Principal Solution Architect

Company Description

Genomics England is a global leader in enabling genomic medicine and research, focused on creating a world where everyone benefits from genomic healthcare. Building on the 100,000 Genomes Project, we support the NHS’s world-first national whole genome sequencing service and run the growing National Genomic Research Library, alongside delivering numerous major genomics initiatives. By connecting research and clinical care at national scale, we enable immediate healthcare benefits and advances for the future.

Our mission is to provide the evidence and digital systems so that by 2035 genomics could play a role in up to half of all healthcare interactions, whilst securing the UK’s position as the best place to discover, prove and benefit from genomic innovations.

We are accelerating our impact and working with patients, doctors, scientists, government and industry to improve genomic testing, and help researchers access the health data and technology they need to make new medical discoveries and create more effective, targeted medicines for everybody.

Behind the Healthcare and Research outcomes, Genomics England delivers through designing, developing and operating complex healthcare software systems.

We're on the cusp of big changes with the real prospect of genomics becoming the fabric of everyday healthcare through the lifetime - from birth to old age.

Job Description

Genomics England are hiring a Principal Solution Architect.

You will be responsible for managing the architects within the Scalable Tech area (platform and infrastructure services), providing architectural leadership across the service. You will ensure the solutions and platforms developed there align to enterprise direction and organisational priorities.

You will supervise architecture across Scalable Tech, support teams in shaping robust and scalable technology solutions, act as a senior leader within the Architecture Chapter, and be responsible for the Scalable Tech input into enterprise architecture.

Your previous roles will include leading architecture across complex technology environments and supporting teams delivering large-scale platforms and services. You will bring experience of managing or mentoring architects, setting direction across multiple initiatives, and balancing strategic architecture leadership with pragmatic delivery support.

You will have broad knowledge of complex technology platforms, solution architecture, and enterprise architecture practices, with the ability to work across cloud and on-premise environments as needed. You will help develop architecture best practice for the chapter, support consistency in how architects work, and provide technical leadership that improves quality, reuse, and long-term maintainability.

The complex nature of genomics means we use a wide variety of AWS and on-premise technologies focussed on high-performance compute, high speed storage, advanced security features and genomics-specific services such as HealthOmics.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide architectural oversight for major initiatives (Hosting Strategy implementation, AWS platform improvement), ensuring appropriate governance, quality, and technical coherence.

• Manage and support architects working across the Scalable Tech area, providing leadership, direction, and coaching.

• Supervise architecture across Scalable Tech to ensure solutions are aligned to enterprise standards, strategic goals, and delivery priorities.

• Develop, embed, and continuously improve architecture best practice for the Architecture Chapter, including standards, patterns, and ways of working.

• Collaborate with engineering, product, and delivery leaders to shape roadmaps and support effective decision-making.

• Support the evolution of scalable technology platforms across cloud and on-premise environments.

• Own the Scalable Tech input into enterprise architecture, ensuring local priorities, platforms, and decisions are represented and aligned with wider organisational direction.

• Promote reuse, consistency, and technical excellence through architecture patterns, guidance, and peer collaboration.

• Work closely with architects and engineers across GEL to create coherent end-to-end solutions.

• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, strong architectural governance, and effective cross-team collaboration.

Essential Skills and Experience:

• Significant experience in solution architecture across complex enterprise environments, including cloud (AWS) and on-premise platforms.

• Demonstrable experience providing architectural leadership across multiple teams or initiatives, balancing strategic direction with delivery support.

• Experience managing, mentoring, or leading architects, including setting direction, supporting development, and driving high standards of practice.

• Strong understanding of enterprise architecture principles and the ability to represent a service or domain within wider enterprise architecture discussions.

• Proven ability to provide architectural governance and oversight for significant programmes, platforms, or technology change initiatives.

• Ability to develop, embed, and improve architecture best practice, standards, patterns, and ways of working.

• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with the ability to influence engineering, product, delivery, and senior leadership audiences.

• Experience shaping architectural choices across both immediate delivery needs and longer-term strategic direction.

• Strong understanding of complex technology platforms, including infrastructure, networking, security, compute, and storage concepts.

• Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams and to create alignment across architects, engineers, and delivery stakeholders.

• Deep understanding of AWS services, including networking, security, compute, and storage.

Desirable Skills and Experience:

• Hands-on experience with AWS services and patterns across areas such as networking, security, compute, storage, and automation.

• Experience with DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure as code.

• Experience of operating within or improving architecture governance forums such as a Technical Design Authority.

• Experience in a Cloud Centre of Excellence, platform engineering, or platform-as-a-product environment.

• Experience in healthcare, genomics, research, or other highly regulated and data-intensive domains.

• Knowledge of high-performance compute, high-speed storage, or other specialist scalable technology environments.

• Ability to manage suppliers to delivery architectural outcomes.

• Knowledge of enterprise architecture tooling such as Abacus.

• Experience applying TOGAF methodologies or equivalent enterprise architecture practices.

Qualifications

While we genuinely recognise the real value of relevant qualifications or certifications, we are primarily interested in your real-world experience:

• Degree, ideally in computer science or a STEM discipline.

• AWS certifications (e.g., AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional).

• TOGAF Certification or equivalent

Additional Information

Salary From: £103,400

Closing Date: Wednesday 26th August at 23:00 (UK time)

Being an integral part of such a meaningful mission is extremely rewarding in itself, but in order to support our people, we’re continually improving our benefits package. We pride ourselves on investing in our people and supporting them to achieve their career goals, as well as offering a benefits package including:

• Generous Leave: 30 days’ holiday, plus bank holidays, plus additional leave for long service, and also the option to apply for up to 30 days of remote working abroad annually (approval required).
• Family-Friendly: Blended working arrangements, flexible working, enhanced maternity, paternity and shared parental leave benefits.
• Pension & Financial: Defined contribution pension (Genomics England double-matches up to 10%, however you can contribute more if you wish), Life Assurance (3x salary), an Electric Vehicle salary sacrifice scheme and a Give As You Earn scheme.
• Learning & Development: Individual learning budgets, support for training and certifications, and reimbursement for one annual professional subscription (approval required).
• Recognition & Rewards: Employee recognition programme and referral scheme.
• Health & Wellbeing: Subsidised gym membership, a free Headspace account, and access to an Employee Assistance Programme, eye tests, flu jabs.

Equal opportunities and our commitment to a diverse and inclusive workplace

Genomics England is actively committed to providing and supporting an inclusive environment that promotes equity, diversity and inclusion best practice both within our community and in any other area where we have influence. We are proud of our diverse community where everyone can come to work and feel welcomed and treated with respect regardless of any disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, or social background.

Genomics England’s policies of non-discrimination and equity and will be applied fairly to all people, regardless of age, disability, gender identity or reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, being pregnant or recently becoming a parent, race, religion or beliefs, sex or sexual orientation, length of service, whether full or part-time or employed under a permanent or a fixed-term contract or any other relevant factor.

Genomics England does not tolerate any form of discrimination, harassment, victimisation or bullying at work. Such behaviour undermines our mission and core values and diminishes the dignity, respect and integrity of all parties. Our People policies outline our commitment to inclusivity.

We aim to remove barriers in our recruitment processes and to be flexible with our interview processes. Should you require any adjustments that may help you to fully participate in the recruitment process, we encourage you to discuss this with us.

Culture

We have four key behaviours that represent what we would like Genomics England to feel like and the culture we want to encourage, in order for us to achieve our mission. These behaviours help us all work well together, deliver on our outcomes, celebrate our successes and share feedback with each other. You can read about these and other aspects of our culture here Culture | Genomics England

Blended working model

Genomics England operates a blended working model as we know our people appreciate the flexibility that hybrid working can bring. We expect most people to come into the office a minimum of 2 times each month. However, this will vary according to role and will be agreed with your team leader. There is no expectation that people will return to the office full time unless they want to, however, some of our roles require full time on site attendance e.g., lab teams, reception team.

Our teams and squads have, and will continue to reflect on what works best for them to work together successfully and have the freedom to design working patterns to suit, beyond the minimum. Our office locations are: Canary Wharf, Cambridge and Leeds.

Onboarding background checks

As part of our recruitment process, all successful candidates are subject to a Standard Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. We therefore require applicants to disclose any previous offences at point of application, as some unspent convictions may mean we are unable to proceed with your application due to the nature of our work in healthcare.