Solutions Architect

Skipton is currently undertaking some exciting transformational technology programmes, so if you have a passion for technology, a growth mindset and enjoy working in an agile environment then this could be the job for you!

Who Are We?

Not just another building society. Not just another job.

We're the fourth biggest building society in the UK and what makes us a bit different is that we're a mutual organisation. We don't have shareholders; we're owned by our members.

Our colleagues say Skipton's a great place to work, and you could be one of them, bringing with you new ideas on how we can keep customers at the heart of what we do.

Whatever your background, and whatever your goals, we'll help you take the next step towards a better future.

You’ll be joining the growing IS Design team of 10 Solutions Architects. Sitting within Skipton’s Engineering function (responsible for systems development and data), you’ll work together with business and technology leaders, project managers, business analysts and engineering teams to plan, design, and deliver our portfolio of work. You will provide governance and technical leadership to ensure the projects are delivered in line with our Architectural Principles and Target Architectures.

What’s In It For You?

Skipton values work/life balance and we are proud to support hybrid and flexible working, where possible. We have a newly refurbished head office which offers a vibrant and collaborative working space.

We have a range of other benefits available to you including;

• Annual discretionary bonus scheme
• 25 days standard annual leave + bank holidays + rising 1 day per year of service to a maximum of 30 days
• Holiday trading scheme allowing the ability to buy and sell additional annual leave days
• Matching employer pension contribution (up to 10% per annum)
• A commitment to training and development
• Private medical insurance for all our colleagues
• Salary Sacrifice Electric/ Hybrid Car Scheme
• 3 paid volunteering days per annum
• Diverse and inclusive colleague networks available for you to join including our Carers and Pride Alliance groups
• We care about your health and wellbeing – we provide a range of benefits that support this including cycle to work initiative and discounted gym membership

What Will You Be Doing?

(Provide a brief explanation of what the role entails such as upcoming projects, role overview, list 3-5 key deliverables)

We have an exciting and transformational portfolio of work here at Skipton that we’d love you to get involved in! You’ll be:

• Working with senior stakeholders, translating business requirements into high level designs for technology solutions across our application and data domains.
• Working closely with delivery and technical leads, developers, project managers and & engineering teams to provide technical guidance and decision making.
• Providing architectural governance and assurance throughout the project process.
• Bridging the gap between the technical and non-technical. Speak on behalf of technical teams and facilitate relationships with stakeholders.

What Do We Need From You?

(Provide a brief description of the ideal candidate. Please only list what is essential for the role. It is best practice to avoid listing ‘desirables’ for a role in line with Inclusive Recruitment practices.)

We’re looking for someone with a strong Application (Software Development / Microsoft Dynamics) or Data Architecture background.

You may be particularly skilled in just some of the areas below, which is fine with us — whilst we’d love to find someone who ticks all the boxes, we strongly believe in having a growth mindset in the team. We commit to learning and development time every month (2 days), with access to tools such as the Microsoft Enterprise Skills Initiative and LinkedIn learning to support this.

We need people to have:

• Previously operated in a senior technical role such as an Application or Data Solutions or Technical Architect and have delivered complex and large-scale enterprise solutions using Microsoft Azure technologies.
• A strong knowledge of cloud security, governance, and compliance ideally (but not essentially) within a financial services domain.
• Solid experience of working with agile methodologies and DevOps tools (such as Azure DevOps, Git, etc.)
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to influence and negotiate with stakeholders at all levels are essential to the role.
• A strong development background as you’ll be working closely with senior and principal developers.
• A relevant certification or qualification in cloud architecture would be desirable (such as TOGAF or Azure Solutions Architect).
• Your previous experience will include some of the following:
• Microsoft Azure application technologies such as APIM, Service Bus and Azure Functions.
• Data warehousing and analytics technologies such as Azure Data Factory and Databricks.
• Microsoft Dynamics and underlying Power Platform technologies.