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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Multi-Solution Architect

💰 $175,000 - $250,000

ArchitectureTechnologyCloud ComputingSolutions EngineeringEnterprise IT

🎯 Role Definition

As a Multi-Solution Architect, you are the principal technical visionary and strategist responsible for designing and governing the implementation of cohesive, robust, and scalable solutions that span across our entire product and service portfolio. You will engage with executive-level stakeholders and business leaders to understand their most complex challenges and translate them into a comprehensive technology strategy. This role requires a blend of deep technical expertise, strong business acumen, and exceptional leadership to drive innovation and ensure that our technical architecture is a powerful enabler of our long-term business goals.


📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Principal Solutions Architect
  • Senior Enterprise Architect
  • Lead Software Engineer / Principal Engineer

Advancement To:

  • Director of Architecture
  • Chief Architect / Head of Architecture
  • Distinguished Engineer or Technical Fellow

Lateral Moves:

  • Senior Product Management
  • Director of Engineering
  • Enterprise Security Architect

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Design and orchestrate comprehensive, end-to-end technology solutions that span multiple products, platforms, and business units to meet complex enterprise requirements.
  • Serve as the primary technical thought leader, translating strategic business objectives into a tangible, executable technology roadmap and architectural vision.
  • Lead and facilitate architectural design sessions and workshops with diverse stakeholders, including C-level executives, business leaders, and engineering teams, to build consensus and drive alignment.
  • Develop and maintain detailed architectural blueprints, solution design documents, and technical standards that guide the development and implementation of new systems.
  • Evaluate and select appropriate technologies, frameworks, and platforms, conducting proof-of-concept (POC) projects to validate technical feasibility and mitigate risks.
  • Govern the solution development lifecycle, ensuring that engineering teams adhere to established architectural principles, standards, and security best practices.
  • Provide expert guidance on cloud architecture (AWS, Azure, GCP), including IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS models, with a focus on designing for scalability, high availability, and cost-effectiveness.
  • Act as a key technical advisor during the pre-sales and business development process, helping to shape proposals and statements of work by defining robust and compelling technical solutions.
  • Mentor and coach other architects and senior engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence, innovation, and continuous learning within the organization.
  • Proactively identify and resolve complex technical issues and integration challenges, managing cross-functional dependencies and architectural risks throughout the project lifecycle.
  • Communicate complex technical concepts, architectural decisions, and their business implications effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Drive digital transformation initiatives by identifying opportunities to leverage emerging technologies, modernize legacy systems, and improve business processes through innovative solutions.
  • Establish and lead the Architecture Review Board (ARB) process to ensure solutions are well-architected, secure, and aligned with enterprise strategy.
  • Define and champion reusable architectural patterns, components, and best practices to accelerate development, improve quality, and reduce total cost of ownership (TCO).
  • Analyze the current technology environment to detect critical deficiencies and recommend solutions for improvement, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the enterprise application portfolio.
  • Collaborate closely with product management to influence product roadmaps, ensuring they are technically sound and aligned with the overarching architectural strategy.
  • Ensure all designed solutions are compliant with relevant industry regulations and data privacy standards, such as GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2.
  • Develop comprehensive strategies for data architecture, including data modeling, storage, processing, and integration across disparate enterprise systems.
  • Lead the technical assessment and integration planning for potential mergers, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships.
  • Create and present compelling business cases for technology investments, detailing the expected ROI, TCO, and strategic benefits of proposed architectural changes.
  • Define and implement robust security architecture, integrating security principles and controls into the core design of every solution to protect against emerging threats.
  • Oversee the creation of integration architectures for complex ecosystems, utilizing APIs, event-driven patterns, and microservices to connect on-premise and cloud-based applications.

Secondary Functions

  • Support business development and sales teams by providing deep technical expertise for RFI/RFP responses and strategic client presentations.
  • Contribute thought leadership to the wider tech community through internal tech talks, whitepapers, and participation in external industry events.
  • Participate in strategic planning sessions with senior leadership to help align long-term technology initiatives with future business goals.
  • Conduct periodic reviews and health checks of existing solutions to proactively identify opportunities for optimization, cost savings, and modernization.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Cloud Architecture: Expert-level knowledge of major cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), including serverless computing, containers, and Infrastructure-as-Code (Terraform, CloudFormation).
  • Enterprise Architecture Frameworks: Proficiency with frameworks such as TOGAF, Zachman, or similar methodologies to guide enterprise-level design.
  • Modern Application Design: Deep understanding of Microservices architecture, API design (REST, GraphQL), and event-driven patterns (Kafka, RabbitMQ, SQS).
  • Containerization & Orchestration: Strong, hands-on experience with containerization technologies (Docker) and orchestration platforms (Kubernetes).
  • DevOps & Automation: Firm grasp of DevOps principles and experience with designing and implementing CI/CD pipelines for automated delivery.
  • Enterprise Security: Solid understanding of security architecture, including identity and access management (IAM), zero-trust principles, network security, and application security best practices.
  • Solution Modeling: High proficiency in solution diagramming and modeling using tools like UML, ArchiMate, or Lucidchart to create clear and comprehensive architectural artifacts.
  • Data Architecture: Strong knowledge of data strategy, including database design (SQL/NoSQL), data warehousing, data lakes, and data governance.

Soft Skills

  • Strategic Thinking: The ability to see the big picture, understand market trends, and align technology strategy with long-term business objectives.
  • Executive Presence & Communication: Superior communication and presentation skills, with the ability to confidently engage and influence senior leadership and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Stakeholder Management: Exceptional skill in building relationships, managing expectations, and negotiating outcomes with a diverse range of internal and external partners.
  • Leadership & Mentorship: A natural ability to lead, inspire, and mentor technical teams, fostering a collaborative and high-performing culture.
  • Complex Problem-Solving: An analytical and creative mindset to navigate ambiguity, deconstruct complex challenges, and engineer innovative solutions.
  • Business Acumen: A strong understanding of business operations, financial metrics (TCO/ROI), and what drives commercial success.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, or equivalent practical industry experience.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s Degree in a relevant technical or business field (e.g., MSCS, M.Eng, MBA).
  • Professional certifications such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional, Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, or TOGAF® 9 Certification.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Computer Science
  • Software Engineering
  • Information Systems

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 12-18+ years of progressive experience in technology, with a significant portion in an architectural capacity.

Preferred:

  • A proven track record of at least 5-7 years in a Senior or Lead Architect role, with demonstrable experience designing and delivering large-scale, complex, multi-platform solutions in an enterprise environment. Experience in a client-facing or consulting capacity is highly desirable.