At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the evolution of our Martech architecture and design innovative customer engagement solutions.
- Company: Join Vanguard, a revolutionary investment company committed to client success.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, flexible working, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Hybrid role requiring 3 days in the office, fostering collaboration and innovation.
- Why this job: Shape the future of digital experiences with cutting-edge AI and cloud technologies.
- Qualifications: 3+ years as a Solutions Architect with strong tech and stakeholder engagement skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
hackajob is collaborating with Vanguard to connect them with exceptional professionals for this role.
We’re looking for a Lead Solutions Architect to drive the architecture and evolution of our Marketing Technology (Martech) ecosystem. This is a high-impact role where you’ll shape the future of customer engagement, working at the intersection of digital experience, AI, and scalable cloud platforms. You’ll partner closely with Product, Engineering, and Business teams to define innovative, scalable, and future-ready solutions that support our strategic growth.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Own and evolve Martech architecture and product roadmaps, aligning with business strategy and enterprise architecture
- Lead the design of scalable, integrated solutions across customer experience platforms, conversational AI, and automation
- Collaborate with product teams, engineers, and business stakeholders to deliver seamless, customer-centric solutions
- Drive alignment with enterprise architecture standards, governance, and technology roadmaps
- Act as the technical authority, guiding teams through complex design decisions, risk mitigation, and solution optimisation
- Evaluate new technologies, vendors, and platforms, contributing to build vs. buy decisions and long-term strategy
- Support and enhance architecture governance and best practices across the organisation
- Stay ahead of emerging Martech, AI, and cloud trends, bringing innovation into the business
- Mentor engineers and architects, helping to build a high-performing, forward-thinking technology team
What it takes
- Significant experience in technology roles, including 3+ years as a Solutions/Technical Architect
- Proven experience designing and delivering enterprise-scale Martech or customer experience platforms
- Strong knowledge of:
- Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure or GCP)
- Microservices, APIs, and modern integration patterns
- DevOps and Agile/SAFe delivery models
- Experience with Adobe ecosystem (e.g. Adobe Experience Cloud)
- Hands-on expertise in conversational AI (e.g. Kore.ai) and intelligent automation
- Strong understanding of architecture governance, risk management, and compliance
- Experience in vendor selection, build vs. buy analysis, and ROI/TCO evaluation
- Excellent stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence across both technical and business audiences
Why Join Us?
- Work on cutting-edge Martech and AI-driven customer platforms
- Play a key role in shaping enterprise-wide digital and customer experience strategy
- Collaborate with high-performing product and engineering teams
- Opportunity to lead architectural direction and influence senior stakeholders
- Competitive salary + benefits + flexible working
Special Factors
- This position is hybrid and would require you to be in our office 3 days per week.
Why Vanguard?
Vanguard is a different kind of investment company. It was founded in the United States in 1975 on a simple but revolutionary idea: that an investment company should manage its funds solely in the interests of its clients. This is a philosophy that has helped millions of people around the world to achieve their goals with low-cost, uncomplicated investments. It’s what we stand for: value to investors.
Inclusion Statement
Vanguard’s continued commitment to diversity and inclusion is firmly rooted in our culture. Every decision we make to best serve our clients, crew (internally employees are referred to as crew), and communities is guided by one simple statement: “Do the right thing.” We believe that a critical aspect of doing the right thing requires building diverse, inclusive, and highly effective teams of individuals who are as unique as the clients they serve. We empower our crew to contribute their distinct strengths to achieving Vanguard’s core purpose through our values. When all crew members feel valued and included, our ability to collaborate and innovate is amplified, and we are united in delivering on Vanguard's core purpose: to take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success.
How We Work
Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Solutions Architect - Martech & Customer Platforms (Manchester)
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Vanguard or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Vanguard.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Vanguard.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Vanguard that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Solutions Architect - Martech & Customer Platforms (Manchester)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Vanguard.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Vanguard and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Vanguard
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Vanguard uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
