Senior Solution Architect (Data & AI)

Job DescriptionRole OverviewWe are seeking a senior Solution Architect – Data & AI to lead solutioning across both presales and delivery.This role owns the end-to-end architecture for enterprise Data & AI solutions, from client engagement, proposal development and solution design through to delivery governance and implementation assurance. The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise, commercial awareness and strong delivery experience.Key ResponsibilitiesPresales & Client Solutioning- Lead Data & AI solution architecture for RFPs, RFIs, tenders, proposals and client presentations.- Engage Clients to understand business goals, technical needs, data maturity and AI opportunities.- Translate requirements into solution architecture, scope, assumptions, risks, dependencies and delivery approach.- Define high-level estimates, implementation roadmap and solution options.- Work with sales, account teams, delivery teams and Partners to shape practical and commercially viable proposals.- Present solution architecture and value proposition to senior client stakeholders.Data & AI Architecture- Design enterprise Data & AI solutions across cloud, hybrid and on-premises environments.- Architect modern data platforms, including data lakes, data warehouses, lakehouses, analytics platforms and streaming solutions.- Define architecture across data, AI, integration, infrastructure, security, operations and governance layers.- Recommend fit-for-purpose technologies and patterns based on scalability, performance, reliability, security and cost.- Design data ingestion, integration, ETL/ELT, transformation, metadata, lineage and data quality frameworks.AI, GenAI & Advanced Analytics- Design AI/ML and GenAI solution architectures, including LLMs, RAG, embeddings, vector databases and enterprise knowledge search.- Assess AI use cases for feasibility, value, complexity, risk and operational impact.- Define data pipelines and platform capabilities for AI workloads.- Establish MLOps, ModelOps, model monitoring and AI lifecycle management approaches.- Consider GPU compute, AI infrastructure, latency, scalability, privacy, security and cost.Data Governance, AI Governance & Security- Define data governance across data ownership, stewardship, metadata, lineage, quality, privacy, access control and compliance.- Define AI governance across transparency, explainability, accountability, responsible AI, model risk, monitoring and human oversight.- Ensure solutions align with enterprise architecture, Cyber, regulatory and industry standards.- Work with risk, compliance, Cyber and architecture teams to validate governance and security controls.Delivery Architecture & Technical Leadership- Act as the architecture lead during delivery to ensure implementation aligns with approved solution design.- Guide data engineers, AI engineers, platform teams and delivery teams through detailed design and build.- Conduct architecture reviews, design validation, risk assessments and performance optimisation.- Resolve technical trade-offs and delivery issues.- Produce clear architecture documentation, diagrams, solution blueprints and technical specifications.- Ensure smooth transition from presales to delivery with clear scope and ownership.Qualifications- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Engineering, AI, Software Engineering or a related field.- Minimum 15 years of technology experience, with strong experience in solution architecture, data architecture, AI architecture, enterprise architecture or large-scale platform delivery.- Proven experience leading both presales solutioning and delivery architecture for enterprise Data & AI projects.- Strong background in modern data platforms, cloud architecture, analytics, AI/ML, GenAI, integration, data governance, AI governance and security.- Hands-on understanding of data lake, data warehouse, lakehouse, ETL/ELT, streaming, metadata, lineage and data quality patterns.- Experience with cloud and data platforms such as AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Databricks, Snowflake, Microsoft Fabric, Synapse, BigQuery or equivalent.- Experience in consulting, technology services or large-scale enterprise transformation environments is preferred.- Experience with public service, government or large enterprise Clients is advantageous.- Strong client-facing communication, stakeholder management, documentation and presentation skills.- Able to explain complex Data & AI topics clearly to both business and technical audiences.- Commercially aware, delivery-focused, structured and comfortable managing ambiguity.- Strong analytical and problem-solving ability, with the confidence to work across sales, architecture, engineering, Cyber and delivery teams.