Solution Architect

UK Remote / Maidenhead / Sheffield

About RWS:

RWS Holdings plc is the world’s leading provider of technology-enabled language, content management and intellectual property services. We help our customers to connect with and bring new ideas to people globally by communicating business critical content at scale and enabling the protection and realization of their innovations.

Our vision is to help organizations interact effectively with people anywhere in the world by solving their language, content and market access challenges through our collective global intelligence, deep expertise and smart technology.

Customers include 90 of the globe’s top 100 brands, the top 10 pharmaceutical companies and 18 of the top 20 patent filers worldwide. Our client base spans Europe, Asia Pacific, and North and South America across the technology, pharmaceutical, medical, legal, chemical, automotive, government and telecommunications sectors, which we serve from offices across five continents.

Founded in 1958, RWS is headquartered in the UK and publicly listed on AIM, the London Stock Exchange regulated market (RWS.L).

For further information, please visit: www.rws.com

About the Role:

As part of the RWS global technology and infrastructure team which supports RWS Language Services business, software product development function and internal business operations, this role will be responsible for the architecture of the RWS internal IT infrastructure which these systems depend upon.
The Solutions Architect is responsible for assisting in the translation of requirements into a solution vision, including the identification of solution options and then develop high-level business and/or IT system specifications, and working with IT for implementation.

Responsibilities:

• Preparation of the high level design and ensuring it adheres to requirements, design principles and target vision for the overall solution
• The Solutions Architect will have strong business and technical expertise and proven design skills with a breadth of knowledge across technology disciplines.
• Responsible for defining the architecture of Information Systems and Infrastructure to meet specified business requirements.
• Develop technology specifications and leverage existing technologies to ensure new technology solutions are designed for optimal business use
• Applying architectural and engineering concepts to design solutions that meet business requirements, considering scalability, maintainability, security, reliability, flexibility, availability and manageability
• Identify the technologies to employ and take responsibility for the assurance and governance of supplier solutions 
• Responsible for defining complex technical requirements
• Ensures process, application, data and technology architecture are aligned 
• Work with architecture lifecycles and frameworks 
• Responsible for enterprise/technical level design integration authorities
• Preparation of the high level technical architecture for each solution phase so that it meets both functional and non-functional requirements.

Requirements:

Qualifications & Pre-Requisites:

• Ideally applicants will be educated to degree standard
• Experience designing, integrating, and managing complex solutions (multi-platform, multi-technology, 3rd parties)
• Comprehensive knowledge of hardware, software, application, and systems engineering
• Excellent analytical and problem solving skills
• Understanding of a variety of development methodologies and techniques:
• TOGAF
• Agile Development
• Prince2
• UML
• Archimate
• Experience of a variety of business functions and common architecture patterns:
• Multi-Channel Architectures
• Capacity Planning  / forecasting  / resource scheduling
• Data Warehousing and BigData
• Cloud Architectures (Private, Hybrid)
• Cloud and distributed file stores

Skills – Essential

Key competencies:

• In depth and current knowledge of a wide range of Information Technologies, with experience of their integration and configuration
• Demonstrable knowledge and experience of technical architecture roles across all phases of the development lifecycle
• Ability to manage a large and varied workload, to prioritise and multi-task
• Experience in performing complex analysis, consulting and providing technical recommendations
• Demonstrable knowledge of and experience with systems integration methods and technologies.
• Track record of design and delivery of large scale, complex integrated IT solutions.
• Proven experience in the planning, architecture, high level design and implementation of one or more of the following aspects of solution architecture: Services, Applications, Integration or Data
• Experience of defining the technical architecture design principles and planning, design and implementation of complex systems architectures
• Ability to give advice and guidance on approach to design of systems architectures
• Knowledge and experiences of enterprise wide systems architectures
• Practical experience of planning, designing and implementing applications and data in a complex distributed environment,
• Knowledge of the advantages/disadvantages of alternative processing and distributed systems architectures
• Practical experience of service, application, data and infrastructure architecture
• Experience in systems delivery including analysis, design, implementation, testing and support

Key dimensions

• Responsible for assuring the design of Information Systems
• Identification and design of architectural improvement opportunities
• Determine the RWS business application architectural roadmap and integration with existing systems within cost/time/quality parameters
• Reporting line Programme Director, Global Business Applications

Life at RWS - We work hard together to deliver for our customers; our expertise, professionalism and determination to never let others down drives  us to be passionate and serious about what we do, deliver customer value, yet always adding a human touch  

As a company focused on connecting people through language, diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our company culture. RWS is an Equal Opportunities Employer and we are committed in ensuring that all employees work in an environment free from all forms of harassment and discrimination and one that actively promotes teamwork, diversity and trust. All employees have a right to be treated with respect and dignity. RWS operate in a manner for the inclusion of all - any form of discrimination is expressly prohibited. Employees are selected and promoted on merit alone and no other factors whether race, gender, age, religion, marital status, gender identity or disability are taken into consideration. 

We are proud to work in a company where all can succeed and grow their career and while RWS operates in accordance with all local employment laws, if local law enables any form of discrimination this is against RWS company policy and we will adhere to the highest standard.   

Recruitment Agencies: RWS Group PLC does not accept agency resumes.  Please do not forward any unsolicited resumes to any RWS employees.  Any unsolicited resume received will be treated as the property of RWS and Terms & Conditions associated with the use of such resume will be considered null and void.