Principal Solution Architect

Hybrid | Manchester | Up to £105,000 + £6,300 Car Allowance + Up to 30% BonusShape the architecture behind a modern SaaS platform. We're working with an established software business undergoing a significant technical transformation. Following substantial investment, they're modernising a large-scale cloud platform and are looking for an experienced Solution Architect to play a pivotal role in defining the next generation of their technology estate.This is a hands-on architecture position where you'll influence technical direction across multiple engineering teams, helping to solve complex business problems through scalable, cloud-native solutions.You'll work closely with Engineering Managers, Product, Principal Engineers and Technical Leadership to ensure architecture remains pragmatic, modern and capable of supporting ambitious growth plans.What you'll be doing Designing end-to-end technical solutions across multiple SaaS productsDefining architecture standards, principles and best practiceWorking closely with engineering teams to ensure architectural designs are successfully deliveredProducing high-quality solution designs, technical documentation and architecture roadmapsDriving cloud-first architecture using modern distributed systemsLeading architectural discussions around scalability, resilience, security and performanceSupporting engineering teams through technical decision making rather than simply producing documentationReviewing existing systems and identifying opportunities for modernisationCollaborating with Product teams to balance commercial requirements with technical excellenceActing as a trusted technical advisor across multiple delivery teamsWhat we're looking for You'll ideally have experience in most of the following:Previous experience as a Solution Architect, Technical Architect or Senior Software ArchitectStrong background in modern software engineering using C# / .NETExtensive experience designing cloud-native applications on AWSDeep understanding of microservices architectureExperience with event-driven systems and asynchronous messagingAPI-first architecture and systems integrationContainer technologies (Docker, Kubernetes, ECS or EKS)Infrastructure as Code (Terraform desirable)Strong understanding of distributed systemsExcellent stakeholder management and communication skillsComfortable working closely with software engineers and remaining technically credibleNice to have Financial services, payments or complex transactional platform experienceExperience modernising legacy applicationsDomain-driven designEvent sourcing or CQRSServerless architectureObservability platformsDevSecOps practicesWhy join? This is an opportunity to influence architecture rather than inherit it.You'll join a technology organisation investing heavily in engineering, cloud technologies and platform modernisation, where architecture genuinely shapes product direction instead of simply reviewing designs after the fact.You'll work alongside experienced engineering leaders who value pragmatic architecture, technical excellence and continuous improvement, giving you genuine influence over the future technical landscape.If you're looking for a role where your architectural decisions directly impact a modern SaaS platform used at enterprise scale, this is one of the strongest opportunities currently available.Benefits Salary up to £105,000Annual performance bonusHybrid working (2 days per week onsite)Private healthcareEnhanced pensionGenerous annual leaveOngoing learning & certification supportCareer progression into Principal Architecture or Technology LeadershipModern engineering environment with significant investment in cloud technologiesIdeal Background This role would suit someone currently working as a:Solution ArchitectTechnical ArchitectSoftware ArchitectCloud ArchitectPrincipal EngineerPrincipal DeveloperStaff EngineerLead DeveloperSenior Technical LeadWho enjoys staying close to engineering while helping define architecture across large-scale SaaS platforms.This advert deliberately avoids buzzwords and focuses on what matters: designing robust cloud-native solutions, influencing engineering teams, and helping build software that scales. The environment is heavily centred around modern AWS architectures, microservices and event-driven design patterns that enable resilient, independently deployable services.TPBN1_UKTJ