At AQA, we’re committed to advancing education and we’re committed to our people. As the largest provider of academic qualifications in the UK, we mark over seven million GCSEs and A-levels each year and it’s our people who make this happen. Make sure to apply quickly in order to maximise your chances of being considered for an interview Read the complete job description below. Solutions Architect Permanent Salary Wymbush: £67,000 Hybrid Working - up to 2 days per week from home • Are you an experienced Solutions Architect with Azure platform knowledge and a track record in either web architecture or microservices? • Do you want to join an organisation at the start of the Architecture evolution and play a critical role in the migration, modernisation and convergence programme? • Is it important to you that your work makes a clear and tangible difference to not only your colleagues but to a wider audience? AQAMK currently have 2 vacancies for experienced Solutions Architects or Senior Software Developers who are looking to transition into a Solutions Architect role. These roles will play a pivotal part in ensuring the successful evolution from a .net / c# environment to an Azure hosted web front end / microservice architecture. This 5 year plan of migration, modernisation and convergence is only just starting so you will be able to provide valuable input into the full process: recommending technologies, defining solutions, developing prototypes and providing specialist application performance expertise. If you have the experience and confidence to drive solutions and can effectively influence innovation and change, we’d love to hear to talk about how we can work together to use and enhance your skills. About AQA Milton Keynes The company has been recently renamed from DRS to AQA Milton Keynes and we are currently updating the website. For over 50 years we have been a world leader in data capture for the education sector. Our in-depth expertise has helped organisations around the world to automate and streamline their assessment and marking processes. PRO22 #LI-Hybrid Recruitment Agencies We have a preferred supplier list (PSL) in place. Unsolicited CVs will be treated as a gift. We will not be subject to or liable under your terms and conditions for agency fees. Full Job Description Summary The Architecture team are responsible for the architecture, design, and specification of software solutions in conjunction with internal and external stakeholders. You will report to the Development Manager and will be primarily focused on the latest and emerging technologies to ensure we are aligned with our corporate mission. A key requirement of this role is to clearly communicate the architecture and design of product solutions to the Technology Group team members and to ensure the specification is implemented accurately.KEY RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE JOB Architect: Take a lead role in establishing solution technical architecture and design, recommending appropriate technologies, defining solution workflows, developing prototypes as necessary, and providing specialist application performance expertise to the software development group You will be responsible for seeking approval for solutions through Design Board review meetings. Be an influencer and promoter of innovation and change Collaborate with Product Manager and Business Analysts to develop process flows to assist the development team in implementation of the business layer logic and rules. Maintain a roadmap of prioritised technical changes including but not limited to items such as architecture, cost-savings, security, performance, quality, and technical debt. Research new and emerging technologies to understand both their potential use and impact within the development teams. Work closely with the Product Manager and Business Analysts to review requirements, suggest solutions, and produce cost estimates in conjunction with the development team. Successfully communicate concepts and guidelines to development team, and provide support to the development team in the delivery of software using new architecture Support the learning and development of the department team members by mentoring and coaching In partnership with the Development Manager, review implementations by the development team to ensure consistency with initial design Investigate problems from information provided and propose a means to a solution. Manage risk in changes to production, carefully consider and take a balanced view on changes. Budgeting & Estimating Collate and provide costs to the Development Manager for proposed architecture solutions and run cost of various environments e.g. production, development, test, performance, UAT, etc. Provide high level estimates for proposed feature developments for release / roadmap capacity planning in conjunction with Product Manager, BAs, and development team. DRS Team Working Strong team-working within the department: Engage, collaborate, and cooperate with peers Provide technical direction and guidance to team members Contribute to Agile/Scrum management of architectural features Other responsibilities associated with the role Risk Management - Participating in the identification, assessment, planning and management of threats and opportunities as appropriate. Business continuity and incident management roles – Participating in identification, assessment, planning, testing and implementation of incident management processes to support recovery of key business processes in the event of a disruption to our normal operations Information Security – take an active part in the preservation of confidentiality, availability and integrity of information assets used in conducting the role and follow additional security procedures associated with specific activities where applicable.