Solution Architect

Company Description

Link Asset Services, part of the Link Group, currently has a Solution Architect opportunity available within our IT team. This is a fantastic opportunity for you to join our IT team in our Leeds office as we continue to build on our ambition to be the leading provider in our market using the latest cloud technologies with a Micro Services Architecture,

We are part of Link Group, a leading global provider of financial administration solutions. As one of Europe’s leading asset servicing platforms, Link Asset Services interacts with almost 6m investors, administering and safeguarding £600bn of assets across 10 highly regulated markets.

 

Job Description

The role

Reporting directly to the Software Development and Architecture Manager this contributor, consultant and advisory role will have a comprehensive hands-on grasp of current technology patterns and practices, application design and cloud technologies, all within highly complex enterprise application environments.

You will been seen as the go-to person for queries relating to solution design, standards and practices and technology adoption as defined by the strategic direction laid down by the Development and Architecture Manager.  Taking pragmatic decisions without losing sight of the overall product quality and strategic direction.

You will be a member of the development leadership team and as such expected to input in to the strategic direction and technological adoption through active contribution based on industry trends and best practice.

You will work closely with all other areas of the IT department:

• Working with the Solutions Delivery Managers and Delivery Teams to ensure that time and resource pressures are mitigated within the design without compromising the integrity of the systems.
• Working with the Business Systems Analysts ensuring that solutions are reflected in the requirements.
• Working with the Test team to assist support of technical testing and process integration.
• Working closely with the DevOps team to develop an automated continuous delivery culture and environment.
   

What you will do:

Key Responsibilities will include:

• Implementation and ongoing ownership of design standards and governance in line with recognised industry patterns and practices ensuring adoption within all development streams.
• Continuous review of technologies, design practices and processes in line with industry trends and opportunities therefore ensuring that advancements are best taken advantage of in an appropriate manner.
• Authority for technology adoption, solution design and core platform code-changes affecting the foundational aspects of the platform aligned to strategic direction, before sign-off by the Development and Architecture Manager / Head of Software Development.
• Establish and maintain a relationship within the wider division looking for cross unit opportunities in influence and adoption.
• Quality, Performance and Security of Software in the Production Environment – is ‘built in’ from the first line of code.
• Ensure all solutions consider the cost-of-ownership and the impact this will have on the support of the application. Ensuring performance, logging, monitoring and maintenance are all part of the delivery for all changes.
• Active role in the project solutions ensuring fit-for-purpose designs and opportunity for legacy reduction is considered as well as scalability, resilience and security.
• Ensure that non-functional requirements for performance, logging, monitoring, etc. are considered in all solutions and that these are achievable and practical, through engagement with the Support and DevOps teams.
• Work closely with the Solutions Delivery Managers, Business Systems Analysts and DevOps Engineers to ensure a considered end-to-end process with continuous delivery as the goal.
• Proactively encourage and be involved in a culture of innovation within the department. Allow a healthy experimental environment with appropriate controls over direction and investment.
• Work closely with the Development and Architecture Manager in identification of remedial weak points and address through educational uplift in governance, best practice, education and skills.
   

 

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have the following essential skills:

•  Strong communication skills, written and verbal.
• Ability to quickly understand current processes and technologies as well as current application and systems and their interactions.
• Strong influencer of technical and non-technical topics, both within the development community and beyond. Assuring approval for change across technologies, process and tooling.
• Delivery focused with a pragmatic approach to design whilst not compromising on quality and ownership.
• Extensive experience in the fields of application change, integration, messaging systems, design/architecture and review.
• Ability to mentor and drive innovation.
• Ability to work in agile, waterfall and hybrid models.
• Proficient in software-engineering principles, software development methodologies, security concerns and technology choices.
   

Technical knowledge and experience:

• Cloud Technologies (Azure)
• Micro-Service Architectures
• Message Orientated Middleware
• Relational Databases (SQL Server / Oracle)
• RESTful API’s
• .NET (C#)
• CI / CD
   

 

Additional Information
 

Leeds office benefits:

• Parking on site
• Subsidised canteen serving breakfast and lunch
• Subsidised high street coffee shops on site
• Free shuttle service from Leeds Bus Station and Leeds Train Station twice an hour from 6AM to 11PM
• Free office fruit baskets delivered twice per week
• Within walking distance of the White Rose Shopping Centre
• Easy access to M62, M621 and a 5 minute drive to Leeds City Centre