Solution Architect- 6 Months- Inside IR35- On site in Wokingham

Solution Architect- 6 months- Inside IR35- On site in Wokingham

Role Overview

A 6-month contract role based in Wokingham (5 days on-site) within a Cloud unit, focused on solution architecture for a large energy/utilities organisation. The role bridges Operational Technology (OT) and enterprise IT, requiring the successful candidate to design solutions that integrate SCADA, EMS, and ADMS systems with modern cloud and enterprise platforms. The position carries significant influence over architecture standards, patterns, and governance across the organisation.

Key Responsibilities

• Work with business stakeholders to understand requirements and translate them into solution-level designs.
• Contribute to the ongoing development of architecture standards, patterns, and governance frameworks.
• Integrate operational technology systems with enterprise IT systems to enable seamless data flow and analytics.
• Apply standard architectures and patterns across solution designs within a complex, regulated energy environment.
• Support the design and deployment of microservices-based, containerised solutions across cloud and on-premises platforms.

Top 5 Skills

• OT/SCADA expertise- In-depth knowledge of Industrial Control Systems, SCADA, EMS/ADMS, and IT/OT integration within the electricity industry, including communication protocols such as IEC 101/104/870.5 and ICCP/TASE.2.
• Solution architecture experience- Significant experience as a Solution Architect in large, complex organisations, ideally with exposure to System Operators (ESO, DNOs, TOs) within the energy or utilities sector.
• Cloud & containerisation- Hands-on experience with Azure, microservices architecture, and Kubernetes, with familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and GitOps methodologies.
• OT cybersecurity- Knowledge of implementing cybersecurity controls for operational technology, including network segmentation, Firewalls, and intrusion detection systems.
• Infrastructure & architecture frameworks- Solid understanding of networking (TCP/IP, DNS, BGP, VPNs), on-prem virtualisation (VMWare ESXi, Red Hat Linux), and familiarity with TOGAF and observability tools such as Prometheus and Grafana.