Senior Integration and Solution Architect

Location:Bristolor Manchesterhybrid (regular travel to partner sites across the UK and Ireland as needed)
Role Type:Permanent (full-time preferred, flexible working considered)

About PACT Solutions:

PACT Solutions is a specialist management and digital transformation consultancy working exclusively with higher education institutions across the UK.

We help universities solve complex challenges across strategy, student records, data,changeand delivery. Our work often sits at the heart of major institutional transformation, helping partners improve the student journey,moderniseoperationsand deliver change more effectively.

PACT has grown quickly and is now entering its next phase. We are moving from a founder-led boutique consultancy into a more scaled and structured business, while protecting the quality, culture and partner focus thathavemade us successful.

Our culture is crucial to our success. Each day,our teamsignificantlycontributes toour business and that of ourpartners.

We combine the agility and collaborative spirit of a close-knit consultancy with the credibility, structure, and professionalism needed to deliver meaningful digital transformation.

Our values sit at the heart of everything we do and are core to our business.

Partnership:We work with you, not for you.

Integrity:We do the right thing, even when it requires difficult conversations.

Curiosity:We dig deeper to uncover what will truly deliver value.

Transformation:We focus on outcomes that create lasting, measurable improvement.

The Role

We are looking for a Senior Integration and Solution Architect to own the architecture of data integration solutions across our higher education partners. You will define the integration framework: the principles, patterns,standardsand technical decisions thatdeterminewhat is built and how it is built.

This is an architecture role, not a day-to-day delivery management role.Working alongside colleagues who leadprogrammeand technical delivery, you will provide the architectural direction and assurance that enable secure,resilientand maintainable integrations across complex transformationprogrammes.

You will combine strong consulting skills with practical experience of Azure Integration Services and software engineering. You will shape target-state architectures, guide solutiondesignand support teams to apply consistent, reusable approaches.

Purpose of the role

To support the delivery of effective,practicaland people-centred change activity that helps PACT’s partnersadopt new systems,processesand ways of working successfully.

Key Responsibilities

1. Integration and solution architecture

• Own the integration architecture for assigned partnerprogrammesand shape the target-state integration landscape.
• Define and evolve integration principles, reference architectures, patterns,standardsand reusable components.
• Translate business, data and operational requirements into clear solution architectures, designdecisionsand technical roadmaps.
• Set the approach to API design, data contracts, message design, asynchronous processing, error handling, security,observabilityand resilience.
• Assess architectural options and technical trade-offs, providing clear recommendations to partners and delivery teams.

1. Solution design and technical assurance

• Design practical,scalableand maintainable integrations using Azure Integration Services, including Azure Service Bus,APIsand related Azure services.
• Provide architectural assurance at key design, build,testand deployment points, ensuring solutions conform to agreed standards.
• Review technical designs,codeand documentation to improve consistency,qualityand long-term supportability.
• Support the resolution of complex integration issues and design risks, focusing on root cause and sustainable architectural outcomes.

1. Stakeholder and consulting leadership

• Lead architecture workshops, discovery sessions and design forums with senior business and technical stakeholders.
• Build trusted relationships with stakeholders up to Head of Service and senior manager level.
• Explain complex technical concepts in clear business language and challenge constructively where decisions create avoidable risk or compromise.
• Work closely withprogramme, product,dataand technical delivery colleagues so architectural decisions are understood and actionable.

1. Capability development

• Develop PACT’s integration framework, methodologies, standards, reusableassetsand propositions.
• Coach consultants and engineers in sound integration design and engineering practice.
• Contribute to internal knowledge sharing and the continued development of PACT’s Data Integration capability.

Whatweoffer

• The opportunity to shape integration architecture across major higher education transformationprogrammes.
• Work with Azure Integration Services, Azure Service Bus,Pythonand .NET in complex enterprise environments.
• Development of consulting,architectureand technical capability.
• A clear progression path through PACT’s consulting career pathway, including Principal-level opportunities.
• The opportunity to shape PACT’s Data Integration capability.

This role sits at theSenior Consultantwithin PACT’s consulting career pathway (Analyst → Consultant → Senior Consultant → Lead → Principal), providinga strong foundationto develop core consulting and delivery skills.

Essential experience

• Significant experienceas an Integration Architect, SolutionArchitector similar senior architecture role in complex enterprise environments.
• Strong integration architecture capability, including API design, messaging patterns, asynchronous processing, event-drivenintegrationand data contracts.
• Ability to define architectural principles, standards,patternsand reusable components, and apply them across multiple systems and teams.
• Hands-on experience with Azure Integration Services, particularly Azure Service Bus,APIsand related Azure services.
• Strong Python and/or .NET development capability, with experience building or assuring production-grade integration services.
• Ability to design secure,scalableand maintainable integrations, including observability, error handling,resilienceand supportability.
• Experiencefacilitatingarchitecture workshops, communicating technicaltrade-offsand influencing senior stakeholders.
• Experience reviewing and assuring technical designs,documentationand engineering outputs.

Desirable

• Experience within higher education.
• Experience integrating enterprise platforms such as SIS, ERP,CRMand VLE systems.
• Experience with Azure DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, sourcecontroland automated testing.
• Experience in consultancy or transformation environments.

PACT offers a flexible and supportive approach to work, including hybrid and flexible working arrangements. Our benefits package includes enhanced pension contributions, an annual bonus and enhanced parental leave, helping our people balance a rewarding career with the commitments that matter to them.

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