challenges you've faced in previous roles and how you approached solving them. Highlight your analytical skills and how you ensure solutions align with business needs and standards.
