Solution Architect

Our purpose is to give everyone real confidence to put their money to work. With a heritage dating back more than 175 years, we have a long history of innovation in savings and investments, combining asset management and insurance expertise to offer a wide range of solutions. 

Our two distinct operating segments, Asset Management and Life, work together to provide access to balanced, long-term investment and savings solutions.

Through telling it like it is, owning it now, and moving it forward together with care and integrity; we are creating an exceptional place to work for exceptional talent.

We will consider flexible working arrangements for any of our roles and also offer work place accommodations to ensure you have what you need to effectively deliver in your role.

The Chief Technology Office (CTO) is seeking an experienced Solution Architect to join the Solution Design team.  This role operates in a consultancy capacity, supporting both the CTO and business-aligned IT functions to deliver change safely and effectively.

While the primary focus is cloud, AI and data platforms, the seniority of the role requires flexibility to contribute across a broad range of technical and delivery areas, including occasional involvement in project and programme activities.

The role helps solve complex problems through the design of secure, scalable cloud, AI and data platforms, alongside networking and infrastructure.  You will also contribute to vendor platform integration, process improvement and cost optimisation.  Fundamental to success is applying design thinking and a user-focused, problem-solving approach to ensure solutions are effective, resilient, compliant and aligned to organisational goals.

As a trusted advisor, you will collaborate across teams to provide guidance on technology choices and ensure solutions meet business outcomes, comply with relevant standards and regulation, are appropriately secure, and manage risk effectively.

You will work effectively with business leaders, security, compliance teams, and third parties (including suppliers and vendors) to ensure technology solutions align with organisational goals and standards, and meet regulatory requirements, helping the company innovate safely and sustainably.

We are seeking a “T-shaped” technologist: someone with broad cross-domain knowledge and deep expertise in data platforms, who is comfortable influencing at all levels within M&G.  Within the CTO Solution Design team, individual depth areas vary across team members, creating collective strength across a range of domains.  A key characteristic is a desire to continuously learn and develop new skills.

Responsibilities  

Architecture and Design

• Create and contribute to solution designs that meet M&G architecture and operational standards.
• Ensure solutions are scalable, secure and cost-efficient, aligned with Enterprise Architecture standards and governance.
• Partner with Enterprise Architecture to create and gain approval for patterns for new or significantly changed workloads.

Consultancy and Advisory

• Engage with IT functions in a consultancy capacity to guide solution design and technology selection.
• Provide independent, objective advice to ensure alignment with strategy and governance.
• Challenge and validate design decisions to promote best practice and long-term sustainability.
• Participate in design review boards and Technical Design Authorities (TDAs).

Cross Functional Collaboration

• Contribute beyond core responsibilities, including supporting delivery, defining roadmaps, and occasionally assisting with project or programme management.
• Collaborate with engineering, SRE, security, data privacy and business stakeholders to ensure successful solution delivery.

Continued Development

• Stay current with relevant technologies (existing and emerging) and assess their applicability to M&G.
• Support the development of colleagues through knowledge sharing, guided learning and creating opportunities.

Required Skills & Experience 

Essential  

• Experience of solution design in a complex enterprise environment.
• Strong expertise designing and implementing enterprise data platforms
• Familiarity with data governance, controls and regulations, including data mesh/fabric approaches.
• Proven experience with Microsoft Azure data services and associated technologies (e.g., ADLS, Storage Accounts, databases, Data Factory, Synapse, Databricks).
• Experience with Azure DevOps and modern DevOps practices, including CI/CD pipelines and developer tooling.
• Familiarity with agile development methodologies 
• Experience with automation and infrastructure-as-code (IaC) tools (e.g., Terraform, Ansible, ARM).
• Thorough understanding of Azure governance principles, with hands-on experience implementing compliance and governance policies.
• Understanding of modern generative AI patterns, such as Retrieval-Augmented Generation.
• Practical knowledge of AI services across major cloud platforms (such as Azure OpenAI).
• Understanding of agentic architectures, alongside responsible AI patterns and the ability to design guardrails.

Desirable 

• Experience with Enterprise Platforms including Apigee and OpenShift 
• Experience with Oracle OCI

Soft  

• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, including engagement with senior management
• Ability and confidence to challenge constructively and influence decision making
• Ability to confidently lead design and governance forums as required
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities 
• A pragmatic and outcome focused approach, balancing best practice, TCO and real world constraints
• Self-starter with the ability to work independently as well as part of a team.

What we offer:

At M&G, we’re committed to helping you thrive and supporting your wellbeing, both at work and beyond. Our benefits are designed to help you balance your professional and personal life, while planning confidently for your future. Our UK benefits include:

• As a savings and Investments firm we are proud to offer a valuable pension scheme of 18%, with 13% made up of Employer Contributions and 5% Employee Contributions. We also offer Share Save and our Share Incentive Plan, together with access to financial wellbeing and support services - to help give you real confidence to put your money to work.

• Enjoy 38 days annual leave including bank holidays, with the opportunity to purchase up to 5 extra days and additional flexibility through our Time Off When You Need It policy – to balance your work and personal commitments.  

• Our market leading Inspiring Families policy includes comprehensive support and paid parental leave covering maternity, adoption, surrogacy, and paternity leave - as supporting families is a core aspect of our inclusive culture.

• Health & Protection cover including Private Healthcare, Critical Illness cover and Life Assurance for you, with family options - for peace of mind.

To explore more about life at M&G and our full benefits offering, visit Life at M&G

We have a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture at M&G, underpinned by our policies and our employee-led networks who provide networking opportunities, advice and support for the diverse communities our colleagues represent. Regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, nationality, disability or long term condition, we are looking to attract, promote and retain exceptional people. We also welcome those who take part in military service and those returning from career breaks.

M&G is also proud to be a Disability Confident Leader, and we welcome applications from candidates with long-term health conditions, disabilities, or neuro-divergent conditions. 

If you need assistance or an alternative means of applying for a role due to a disability or additional need, please let us know by contacting us at: [email protected]