Lead Solution & Security Architect

• Own the end-to-end solution and security architecture across business, application, data, integration, technology, and security domains.
• Define programme architecture strategy, principles, standards, guardrails, and decision criteria.
• Lead assurance of supplier HLDs, LLDs, functional/non-functional designs, security designs, and architecture exceptions.
• Provide architecture sign-off at key design, delivery, and readiness gates, escalating material risks and trade-offs.
• Own the ERP security architecture and control framework, covering IAM, privileged access, segregation of duties, data protection, integration security, resilience, monitoring, and audit.
• Assure compliance with MRA, NCSC, UK public-sector, regulatory, privacy, and records-management requirements.
• Review DPIAs, supplier security posture, threat assessments, certifications, control evidence, technical debt, and risk mitigations.
• Define and assure penetration testing and vulnerability assessment requirements and acceptance criteria.
• Resolve complex cross-domain conflicts, balancing security, business value, delivery, cost, technology, and operability.
• Advise programme leadership, governance forums, senior stakeholders, and suppliers, providing clear options, recommendations, and risk advice.
• Lead architects and technical specialists, maintaining accountability for architecture outcomes.
• Maintain architecture documentation, decisions, risks, exceptions, standards, and assurance artefacts, reporting material issues to the Principal Enterprise Solution Architect.

Essential Experience

• Senior experience as a Lead Solution Architect, Lead Security Architect, or equivalent.
• Delivery experience on complex digital transformation programmes, ideally ERP replacements.
• Experience in UK public-sector or regulated environments.
• Proven experience governing supplier-led delivery and challenging senior stakeholders.
• Experience resolving complex architectural risks, trade-offs, and exceptions.
• Experience leading architects and technical specialists.

Essential Knowledge

• Enterprise and solution architecture strategy, governance, and assurance.
• Security architecture, threat modelling, risk management, and control design.
• Non-functional architecture covering performance, scalability, resilience, availability, recovery, observability, and supportability.
• IAM, privileged access, RBAC, and segregation of duties.
• Cloud, integration, data, and ERP architecture and security patterns.
• UK public-sector security, privacy, data protection, records-management, and audit requirements.

Essential Skills

• Strong architectural assurance and challenge skills.
• Clear documentation of architecture decisions, risks, standards, options, and roadmaps.
• Effective engagement with suppliers, SMEs, programme leadership, governance, and assurance bodies.
• Strong risk identification, mitigation, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to balance security, business value, delivery pace, cost, operability, and technical sustainability.
• Ability to translate organisational objectives into practical architecture direction and provide professional leadership.