Job Description

Job Title:

Solution Architect

Posting Start Date:

17/07/2025

Job Id:

1314

School/Department:

IT Services

Work Arrangement:

Full Time (Hybrid)

Contract Type:

Permanent

Salary per annum ():

48,149 - 74,605

Closing Date:

14/08/2025
The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.



We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more.

Overview

IT Services at the University of Sheffield provide a full range of complex IT and technology-enabled services. This role supports delivery across our three strategic product areas: Education, Research and Innovation and One University (please see our vision below



The Solution Architect role is located within the Enterprise Architecture practice and will lead on the development of solution and technical architectures which meet the current and future IT needs of the business and contribute to the solution design of specific projects.

Main duties and responsibilities

Develop and maintain models of the University's current and future solution and enterprise architecture, ensuring designs are aligned with business needs and sustainability goals. Lead in designing, specifying and selecting information system solutions, considering functionality, data, security, integration, infrastructure and performance requirements. Develop and champion solution architectural principles and templates to deliver cost-effective and sustainable IT-enabled business processes. Liaise with stakeholders across the University to understand organisational strategy and design information system solutions that meet specific business needs, with effective return on investment. Ensure technical solution definitions include appropriate assurance mechanisms including functional and non-functional requirements and validation processes. Work with project, feature and infrastructure teams to maintain compliance with architectural design and ensure project scope integrity. Lead the organisation in exploiting technology, using knowledge of IT solutions to support innovative and high-impact business capabilities. Maintain awareness of emerging technologies that might benefit the University, identifying and mitigating business and architectural risks. Provide architectural guidance and technical support to project teams, assisting with business cases and reviewing vendor proposals for architectural alignment and cost-effectiveness. Support engineers in developing engineering level designs and embed the University's sustainability principles in all activities. Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post

Person Specification

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and is respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Criteria

Essential or desirable

Stage(s) assessed at

Significant practical experience as an enterprise, solution, technical or systems architect in a large, complex organisation.


Essential


Interview / Application


Experience of undertaking complex analysis, facilitating and re-designing strategically critical business systems.


Essential


Interview / Application


Good exposure to a broad range of data, software, integration, security and infrastructure technologies with working knowledge of several areas.


Essential


Interview / Application


Ability to drive customer-oriented design journeys, producing architectural designs from conceptual to engineering views.


Essential


Interview / Application


Strong collaboration and influencing skills with both technical and non-technical colleagues across the organisation to assure solution design.


Essential


Interview / Application


Strong conceptual and analytical skills to produce high and low-level solution designs that solve problems and deliver organisational benefits.


Essential


Interview / Application


Ability to learn new technologies and techniques quickly, while ensuring compliance with governance and policy requirements.


Essential


Interview / Application


Experience with recognised methods (TOGAF), notation standards (ArchiMate), and agile environments with strong communication skills.


Desirable


Interview / Application

Further Information

Grade

8

Salary

The salary for this role is from 48,149 - 64,605 (pro-rata for part-time roles). In addition, this role attracts a market supplement of up to 10,000 per annum. The supplement is non-pensionable.



The role therefore has a potential salary package of up to 74,605. Our offer to successful candidates will be based on an assessment of your knowledge, skills and experience as demonstrated through the selection process.

Work arrangement

Full-time

Line manager

Lead Solution Architect

Direct reports

None

Our website

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/it-services/about ()


For informal enquiries about this job contact Arthur Clune at a.clune@sheffield.ac.uk.

Next steps in the recruitment process

We plan to let candidates know if they have progressed to the selection stage within two weeks of the closing date. If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process you can contact it-services-recruitment@sheffield.ac.uk

Our vision and strategic plan

We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: sheffield.ac.uk/vision ().

What we offer

A minimum of 41days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more. Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles. Generous pension scheme. A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel. A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women's and Parent's networks). Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role. A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes. A range of generous family-friendly policies + paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
+ support for those going through the menopause
+ paid time off and support for fertility treatment
+ and more





We are a Disability Confident Employer. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

We are a research university with a global reputation for excellence. Our ideas and expertise change the world for the better, making a real difference to society. We know that when people come together with different views, approaches and insights it can lead to richer, more creative and innovative teaching and research and the highest levels of student experience. Our University Vision (www.sheffield.ac.uk/vision) outlines our commitment to building a diverse community of staff and students that recognises and values the abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and ways of living for everyone.