Solutions Architect, Studios

IMG is seeking a commercially aware and technically strong Solutions Architect to support the wider business in shaping, defining, and progressing technology solutions across current client contracts, new business opportunities, strategic transformation initiatives, and formal procurement activity, with particular emphasis on pre sales engagement, proof of concept activity, and technical validation.

This role will work across commercial, technical, operational, engineering, procurement, and transformation teams to translate business opportunities into clear solution options, technical direction, and delivery-ready architecture. A core part of the role is partnering with commercial teams during early-stage opportunity development, helping qualify requirements, shaping solution narratives, supporting customer and vendor conversations, and leading or coordinating proof of concepts that demonstrate feasibility, value, and operational fit. The role will also work closely with DevOps and Site Reliability Engineering teams to ensure proposed solutions are automatable, observable, supportable, resilient, and aligned to modern operational practices.

The role will play a key part in supporting responses to Requests for Information and Requests for Proposal, assessing market capability, engaging with vendors and partners, and helping ensure IMG pursues solutions that are strategically aligned, operationally fit, commercially sound, and scalable for the future., * Work closely with commercial teams to support current contracts, renewals, growth opportunities, and new business pursuits by shaping solution options that are technically credible and commercially relevant.

• Engage with stakeholders across engineering, operations, projects, procurement, and transformation to gather requirements and convert business needs into clear architectural direction and solution proposals.
• Support and lead technical input into RFI and RFP processes, including market engagement, requirements definition, response structure, vendor evaluation, solution comparison, and clarification management.
• Help define solutions for both internal operational workflows and client-facing services, ensuring alignment with IMG’s wider business model and service proposition.
• Produce high-quality architectural artefacts, technical narratives, option papers, blueprints, scope definitions, and supporting documentation for business cases, partner conversations, and formal procurement activity.
• Evaluate current and emerging technologies, suppliers, and delivery models to determine fitness for purpose, integration potential, risk, supportability, and total cost of ownership.
• Work with technical and operational teams to ensure proposed solutions are deliverable, supportable, secure, and aligned to IMG’s standards, strategic direction, and future-state operating model.
• Support vendor and partner engagement, including discovery sessions, technical workshops, demonstrations, proof of concepts, and architectural challenge where needed.
• Act as a bridge between non-technical and technical stakeholders, ensuring solution intent, assumptions, trade-offs, costs, risks, and dependencies are clearly communicated and understood.
• Collaborate with project and engineering teams to support transition from concept to implementation, including design authority, documentation, testing considerations, migration planning, and operational readiness.
• Ensure opportunities are assessed with a joined-up view across commercial, technical, procurement, and transformation priorities so that IMG avoids fragmented technology decisions and converges around the right strategic outcomes.
• Contribute to the evolution of IMG Studios’ future technology stack across on-premise, cloud, and hybrid environments, particularly in software-native and API-first architectures.

• Proven experience as a Solutions Architect or in a similar architecture, consulting, or technical presales role within media, broadcast, technology, or complex enterprise environments.
• Strong experience translating business requirements into scalable, supportable technical solutions across multiple stakeholder groups.
• Experience working closely with both commercial and technical teams on customer opportunities, solution shaping, and procurement-related activity.
• Experience responding to or supporting RFPs, RFIs, bids, tenders, solution proposals, or structured vendor selection exercises.
• Strong understanding of architecture across cloud, on-premise, and hybrid environments.
• Strong understanding of integration patterns, APIs, workflow orchestration, identity, security, and operational support considerations in complex platforms.
• Ability to assess technology choices in terms of business value, architectural fit, operational readiness, and commercial implications.
• Excellent written communication skills, including the ability to produce clear technical documentation and executive-ready content.
• Excellent verbal communication and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to influence across senior leadership, vendors, engineering teams, and commercial stakeholders.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple opportunities, workstreams, and deadlines simultaneously.

Desirable

• Experience in live production, post production, media asset management, playout, transmission, or broadcast infrastructure environments.
• Experience with software-native, cloud-native, and API-first media platforms.
• Familiarity with procurement processes, commercial modelling, licensing approaches, and vendor management.
• Experience supporting proof of concepts, market scans, technology evaluations, and transformation programmes.
• Knowledge of operational environments with high availability, security, and compliance requirements.

Personal Attributes

• Commercially aware, pragmatic, and outcome-focused.
• Strong collaborator who is comfortable working across business, operational, engineering, and leadership teams.
• Curious and strategic, with the confidence to challenge constructively where better approaches exist.
• Comfortable operating with ambiguity while bringing structure, clarity, and momentum.
• Able to balance innovation with realism, and future-state ambition with current operational needs., Business Acumen - Understanding financial drivers, interpreting business data, aligning decisions to strategic outcomes

Operational Excellence - Driving efficiency, governance, and continuous improvement in delivery & operations

Innovation Mindset - Cultivating curiosity, experimentation, and forward-looking capability development

Leadership & Collaboration - Inspiring others, building trust, and enabling collaboration across teams

• Permanent Position, Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm
• This role is based at our facilities in Stockley Park, Uxbridge, with hybrid working options where applicable.
• You may be required to work unsociable hours, including occasional weekends or on-call rotations, to support live operations and critical systems.
• Occasional travel may be required depending on project and client needs

IMG is a leading global sports marketing agency, specializing in media rights management and sales, multi-channel content production and distribution, brand partnerships, strategic consulting, digital services, and event management. It powers growth of revenues, fanbases and IP for more than 250 federations, associations, events, and teams, including the National Football League, English Premier League, International Olympic Committee, National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, ATP and WTA Tours, the AELTC (Wimbledon), Euroleague Basketball, CONMEBOL, World Rugby, DP World Tour, and The R&A, as well as UFC, WWE, and PBR. IMG is a subsidiary of TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TKO), a premium sports and entertainment company. TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TKO) is a premium sports and entertainment company. TKO owns iconic properties including UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization; WWE, the global leader in sports entertainment; and PBR, the world’s premier bull riding organization. Together, these properties reach 1 billion households across 210 countries and territories and organize more than 500 live events year-round, attracting more than three million fans. TKO also services and partners with major sports rights holders through IMG, an industry-leading global sports marketing agency; and On Location, a global leader in premium experiential hospitality.