Job vacancy: Senior Solution Architect, NHS England, Nationally

Job summary

Main area

Architecture & Standards

Grade

NHS AfC: Band 8c

Contract

Permanent

Hours

Full time
Part time
Job share
Flexible working

37.5 hours per week

Job ref

990-TDD-D&A-EC3738-E

Employer: NHS England
Employer type: NHS
Site: Any NHS England Office
Town: Nationally
Salary: £95,404 - £109,930 pa including 20% RRP (exclusive of London weighting)
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 31/08/2026 23:59

Senior Solution Architect

NHS AfC: Band 8c

Our Organisation

We share the core values set out in the NHS Constitution, which all colleagues are expected to demonstrate.

We support you to work in a way that is best for the NHS, our patients and you and your colleagues. Talk to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement, whether that’s a job share, part time, hybrid working or another flexible pattern.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The postholder will lead solution architecture for reusable platform and orchestration capabilities, ensuring designs are modular, interoperable, extensible and aligned to NHS England architecture, data, security, clinical safety, information governance and assurance standards.

The role will provide technical leadership across product teams, suppliers and governance forums, translating strategic ambition into practical architecture patterns, delivery guardrails and reusable components. This includes supporting the evolution of intelligent orchestration capabilities, governed APIs, auditability, access controls, data, model and agent boundaries, and appropriate human oversight mechanisms across multiple operational, analytical and research contexts.

The postholder will act as a key architectural link between strategic data and platform enablement, delivery teams and the wider vision for reusable, governed and intelligent NHS capabilities. They will work closely with product, engineering, clinical safety, information governance, enterprise architecture, research governance and supplier teams to assure designs, resolve dependencies and enable delivery of robust, trusted, scalable and reusable capabilities that create operational value.

The post of Senior Solution Architect has been awarded a Recruitment and Retention Premia (RRP) in response to current labour market conditions. In recognition of this, the role attracts an additional monthly RRP payment equal to 20% per annum.

Please be aware that RRP is none contractual and subject to review.

You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside the organisational structure and person specification in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.

Please ensure your supporting statement includes demonstratable evidence and specific examples on how you meet the criteria for each of the key skills specified. This will be used in both the shortlisting and interview processes

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

Degree or equivalent higher education qualification, specifically in a computing, scientific or mathematical subject, or equivalent such as would be acquired through a taught Masters course.

Knowledge

Desirable criteria

Technical Specialism - Has specialist knowledge of AI-enabled architectures, including agentic systems, MCP/ACP patterns, orchestration layers, reusable agent capabilities, governed APIs, auditability and human oversight controls, and is experienced in advising on their safe application.
Data Management - Able to establish robust big data management practices, covering governance, quality, lineage, interoperability, security and accessibility, so large-scale datasets are trusted, reusable and translated into actionable insight and measurable outcomes.

Skills

Essential criteria

Solution Architecture - Able to lead the solution architecture for an MCP-enabled intelligent orchestration layer, ensuring designs are modular, reusable, standards-aligned and capable of connecting AI-enabled products, data sources, agents, tools and operational workflows across the wider NHS architecture.
Assurance of Supplier Solutions - Acts as the technical lead for the evolving AI intelligence layer, assuring supplier and internal designs against agreed agentic architecture principles, including MCP/ACP interoperability, agent registry, action boundaries, access controls, monitoring and safety constraints.

Experience

Essential criteria

Enterprise Architecture - Experience of contributing to the creation and review of a systems capability strategy which meets the strategic requirements of the business. Develops models and plans to drive forward the strategy, taking advantage of opportunities to improve business performance.
Stakeholder Management and Communication - Evidence of liaising with stakeholders, suppliers and programme teams, communicating technical concepts and complex issues clearly and accurately, adapting communication style to suit the recipient

Our commitments to you

We are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger and more creative work environment that delivers better patient outcomes.

We strive to ensure our people feel trusted, valued and empowered. When you join us, we want you to grow and excel, and we offer many opportunities for you to do that.

We welcome your talent and enthusiasm irrespective of age, disability, neuro-divergence, sex, gender identity and gender expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances.

We ensure all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process. This includes considering reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability and/or who are neuro-divergent.

We welcome applications from disabled candidates. If you meet all the essential criteria, you will be guaranteed an interview.

Your application is your opportunity to demonstrate how you meet the requirements of the role. While we appreciate you may have had some support with your application (for example, using AI technology or guidance from a trusted individual), it’s important all the information you provide in it reflects your own knowledge, skills and experience and we trust that you apply on that basis.

If you’re applying for this role on a secondment basis, please get agreement from your current line manager before you apply.

We don’t accept applications via recruitment agencies, and we cannot offer visa sponsorship for any vacancies.

To comply with the HM Government Functional Standard GovS 007, and specifically the Personnel Security Standards 2024, individuals employed or contracted by NHS England may be required to undergo a Baseline Personnel Security Standards check, dependent on the role.

NHS Business Services Authority is responsible for processing your application; our privacy can be accessed directly on the application page when you select to apply.

If you are appointed to a post, your information will also be transferred into the NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

If you have a query about your application, please contact the recruitment team: [email protected] or 0300 330 1369.

NHS England