Head of Solution Architecture

About us

At National Grid, our commitment to a cleaner, greener energy future is powered by the dedication and ingenuity of our people. Join our team as a Head of Solution Architect and be a part of something bigger—where your unique skills and passions can make a real difference. Together, we are superpowered. 

National Grid is hiring a Head of Solution Architect on a permanent basis. The this role is based in our Warwick office - We offer a hybrid working model.

Job Purpose

As Head of Solution Architecture, you'll lead, influence and install world-class solution architecture capabilities that align with the Solution Architecture community of practice helping drive common practices across the company. 

This portfolio consists of a diverse set of business solutions but is built on a strong SAP foundation covering Finance, HR and Procurement with other strategic vendors covering other capability areas. You'll also have ownership of common digital platforms used across the group including integration, CI/CD & testing platforms as well as ServiceNow.

You'll lead a strong team of Solution Architects who are responsible for delivery of solution architecture consisting of technology design while meeting the financial, security and performance goals that inevitably drive National Grid’s business outcomes. 

What you'll do

• Lead the delivery of solution architecture for projects and products that National Grid has decided to invest in
• Build solution architecture capabilities:
  • Design, implement and adopt Solution Architecture best practices, and partner with the Enterprise Architecture team to continually improve Solution Architecture best practices at National Grid
  • Define expected practices & guardrails
  • Ensure technical output is based on National Grid’s technology standards and industry best practices
  • Adapt practices to continually improve solution architecture capability maturity and achieve strategic objectives
  • Ensure that solution architecture aligns with National Grid’s future state blueprint and road map
• Establish best-practice capabilities to ensure Solution Architects in your business unit will provide recommendations to delivery teams based on technology evaluations
• Work with business unit representatives to develop practices for edge-case technologies or solutions 
• Collaborate with other Solution Architects and Enterprise Architects to facilitate career growth & cross-training
• Ensure personal and professional well-being of your team

Qualifications

• Master's Degree in a relevant discipline, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
• People management experience 
• Experience in strategic technology leadership, IT infrastructure, analytics, and outsourcing management
• Breadth of knowledge in ensuring that relevant platforms (e.g. systems of record, analytics, integration) are brought together to support overall programme architecture
• Experience/knowledge of SAP solutions including S4, ECC, BTP, SAC, Ariba, SuccessFactors and Concur
• Experience/knowledge of integration platforms such as MS APIM, Mulesoft, BTP IS and SnapLogic
• Relevant experience of the full Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) processes and tooling - from EA to implementation including Agile, Iterative, Prototyping and Waterfall
• Experience leading, coaching, and developing people / teams
• Deep technical and functional knowledge in a particular area of expertise
• Proven analytical skills and experience making decisions based on hard and soft data
• Experience with resource planning and allocation within and across organizations

What you'll get

A competitive salary between £78,000 - £94,000 dependent on capability 

As well as your base salary, you will receive a bonus based on personal and company performance and a competitive contributory pension scheme where we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%. You will also have access to a number of flexible benefits such as a share incentive plan, salary sacrifice car and technology schemes, support via employee assistance lines and matched charity giving to name a few.

More Information

The closing date for this vacancy is 18th September. However, we encourage candidates to submit their applications as early as possible and not to wait until the published closing date. National Grid’s recruitment periods can and may vary. We reserve the right to remove this advert or close it to further applications at any point during the recruitment process.

 

DE & I statement 

At National Grid, we work towards the highest standards in everything we do, including how we support, value and develop our people. Our aim is to encourage and support employees to thrive and be the best they can be. We celebrate the difference people can bring into our organisation, and welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds, and offer flexible and tailored support, at home and in the office.
Our goal is to drive, develop and operate our business in a way that results in a more inclusive culture. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, the innovation from diverse teams & perspectives and business need. We are committed to building a workforce so we can represent the communities we serve and have a working environment in which each individual feels valued, respected, fairly treated, and able to reach their full potential.

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