Average Architect salary in the UK

Role: Solutions Architect Location: Leeds (Hybrid) Salary: £75,000 Take ownership of Application Architecture Modernisation and Cloud Adoption for a leading Financial Services Organisation. We're supporting a leading Financial Services organisation on a multi-year evolution of its core platforms and technology landscape. This role offers a rare opportunity to step in as the Architect, taking full ownership of architectural direction, governance, and process across the business. You'll operate across both technical depth and enterprise-level thinking, helping the organisation move from a predominantly on-prem Microsoft estate towards a more modern, API-led and cloud-ready architecture, at a pace that aligns with business risk and regulatory requirements. What You'll Be Doing This is a broad, high-impact role where you'll combine hands-on technical decision-making with strategic architectural leadership: * Own the Architecture Function Act as the organisation's primary Architect, establishing architecture practices, governance, and processes, including involvement in and shaping of Technical Design Authority (TDA). * Technical Leadership & Decision-Making Work closely with Engineers and senior stakeholders to drive key decisions across areas such as APIs, authentication, integration patterns, and application design. * Application & Platform Architecture Lead the evolution of a core Microsoft-based platform, currently on-prem, introducing scalable, modern architectural patterns. * API & Integration Strategy Play a key role in shaping a more API-led ecosystem, including the potential introduction of an API Gateway and improved service-to-service communication. * Cloud Readiness & Transformation Support early-stage cloud adoption, helping define a pragmatic, low-risk path to Azure, balancing innovation with regulatory and operational considerations. * Collaboration Across Technology Partner closely with an established Infrastructure SME, ensuring a clear separation and alignment between infrastructure and application architecture. * Governance & Standards Introduce structure, best practices, and architectural governance across the technology landscape, ensuring consistency, scalability, and security. What You'll Bring * Strong Engineering Background Previous hands-on development experience (ideally within the Microsoft stack), with the credibility to engage deeply with engineering teams. * Architectural Experience (Solution or Enterprise) Able to operate both tactically and strategically, with a clear understanding of how solutions fit within a wider enterprise context. * Microsoft-Centric Expertise Strong knowledge of .NET, C#, SQL Server, and designing within Microsoft-based environments. * API & Integration Knowledge Experience designing or working with API-driven architectures, authentication models, and modern integration patterns. * Cloud Awareness (Azure Preferred) Exposure to cloud architecture and migration concepts, even if the majority of experience to date is within on-prem environments. * Governance & Stakeholder Engagement Comfortable setting up architectural processes, contributing to design authorities, and influencing both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Why Apply * Be THE Architect Take true ownership of architecture within the organisation, with the autonomy to define standards and direction. * Make a Visible Impact Play a central role in shaping how technology evolves across a key, business-critical platform. * Blend Strategy and Hands-On Influence Stay close to engineering while influencing enterprise-wide decisions. * Transformation Without Chaos Join a business that is committed to modernisation, but taking a considered, pragmatic approach to cloud and change. This role is ideal for an experienced Solutions Architect who wants to step into a lead, high-ownership position, balancing hands-on technical influence with the opportunity to build and mature an architecture function from the ground up.

Solution ArchitectLeading Financial Services Organisation | Global Role | Significant Transformation AgendaIf you're a Solution Architect who enjoys solving complex business problems, influencing technology direction, and working at enterprise scale, this is an opportunity worth exploring.We're partnered with a leading global Financial Services organisation seeking a Solution Architect to join a high-performing architecture function responsible for shaping the future of a business that supports millions of customers, investors and corporate stakeholders worldwide.This is a genuinely broad role, offering the chance to work across a diverse technology estate spanning customer-facing platforms, core business applications, data services, integrations and cloud technologies. You'll partner with senior business and technology leaders to turn strategic objectives into practical, scalable, secure solutions that deliver real business value.Rather than simply reviewing designs, you'll play a key role in driving technology decisions, influencing roadmaps, reducing complexity, modernising legacy platforms and helping shape the long-term architecture strategy of a globally recognised organisation.What you'll be doingLeading solution architecture across major technology initiatives and business-critical programmesShaping future-state platforms, application landscapes and technology roadmapsWorking closely with product, engineering, infrastructure and business teams to define solution approachesDriving modernisation and cloud adoption strategiesPromoting architectural best practice, governance and reusable design patternsActing as a trusted advisor to stakeholders, helping navigate complex technical and commercial decisionsSupporting a business at the heart of shareholder, governance and corporate administration servicesWhat we're looking forProven experience as a Solution Architect within a complex enterprise environmentStrong background designing large-scale applications, platforms and integrationsExperience with cloud technologies and modern architecture patternsKnowledge of APIs, integration services, data flows and enterprise application ecosystemsAbility to engage and influence both technical and non-technical stakeholdersExperience delivering architecture across large transformation or modernisation programmesFinancial Services experience would be beneficial but is not essentialWhy consider this opportunity?Global remit with exposure to senior stakeholders across multiple regionsOpportunity to influence architecture strategy, not just project deliveryLarge-scale transformation and modernisation programmesComplex, business-critical technology landscapeStrong architecture community and collaborative cultureSignificant autonomy and visibility across the organisationThis is an excellent opportunity for a Solution Architect who wants to operate at enterprise scale, influence major technology decisions and help shape the future direction of a market-leading Financial Services organisation.

Role: Lead Enterprise Architect Salary & Package: £93,500 + Bonus, Car Allowance, Strong Pension, Medical Location: North East England or Yorkshire (On-Site) An opportunity to shape the future of critical UK infrastructure. We're partnering with a major organisation responsible for delivering essential services to millions of homes and businesses across the UK. As the sector undergoes rapid change, driven by digital transformation, decarbonisation and evolving customer expectations, this organisation is investing heavily in modernising its technology landscape. This is a pivotal hire, offering the chance to build and lead a high-impact architecture capability, influence enterprise-wide strategy, and play a key role in a multi-year transformation journey. If you're motivated by scale, complexity and genuine societal impact, this is a rare opportunity to make a lasting difference. The Role As Lead Architect, you will head up a team of domain and solution architects, taking ownership of defining the future-state architecture and creating a pragmatic, deliverable roadmap to get there. You will operate at the intersection of business and technology, shaping strategy, influencing senior stakeholders and ensuring that architectural best practice is embedded across a complex, evolving environment. Key Responsibilities * Lead and develop a team of architecture specialists, guiding business leaders, product owners and delivery teams through transformation and optimisation initiatives * Enable business and technology innovation by establishing clear architectural processes, standards and governance to ensure consistent, high-quality outcomes * Partner with senior stakeholders to shape enterprise strategy, supporting investment planning, innovation initiatives and long-term technology direction * Maintain oversight of the full architectural landscape across applications, data and infrastructure, ensuring alignment to strategic objectives * Establish and mature a business architecture capability, increasing overall enterprise architecture maturity and upskilling the wider team * Build and lead a high-performing, collaborative architecture function, setting clear objectives and developing team capability * Develop and maintain multi-year architectural roadmaps aligned to business priorities, investment cycles and budget planning Skills & Experience Essential * Proven experience leading and developing teams of architects or domain experts within complex environments * Broad architectural background spanning at least three disciplines, such as business, data, solution or technical architecture, application development, middleware, or operations * Strong understanding of modern technology ecosystems, including SaaS, IaaS, PaaS, APIs, microservices, event-driven architecture and data/analytics capabilities * Solid commercial awareness, including business and operating models, financial planning, cost-benefit analysis and risk management * Experience with enterprise architecture frameworks, tools and modelling techniques * Understanding of both project-led and product-led delivery models, alongside Agile principles and methodologies * Strong stakeholder engagement and consulting skills, with the ability to influence at senior levels * Deep knowledge of enterprise architecture principles, frameworks and best practices Desirable * Degree or equivalent experience in a relevant discipline (e.g. computer science, engineering, business or systems analysis) * Experience within large-scale, asset-intensive or regulated environments (e.g. utilities, infrastructure or similar) * Knowledge of IT service management, SDLC, Agile/Lean delivery and enterprise frameworks such as ITIL Why Apply? * Play a central role in a major technology transformation programme * Build and shape an enterprise architecture function with real influence * Work on systems that underpin critical national infrastructure * Join at a time of significant investment, change and opportunity