VodafoneThree - Senior Solution Architect, CIAM

Location: London OR Newbury + Hybrid

Salary: Excellent basic salary plus bonus and Vodafone benefits

Working Hours: Full time 37.5 hours per week – Monday to Friday

Hybrid: We operate a hybrid model allowing work in the office and at home. You are expected to come into the office 2-3 days per week, for at least 8 days per month. You should work with your line manager to understand expectations for your role and team.

Who We Are

We’re here to build a network the UK can count on – one that connects people, places and potential. VodafoneThree aims to close the digital divide, empower communities and drive progress. We’re committed to creating a workplace where diverse perspectives are welcomed and everyone feels safe to show up as their authentic selves. From day one, you’ll be welcomed, valued and encouraged to bring your whole self to work.

Join VodafoneThree and you’ll be at the heart of change — building responsibly, investing sustainably and creating opportunities that last. We’re not just expanding connectivity; we’re reimagining what a connected nation looks like. With £11bn invested in 5G and digital infrastructure, your work will power businesses, services and communities across the country. We move at pace, and we’re just getting started. Join our Digital teams to harness the power of digital and innovation to deliver the best solutions for customers.

What You’ll Do

• Lead and influence the authentication product roadmap, using end-to-end Identity and Access Management (IDAM) expertise to guide long-term architectural direction
• Shape the architectural runway to support capabilities such as passwordless and biometric login (FIDO2), adaptive and risk-based authentication, and social sign-ins
• Evaluate and adopt modern authentication protocols and open standards to meet business and customer outcomes
• Partner with Product Owners, UX, Engineering Managers, and senior developers to define functional and non-functional requirements and design robust end-to-end solutions
• Own impact assessments and solution blueprints, including providing VROM and ROM estimates for new business demands
• Champion incremental delivery, supporting phased planning and shipping customer value early and often
• Ensure solutions align with AWS/Azure Well-Architected Framework principles with emphasis on security, resilience, scalability, maintainability and cost efficiency
• Protect the integrity and reusability of authentication solutions throughout their lifecycle, keeping designs simple and elegant

Who You Are

• Deep expertise in federated identity management and security concepts, with knowledge of OpenID Connect, OAuth2, SAML and related RFCs
• Proven experience designing and delivering enterprise-scale identity solutions for B2C or B2B platforms
• Strong background designing cloud-based services using microservices and micro-frontend architectures
• Hands-on experience defining and designing RESTful APIs to industry standards
• Solid understanding of AWS or equivalent Well-Architected Framework pillars, especially security, scalability, performance, maintainability and cost management
• Ability to communicate solution designs clearly using standard modeling approaches such as UML or C4
• Confident communicator who can explain complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Practical experience working within Agile delivery methodologies such as Scrum, Kanban, or Lean
• Experience integrating enterprise-grade SaaS-based IDAM platforms

What We Offer

We care about our people’s success by offering great pay, bonuses, up to 28 days off plus bank holidays, and paid time for charity work. You can personalise our benefits for you and your family, like discounts, vouchers, a pension plan and more. We support your career through learning tools and strong parental leave policies.

Need to Know

We are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and all offers of employment for this role are subject to background checks, including criminal (DBS) and financial checks to meet regulator standards. If you require reasonable adjustments or an accessibility accommodation during recruitment, refer to the Accessibility section of our Careers site for guidance. We use AI in parts of our business to boost innovation; applicants should rely on their own knowledge and skills during interviews to demonstrate authenticity.