Solution Architect (Backend - Node.JS/Java), AWS, AI)

The Role:
As a Solution Architect, you will lead the architecture and solution design of large-scale technology initiatives spanning multiple systems across the OTT platform ecosystem. You will be responsible for translating business and product requirements into scalable, secure, resilient, and maintainable technical solutions that align with the organization's strategic objectives. Our culture is highly delivery-focused, and the role extends well beyond producing architecture diagrams and design documentation. You will work closely with product, engineering, program management, operations, and external partners throughout the delivery lifecycle, providing hands-on architectural guidance, resolving technical challenges, managing design trade-offs, and ensuring successful implementation of solutions through to production release.

Key Responsibilities

- Lead the architecture and solution design of strategic initiatives across the OTT platform ecosystem, ensuring alignment with business objectives and technology strategy.
- Drive architectural evolution by assessing existing systems, identifying improvement opportunities, and challenging established assumptions and technical constraints, including the pragmatic application of AI-enabled tools and capabilities where they deliver measurable value.
- Own solution delivery from concept through implementation, providing technical leadership, resolving complex challenges, and ensuring successful outcomes.
- Design scalable, secure, resilient, and maintainable solutions, defining both functional and non-functional requirements and producing key architectural artifacts, including requirements for responsible AI use, data privacy, security, observability, and governance where AI capabilities are involved.
- Collaborate with product, engineering, delivery, and business stakeholders to ensure solutions adhere to architectural principles, standards, and best practices.
- Conduct architecture reviews, identify and mitigate technical risks, dependencies, and gaps, and drive continuous quality improvement.
- Support engineering teams throughout delivery with architectural guidance, governance, and decision-making for complex technical issues; promote effective and responsible use of AI-assisted engineering and delivery practices.
- Evaluate emerging technologies, industry trends, and OTT best practices, and relevant AI capabilities to enhance platform capabilities, engineering efficiency, and long-term architectural sustainability.

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

You’ll be set up for success if you have:
- 10+ years' experience as a Solution Architect or similar role, designing and delivering large-scale technology solutions in complex environments.
- Deep understanding of OTT platform architectures and domains, including subscriptions, monetisation, identity and access management (IAM), content and metadata management, and related platform services.
- Proven experience designing and delivering scalable, distributed systems using Microservices and Event-Driven Architecture (EDA) principles.
- Strong knowledge of cloud-native architectures and services, preferably AWS.
- Strong solution design expertise, including integration and management of third-party vendor solutions and in-house platforms.
- AI fluency: Practical understanding of generative AI, machine learning and AI-enabled platform capabilities.
- Experience using AI-assisted tools to improve architecture, analysis, documentation, engineering productivity, and problem solving, while validating outputs and retaining appropriate technical judgement.
- Ability to assess AI use cases, dependencies, risks and non-functional requirements.
- Solid understanding of the software development lifecycle, with hands-on experience in technologies such as Node.js, Java, Python, or Go, and strong knowledge of database technologies. Proven ability to solve complex business and technology challenges, navigate ambiguity, and drive effective technical outcomes.
- Experience analysing and optimising business processes, operating models, and technology landscapes.
- Strong documentation skills and experience applying industry-standard architecture and design methodologies.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence decisions and communicate complex concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Computer Science, or equivalent practical experience.

Even better if you have:

- Experience designing and implementing Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions.
- Experience integrating payment providers, subscription billing platforms, and related monetisation services. Experience working with external vendors and partners, including content security, authentication, authorisation, and platform protection.
- Experience designing event-driven integrations, data pipelines, and asynchronous workflows using messaging and streaming technologies.
- Experience working in Agile delivery environments, including Scrum, backlog refinement, and technical planning.