Senior Solution Architect

Job title: Senior Solution Architect

Salary: Up to £84,000
Location: Pier Walk, North Greenwich
Contract Type: Permanent TFL Band 3

Overview of project/role 

About us: 

This is a great opportunity to join an expanding team which will continue to grow and help shape the future of revenue collection in TfL.  

Circa £5 billion per year in fares is collected through the Revenue Collection System. This system is managed by a third party and supports all the passenger facing equipment including technologies such as gates, card validators, and retailing devices, as well as the back-office systems used in the processing of payments, fares calculations, and provision of concession products. 

Job Overview: 

We are looking for two Solutions Architects who can join to support TfL to transition the system to a new contract. This role requires excellent understanding of developing and executing architecture roadmaps, working with large third-party suppliers, and governance/change management typical of large revenue generating systems. 

The role holder will: 

• Support the current and future suppliers to aid a successful transition between contracts 
• Work with the new supplier to ensure technologies used in the system and services present best value for money, meet requirements, and align with TfL’s strategic objectives 
• Develop expertise in the Revenue Collection System so that you establish yourself as a subject matter expert in its architecture and design 
• Support Product Managers, the Technical Authority, and the future supplier to help shape roadmaps and build business cases for investment through options, gap, and return on investment analysis 
• Assist with maintaining TfL’s position as a smart customer and keep informed on key decisions about how they affect the overall architecture 
• Ensure that any planned change to the architecture is fully understood including the impact to TfL and the future supplier through baseline, transition, and target state architecture models 
• Support technical governance through the identification and resolution of any non-compliances to what has been contracted 
• Developing relationships with other architecture disciplines to mature the architecture change framework in relation to this contract 

General Accountabilities: 

• You will design solution architectures that deliver against TfL’s needs, and are fit for purpose 
• You will support your own Technology Development projects, ensuring that architecture concepts are accepted and evolve over the course of delivery 
• You will build architecture deliverables such as the documentation for own projects, warranting that they are of an appropriate standard and their content is approved by relevant partners 
• You will communicate and represent your own projects at the Architecture Review Body seeking approval/guidance/feedback as required 
• You will craft project budgets, conduct options analysis, build business cases and inform build-vs-buy decisions 
• You will improve the solution architecture discipline by supplying to our own standards, taking pragmatic decisions considering project pressures and TfL’s complex technology landscape, working with the wider technology community  
• You will work closely with internal teams to understand, refine, & estimate requirements; Making sure these estimates are appropriate, robust, and accurate. 
• You will support the selection and procurement of technology and contractor services to meet the objectives of your own projects 
• You will build strong relationships with key stakeholders and subject matter experts as the main technical point of contact to solicit complex requirements 

Knowledge: 

• Understanding of common solution design patterns for example, integration patterns, high transaction/low latency back offices, microservices 
• Understanding of solution architecture deliverables and their contribution to the overall software development process 
• Understanding of agile software development methodologies in multi-disciplinary environments 
• Knowledge of UML including functional decomposition, use cases, activity diagrams, sequence diagrams, and components 
• Qualification in a relevant subject area is desirable (e.g., Solution Architecture, TOGAF) 
• Understanding of non-functional requirements when designing Architecture including resilience, disaster recovery, availability, service levels, and continuity if services 

Skills & Experience: 

• You will analyse complex business/technical problems, synthesise solutions, and communicate options to a wide group of partners 
• You will investigate and account for dependencies between active projects; collaborate on designing solutions for transitioning live services that minimise impact on TfL colleagues and customers 
• You will translate a set of approved business requirements and build a structured conceptual architecture, gaining consensus for own and other ideas 
• You will map elements of own concept and detailed solution architectures to business and non-functional requirements 
• You will collaborate with development community directly, ensuring concepts and architectures remain practical and that feedback is acted on 

Understanding of IT systems with specific experience designing software solutions across some of the following: 

• Payments processing systems including front/middle/back office functions 
• Document Management Systems 
• Cloud Computing e.g., AWS and Azure 
• Procurement of IT systems and services 
• API design and integration patterns 

Equality, diversity and inclusion 

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We want to represent the city we serve, which will help us become a more innovative and efficient organisation. Our goal is to make our recruitment as inclusive as possible. We are a disability confident employer who guarantee an interview to any disabled candidate who meets all of the essential criteria. We also use anonymising software that removes identifying information from CVs and cover letters to make the process fair.

Application Process  

Please note that you must apply by using your CV (Word.docx format) and a covering letter (no more than two pages). Please think carefully about the skills, knowledge and experience outlined in the job description and ensure your CV reflects the requirements of the role.  

We will endeavour to give candidates as much notice as possible however some interviews/assessments will be organised at short notice and will require a degree of flexibility. 

The closing date for applications is 7/7/2025 @ 23:59 

Benefits

 
In return for your commitment and expertise, you will enjoy excellent benefits and scope to grow.  Rewards vary according to the business area but mostly include: 

• Final salary pension scheme  
• Free travel for you on the TfL network  
• A 75% discount on National Rail Season Ticket and interest free loan  
• 30 days annual leave plus public and bank holidays 
• Private healthcare discounted scheme (optional)  
• Tax-efficient cycle-to-work programme 
• Retail, health, leisure and travel offers  
• Discounted Eurostar travel