Lead Solution Architect - Geospatial Services in Bradford, Devon

Company description: Water Utility Company based in Yorkshire region of England.

We offer a competitive salary, depending on experience (up to £95,000). A company car lease/allowance scheme (£600 per month/£7,200 per year, based on full-time employment on joining the company). You can opt to sign up to the EV Car Salary Sacrifice Scheme 6 months after joining the company. Annual incentive related bonus (up to 15% of annual salary, increasing to 20% in the 26 to 27 performance year). Private health care (Self and partner, if applicable). Attractive pension scheme (up to 12% company contribution). Life assurance cover of 4 times pensionable salary. 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays plus 2 extra wellness days! A great benefits package choose from health cash plan scheme, critical illness insurance, dental insurance, life assurance flex and partner cover. Retail savings scheme. Online GP service, cycle to work scheme, gym membership discounts and many more!

Location: This role will initially be based in Bradford but we are moving our office to Leeds Valley Park in summer 2026, so you’ll be based there in the future. Hybrid Working (2-3 days office a week Bradford/Leeds). Work type: Permanent. 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Lead Solution Architect Asset and Geospatial Services to join the Technology team at Yorkshire Water and be a part of helping Yorkshire Water to provide the best service to our customers.

What we do: Everyone has an idea of what a water company does. Here in Yorkshire, we make sure that over 5.4 million people living in the region and the millions of people who visit our region each year can rely on our services, and have clean and safe drinking water on tap and that their wastewater is taken away. But for us, it’s so much more than this. We look after communities, protect the environment, and plan to look after Yorkshire’s water, today, tomorrow 24/7, 365 days a year. We provide essential water and wastewater services to every corner of the Yorkshire region and play a key role in the region’s health, wellbeing, and prosperity. New environmental legislation, unprecedented levels of investment and changing expectations from customers means that this is an exciting time to discover opportunities within the water industry. The Technology function is a key part of how we plan to meet the changing expectations of customers and regulators. As a water utility, almost everything we do happens somewhere; our assets, our networks, our people and our customers are all connected by location. Geospatial insight sits at the heart of how we plan, operate and invest. This is an exciting opportunity to own the vision for our geospatial services, working directly with business and technology leaders to unlock the full potential of our ArcGIS platform, connected services and shape how location intelligence drives better decisions for millions of customers across the Yorkshire region.

Where you fit in: As our Lead Solution Architect Geospatial Services you will:

• Own, define and continuously evolve the vision, strategy and roadmap for Yorkshire Waters and geospatial services, ensuring the ArcGIS platform (Enterprise and Online) is positioned to support both current priorities and future transformation.
• Act as the design authority for the geospatial domain across the enterprise providing architectural leadership, direction and assurance across all programmes and initiatives that touch geospatial capability.
• Build strong, trusted relationships with business stakeholders across asset management, operations, planning and customer teams understanding their priorities and translating them into opportunities to exploit the geospatial platform.
• Drive platform exploitation proactively identifying where existing geospatial investment can deliver new business value, from persona-based analytical dashboards to network intelligence, before new technology is procured or built.
• Lead the continuous review of our geospatial landscape, identifying, managing and reducing technical debt to ensure solutions remain scalable, sustainable and aligned to long-term strategy.
• Shape the adoption of the GIS Utility Network data model and modern ArcGIS capabilities, staying ahead of the ESRI roadmap and translating emerging developments into tangible business value.
• Lead the design and assure seamless, API-driven integrations between ArcGIS, supporting geospatial applications and our wider enterprise landscape including Microsoft Dynamics 365 (CRM), SAP S/4HANA (ERP) and our data and analytics platforms.
• Champion architectural excellence by embedding best-practice principles, standards and governance for the geospatial domain, playing an active role in architecture governance forums.
• Work closely with Enterprise and Solutions Architecture to ensure geospatial technology decisions, investments and initiatives align with Yorkshire Waters long-term strategy and business capability model.
• Create and maintain consistent, high-quality architectural artefacts including architecture assessments, domain roadmaps, architecture diagrams, high-level designs and decision records.
• Develop and maintain effective partnerships with external ESRI, system integrators and third-party providers to enhance capability, provide independent assurance and bring valuable market insight.
• Collaborate closely with delivery teams to ensure geospatial solutions are implemented in line with architectural principles, standards and agreed designs.
• Coach, mentor and develop geospatial capability across the organisation supporting the recruitment and growth of specialist GIS talent in line with our target operating model.
• Serve as a trusted technology advisor to the business, influencing key decisions and helping shape the future of asset and geospatial services at Yorkshire Water.

What skills & qualifications you will need:

• Strong architectural, functional and technical expertise in designing and implementing comprehensive GIS solutions (Enterprise and Online), including customisation, configuration, integration and analytical capabilities.
• A proven track record of delivering geospatial strategies and roadmaps, driving ongoing platform exploitation rather than one-off implementations.
• Experience designing solutions that integrate ArcGIS with ERP, CRM and data platforms (ideally SAP S/4HANA and Microsoft Dynamics 365) using modern, API-based integration technologies such as Microsoft Azure API Management.
• A strong understanding of the GIS Utility Network data model and the core processes required for an implementation, ideally within the utilities sector.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to convey complex design concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences and build credibility at all levels, including senior leaders and executives.
• Experience acting as design lead on complex implementations, working with large blended design and delivery teams (client and system integrator resources) to drive great outcomes.
• Experience mapping end-to-end architectures within a complex system landscape, inclusive of data and integration design.
• Experience identifying, managing and reducing technical debt, ensuring solutions remain scalable, sustainable and aligned to long-term strategy.
• Practical experience applying architectural frameworks and methodologies, bringing a level of pragmatism to adapt approaches to suit different business needs.
• Experience as an active member of architecture governance forums.
• The ability to create clear, high-quality and visually engaging architectural artefacts, strategies and roadmaps.

Highly Beneficial: Strong utilities experience, particularly with regards to customer and asset management, with experience delivering persona-based, GIS-centric applications and analytical dashboards. Relevant ArcGIS/ESRI certifications would be desirable. A passion for coaching, mentoring and developing others, excellent written and verbal communication skills, and a positive, proactive can-do attitude.

Although we operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it’s important to us that we support flexible working patterns and job share options (when we can), to help you make the best of both your work and home life. We know that juggling childcare responsibilities or getting that ideal work/life balance isn’t always easy!

If you’ve got experience in shaping geospatial strategy and leading architectural design and want to help us deliver great service for our customers whilst looking after the environment, then be sure to apply today to find out what a career with Yorkshire Water can offer you.

The closing date for this role is the 29th July 2026. If successful for the role, you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks that will include a Basic Disclosure Check, carried out through a Third-Party Company, prior to commencing employment. Depending on the role, you may also be required to go through the security vetting process for either a Counter Terrorist Check or Security Check clearance. All our roles are subject to a medical questionnaire, and further medicals when required. We are committed to removing barriers and ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to everyone. We offer a range of adjustments to make your application experience as comfortable and straightforward as possible. If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition that requires changes to the recruitment process, please include this information in your application. We will then discuss any reasonable adjustments required. Kelda Group reserve the right to close this position before the published closing date, should the need occur. We therefore advise that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible. No agencies please.