Senior Solution Architect

npower Business Solutions (nBS) is the E.ON UK Industrial and Commercial (I&C) pillar and a market leader in the B2B energy retail sector.  I&C is a £6 billion revenue business serving c60,000 customers and around 300,000 meter points with a view to becoming the number one B2B energy supplier in the UK.

Digital Technology & Change (DT&C) drives the delivery of the nBS strategy through innovative technology, creating market-leading digital experiences for customers and colleagues. Working across nBS, E.ON UK, and Group Digital Technology, DT&C plays a key role in delivering digital transformation and IT services for the E.ON I&C business.

The Senior Solution Architect, reporting to the Digital Data & Technology Manager, is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the I&C technology landscape and ensuring it aligns with business strategy and E.ON UK architectural guidelines. As the architectural authority for I&C, the role provides strategic direction, oversees architectural governance and assurance, and ensures technology solutions are efficient, sustainable, and adaptable while supporting the reduction of Total Cost of Ownership across the I&C estate.

• Take overall responsibility for the end-to-end I&C functional landscape and solution design, including all functional integration points.
• Own the IT solution design for the I&C business, driving the I&C IT solution roadmap.
• Lead IT architectural governance across I&C, ensuring architectural decisions align with business strategy and technology standards.
• Translate business requirements into IT system, application and process designs, covering both functional and non-functional requirements.
• Collaborate with I&C business teams and Change Management to ensure the right IT solutions are designed, delivered and deployed.
• Provide architectural direction and guidance to implementation teams and third-party suppliers throughout the solution design process.
• Act as the key intermediary across delivery teams and architecture functions to ensure alignment with the overall IT roadmap.
• Provide independent architectural advice and expertise on regulatory and business-critical IT projects and programmes.
• Act as the centre of expertise for solution architecture, keeping up to date with emerging technologies and industry developments, and sharing knowledge with business and DT&C stakeholders.
• Identify and drive continual improvements to the I&C IT architecture and overall systems landscape.
• Work with E.ON UK and Group Digital Technology Architecture teams to develop and maintain I&C architectural delivery roadmaps.
• Maintain a comprehensive view of the I&C systems landscape, ensuring a sustainable roadmap for future development.
• Align with E.ON Group architecture to maximise synergies and opportunities through shared services.
• Contribute in architectural governance activities across I&C.
• Manage the risks associated with architectural decision-making, ensuring appropriate risk management standards, policies and governance are applied.
• Partner with the DT&C Leadership Team to support the ongoing reduction of Total Cost of Ownership across the I&C technology landscape.
• Maintain accurate architectural assets and documentation within the architecture tool (currently LeanIX), ensuring asset information is effectively managed through established processes.

Essential: 

• Significant experience providing architectural governance in a predominantly outsourced environment, including assuring third-party solution proposals.
• Demonstrable experience leading and maintaining architectural integrity across complex IT environments.
• Strong understanding of enterprise architecture guidelines, architectural modelling techniques and key technologies.
• Proven experience leading IT architecture across complex, multi-application and multi-project landscapes.
• Ability to translate business requirements into effective IT solution options, balancing functional, technical and financial considerations.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with experience applying architecture policies, governance and continuous improvement.
• Sound understanding of IT service integration, business services, project lifecycles and delivery methodologies.
• Proven ability to build trusted relationships and influence senior business and IT stakeholders.
• Excellent communication, planning and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and sensitive situations.
• Customer-focused, detail-oriented and able to make pragmatic decisions by balancing risk and reward.

Desirable: 

• Knowledge of the UK Energy industry and its impact on enterprise architecture.
• Experience with recognised architecture frameworks such as TOGAF, Zachman, FEA or similar.
• Knowledge of ITIL and/or SIAM processes and architectural integration.
• Experience using enterprise architecture tools such as LeanIX.
• Relevant architecture certifications (e.g. TOGAF, CITA, Microsoft or equivalent).