Application Solution Architect

Description:

Application Solution Architect

6-Month contract - Inside IR35 - up to £575 per day

London based - hybrid working - 2 days a week on site

Finance sector - previous experience in this sector required

Overview

We are seeking an experienced Application Solution Architect to lead enterprise application modernisation initiatives. This is a hands-on architecture leadership role.

The successful candidate will be responsible for defining target architectures, leading application transformation programmes, and establishing architectural standards and design principles across the organisation. This is an out-and-out Solution Architect role, with a strong emphasis on application modernisation rather than infrastructure or enterprise architecture.

Key Responsibilities

Application Modernisation Leadership

Lead the assessment and modernisation of legacy and monolithic applications.
Develop application modernisation strategies, roadmaps, and target-state architectures.
Drive the decomposition of monolithic applications into modular, service-oriented, or microservices-based architectures.
Define migration approaches that balance business continuity, risk, cost, and delivery timelines.
Identify and reduce technical debt through strategic architecture decisions.

Solution Architecture

Own end-to-end solution architecture for application transformation programmes.
Produce solution designs, architecture artefacts, reference architectures, and technical standards.
Ensure solutions are scalable, secure, resilient, maintainable, and aligned with business objectives.
Provide architectural oversight throughout the delivery lifecycle.

Modern Technology Adoption

Lead migration from traditional Microsoft technology stacks to modern architectures and development approaches.
Drive adoption of:
Microservices architecture
API-first design
Event-driven architecture
Cloud-native development patterns
Modern front-end development using React
Support modernisation of application integration and data access patterns.

Architecture Standards & Best Practices

Establish and govern common application design principles and standards.
Champion architectural approaches including:
Clean Architecture
Strangler Fig Pattern
Domain-Driven Design (DDD)
SOLID Principles
Separation of Concerns
Twelve-Factor Application principles
Conduct architecture reviews and provide technical assurance.

Technical Leadership

Provide leadership and guidance to development teams and technical leads.
Mentor engineers on modern architecture patterns and best practices.
Facilitate architecture workshops and technical design sessions.
Act as the primary architecture authority for application modernisation initiatives.

Stakeholder Engagement

Collaborate with business stakeholders, programme managers, product owners, and engineering teams.
Translate business requirements into scalable technical solutions.
Communicate architectural vision and transformation strategies to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Required Experience

Essential

Extensive experience as a Solution Architect with a strong focus on application architecture and modernisation.
Proven track record delivering large-scale application transformation programmes.
Experience modernising legacy Microsoft-based applications.
Strong experience designing and implementing microservices architectures.
Demonstrable experience defining application modernisation strategies and migration roadmaps.
Experience working across the full software development lifecycle.

Microsoft Technology Expertise

Strong background in:
C#
.NET Framework
.NET Core / .NET
ASP.NET
SQL Server
REST APIs
Experience transitioning traditional Microsoft applications to modern architectures.

Front-End Experience

Strong understanding of modern front-end architecture.
Experience with:
React
TypeScript
JavaScript
Component-based UI designDisclaimer:

This vacancy is being advertised by either Advanced Resource Managers Limited, Advanced Resource Managers IT Limited or Advanced Resource Managers Engineering Limited ("ARM"). ARM is a specialist talent acquisition and management consultancy. We provide technical contingency recruitment and a portfolio of more complex resource solutions. Our specialist recruitment divisions cover the entire technical arena, including some of the most economically and strategically important industries in the UK and the world today. We will never send your CV without your permission. Where the role is marked as Outside IR35 in the advertisement this is subject to receipt of a final Status Determination Statement from the end Client and may be subject to change