Lead Solution Architect - Networks

As Lead Solution Architect you will shape the network, security and infrastructure delivery patterns for a vast hybrid technology estate in UK financial services. You will work across Core Infrastructure, collaborating with engineering, cyber security and platform teams to turn business needs into practical designs. You’ll drive reusable connectivity patterns and guide transformation migrations for secure, resilient network services across data centres, offices and external partners. The role combines strategic architecture with hands-on governance and delivery, contributing to a scalable, secure banking network.

• generous pension contribution up to 15%
• annual performance-related bonus
• share schemes including free shares
• discounted shopping and lifestyle benefits
• 30 days’ holiday plus bank holidays
• wellbeing initiatives and parental leave policies

• Lead solution architecture for Bank network spanning data centres, offices, branches and external services to ensure resilience and alignment with enterprise standards
• Define reusable connectivity patterns and guide migration approaches for major transformation activity
• Shape network services design including routing, DNS, load balancing, traffic flow, and application deployment
• Bridge architecture, delivery and engineering teams, building trusted relationships and navigating ambiguity
• Connect strategic decisions with secure design, deployment and operation while managing risk, compliance and operational readiness
• Collaborate across architecture, cyber defence, platform, delivery and service teams to enable informed decisions and outcomes
• Balance strategic direction with practical delivery to evolve network capabilities while maintaining secure, reliable services
• Provide line management and mentoring within an architecture/engineering team

• Deep networking expertise across data centre, cloud, campus, office, branch, WAN, internet and partner connectivity domains
• Experience in software-defined networking, hybrid/multi-cloud networking, network automation and contemporary security technologies
• Ability to design, govern and assure network control architectures (traffic segmentation, access control, firewalls, IDS/IPS, encryption, policy enforcement, observability)
• Proven track record in producing and assuring architecture artifacts (target state architectures, option assessments, architecture decision records)
• Strong collaboration and communication to align architecture with delivery and security teams
• Experience balancing strategic direction with practical delivery in a complex enterprise environment
• Line management experience in architecture/engineering teams

• collaboration
• clear thinking
• communication
• Cisco networking technologies
• software-defined networking
• hybrid cloud networking