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Job overview
The Solution Architect provides corporate-level architectural leadership, authoritative design governance and enterprise solution assurance across the Norfolk and Waveney Acute Hospitals Collaborative.
The postholder holds system-wide accountability for ensuring that all major digital investments, including EPR, PACS, LIMS, Microsoft platforms, integration services, infrastructure modernisation and data platforms are architecturally sound, secure, interoperable, scalable and aligned to enterprise strategy and national NHS frameworks.
The role carries substantial responsibility for:
- Patient safety implications of solution design
- Enterprise cyber resilience
- Multi-million-pound capital investment integrity
- Long-term sustainability and technical debt management
- Regulatory compliance (DSPT, Clinical Safety, IG)
- Organisational digital maturity
Decisions taken at this level directly influence service continuity, financial stewardship, system integration integrity, regulatory assurance and organisational reputation across multiple Acute Trusts.
The Solution Architect operates with significant professional autonomy and acts as a senior Design Authority across the Collaborative, providing executive-level advice to programme boards, digital governance committees and clinical leadership.
Main duties of the job
Act as senior Design Authority for solution and service architecture across major transformation programmes and cross-Trust initiatives.
Translate enterprise architecture strategy, target operating models and ICS digital objectives into executable architectural blueprints.
Lead the development and governance of enterprise solution patterns, standards, reference architectures and reusable design frameworks.
Influence technology direction and investment decisions to reduce technical debt, improve resilience and optimise long-term cost structures.
Provide architectural input to corporate digital strategy and enterprise roadmap planning.
Shape cross-organisational convergence strategies to standardise platforms and improve system interoperability.
Horizon scan emerging technologies (AI, cloud-native services, automation, interoperability innovations) and assess safe adoption pathways.
Chair or formally contribute to Architecture Review Boards and design governance forums.
Approve architectural designs for high-value, high-risk or system-critical digital investments.
Provide architectural oversight and assurance for substantial multi-million-pound digital programme investments.
Define cost models, lifecycle implications and total cost of ownership for proposed solution designs.
Provide formal input into business case development, investment prioritisation and capital planning.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- Act as senior Design Authority for solution and service architecture across major transformation programmes and cross-Trust initiatives.
- Translate enterprise architecture strategy, target operating models and ICS digital objectives into executable architectural blueprints.
- Lead the development and governance of enterprise solution patterns, standards, reference architectures and reusable design frameworks.
- Influence technology direction and investment decisions to reduce technical debt, improve resilience and optimise long-term cost structures.
- Provide architectural input to corporate digital strategy and enterprise roadmap planning.
- Shape cross-organisational convergence strategies to standardise platforms and improve system interoperability.
- Horizon scan emerging technologies (AI, cloud-native services, automation, interoperability innovations) and assess safe adoption pathways.
- Chair or formally contribute to Architecture Review Boards and design governance forums.
- Approve architectural designs for high-value, high-risk or system-critical digital investments.
- Provide architectural oversight and assurance for substantial multi-million-pound digital programme investments.
- Define cost models, lifecycle implications and total cost of ownership for proposed solution designs.
- Provide formal input into business case development, investment prioritisation and capital planning.
Please refer to the Job Description for the full specification of responsibilities and requirements for this post.
Person specification
Skills
Essential
- Highly specialised and authoritative knowledge across application, integration, infrastructure, security and data architecture domains, with the ability to synthesise these into cohesive enterprise solutions
Experience
Essential
- Extensive senior-level experience in solution architecture, enterprise design authority or senior technical leadership roles within large, complex, multi-site organisations, ideally within the NHS or similarly regulated public sector environments.
- Proven track record of translating enterprise architecture strategies and target operating models into implementable, costed and risk-assessed solution designs across diverse programmes and stakeholder groups.
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to Master’s degree level (or equivalent depth of knowledge gained through substantial senior experience) in Computer Science, Information Systems, Digital Architecture, Engineering, Health Informatics or a related discipline, demonstrating highly specialised architectural expertise across multiple enterprise technology domains.
- Formal Enterprise Architecture and/or Solution Architecture certification (e.g., TOGAF, Zachman, ArchiMate, BCS Enterprise & Solution Architecture, or equivalent recognised framework), with demonstrable application within large-scale, regulated environments.
Attitude, aptitude
Essential
- Demonstrates an unwavering commitment to NHS values, public accountability and the delivery of safe, effective and compassionate digital services that directly support patient care and clinical outcomes.
- Acts as a visible role model for the Collaborative’s values: QEHKL – Living our values, NNUH – PRIDE, JPUH – CARER
- Demonstrates understanding and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Solution Architect with Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Norwich, East of England, England. It is listed as a Band 8 Administrative and IT role. The advertised salary is £79,504 - £91,609 per annum. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 02 Aug 2026.
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