.NET Solution Architect

Project Description

Our Client’s main goal is to simplify retail processes and improve store performance, meeting the growing commercial demands of a fast-changing industry.

Currently specialising in the News, Magazines, Lottery and Book categories. The applied intuitive handset technology scans, collects and interprets real time data as stock is ordered, arrives at retail, hits the shelf, is sold, and gets returned. This end-to-end approach reduces shrink, removes paperwork, and streamlines stock management to save on labour; all while increasing data visibility, financial control, and store profits.

Job Description

The Solution Architect will be pivotal in advancing our solution design and architecture capabilities, focussing on an upcoming new client project. This role is focused on establishing architectural design principles, championing best practice design standards and maturing the end-to-end technical delivery processes for projects of various scales. The Solution Architect will introduce comprehensive High-Level Design (HLD) and Solution Design Documents (SDD) to ensure robust, scalable, and maintainable solutions that meet the requirements of the external customer and the internal functions and aligns to the business strategy. They will work closely with cross-functional teams, ensuring solution designs are translated into high-quality user stories and technical specifications, overseeing their implementation, contributing to seamless project execution and aligning technical solutions with business objectives.

Strategic Planning and Innovation

• Develop and implement comprehensive High-Level Design (HLD) documents, detailing components, solutions, databases, tech stack, infrastructure, and overarching requirements such as security, availability, and performance.
• Create detailed Solution Design Documents (SDD) that outline system architecture, data flows, technical architecture, new environments, user and API interfaces, integration points, performance considerations, testing strategy, risks and mitigations, deployment plans, and maintenance and support requirements.
• Ensure consideration in solution design is given on how to best leverage both existing technology and any new capabilities; including where applicable cost/benefit analysis and any risks, ensuring these can be understood by senior business stakeholders.

Leadership and Collaboration

• Collaborate with the Business Analyst to understand and refine requirements, ensuring any proposed solution will facilitate them.
• Collaborate with the Technical Product Owner to translate requirements from the Solution Design Document into high-quality user stories that meet business requirements provided by the Business Analyst.
• Participate in backlog grooming and sprint planning sessions with the Development team, providing input into user story creation and addressing any questions.
• Build productive relationships with technical and business stakeholders to maintain alignment of technology and business strategies.

Technical Oversight and Quality Assurance

• Establish and provide technical leadership and guidance to development teams to ensure high-quality code through delivery.
• Lead the adoption and integration of architectural standards and best practices into the release and deployment processes.
• Conduct architectural reviews as part of the release management process to ensure the delivery of high-quality software that is easily maintainable and adheres to best practices.
• Contribute to and help maintain detailed documentation of the architecture and solutions.

End-to-End Project Lifecycle Management

• Work closely with the wider project team throughout the project lifecycle to ensure that all business requirements are met and fully considered.
• Engage with project teams to ensure comprehensive consideration of all team requirements during the change process.

Required Skills and Experience

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in Solution Architecture with a proven track record in creating High-Level Design (HLD) and Solution Design Documents (SDD).
• At least 3 years of experience with Azure, specifically in Azure DevOps CI/CD, and a strong understanding of architectural frameworks and design patterns for event-driven architecture and microservices within Azure environments.
• Hands-on experience with data architecture and management, particularly in Azure environments.
• Proficiency in a range of technical skills including C#, MVC, Web API, .NET framework/Core, T-SQL, unit testing frameworks, and infrastructure as code.
• Extensive experience with SQL Server, Entity Framework, and server technologies, ensuring scalability and performance in database architectures.
• Strong project management skills with experience in managing and delivering projects within a high-paced engineering environment.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build and maintain strong relationships through open communication and continuous self-development.
• Flexible and agile, capable of managing multiple tasks and deliverables simultaneously in a dynamic organization.
• Creative problem-solving and logical thinking skills, with a drive to provide innovative solutions.
• Self-aware and transparent, with the ability to embrace feedback, admit mistakes, and encourage constructive challenge.

Nice to have:

• Familiarity with knowledge management tools, particularly within the Azure DevOps and Atlassian suites.
• Experience in designing and implementing software architectures that support Agile and Scrum development methodologies.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive alignment between technical and business stakeholders.