Lead Specialist, Solution Architect

Description - Shape the architecture behind Pearson’s OnVUE online proctored testing platform, guiding multiple engineering teams as they modernise secure, scalable and reliable assessment delivery. Also known in the market as: Lead Solution Architect; Senior Solution Architect; Technical Architect; Java Cloud Solution Architect.

About the Role

OnVUE enables candidates to take secure, remotely proctored assessments. The platform combines modern and legacy systems with ongoing work across platform modernisation, service resilience, API-first integration, cloud-native delivery, candidate and proctor experience, and stronger developer and operational practices.

As Lead Specialist, Solution Architect, you will provide technical direction across multiple engineering teams rather than sit within a single squad. You will translate business needs and technical constraints into practical architecture, guide delivery from discovery through implementation, and help teams resolve complex integration and build challenges.

This role suits an architect who combines deep Java and cloud-native expertise with clear judgement, hands-on credibility and the ability to influence without formal authority.

What You’ll Do

• Own solution architecture from discovery and design through implementation and production adoption.
• Translate business needs, constraints and technical requirements into secure, scalable and maintainable designs.
• Set technical direction across squads and maintain consistency across the wider OnVUE solution footprint.
• Guide engineering teams through implementation while preserving architectural intent.
• Evaluate trade-offs across scalability, resilience, security, maintainability, integration risk and business value.
• Resolve complex architecture, integration and build issues, escalating decisions outside the assigned scope.
• Establish repeatable technical patterns and ensure conformance with architecture standards.
• Mentor engineers and architects and communicate recommendations clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

What We’re Looking For

• Progressive experience in software engineering, solution architecture or a related technical discipline.
• Strong Java enterprise architecture experience, including Spring and Spring Boot.
• Working architecture experience across front-end and back-end technologies, including Angular.
• Cloud-platform experience, preferably Azure; strong AWS experience is also relevant.
• Kubernetes, containers, orchestration and cloud-native delivery experience.
• Experience designing and scaling reliable, distributed applications and maintaining operational health.