The solution architect role may be the most sought after role in the software development process but it’s not without its challenges. Learning the broad array of skills, shouldering the responsibility, and dealing with the consequences can be more than the average mortal may want to take on. The starting point is generally being the only person on a very small, and sometimes insignificant project. The project may be small enough that a single person may fill every role – including the role of solution architect. The solutions architects should take a look at the entire business picture to gauge how the different processes are working in sync. Plus, they should connect the business vision with the technical side of the project while keeping the corporate strategy in mind.

• They are mediators between enterprise architecture (global business perspective) and software architecture (dealing with tech issues).
• Over these years, we have gathered a top-skilled team of prominent experts, including software architects.
• This makes them an asset when supporting conversations with key product owners to successfully facilitate design decisions, change management processes, and sequenced milestone planning.
• A Cloud Solution Architect specializes in devising and implementing solutions on cloud platforms like AWS, Google Cloud, or Microsoft Azure.
• Solution architecture is the underpinning for any IT project, regardless of whether you actually adopt this practice or not.

And yet, a technical architect may be responsible for infrastructure as well. While the practice can be managed in-house, there are companies that provide solution architecture consulting as a specific set of services. You need to approach your career with a vision of what you want to do in the next 5 to 10 years.

What is an infrastructure architect?

Additionally, a solution architect must lead a team of IT pros to make those visions happen while simultaneously keeping the big picture in mind when it comes to finding the best solutions. From an employee’s point of view, certification is mainly needed for a specific company. However, it’s the proven approach to become an IT solution architect, increase and acquire credibility.

It is this expert who is responsible for creating a strategic plan for implementing technical changes. This person works closely with top-level executives and decision-makers as he or she demonstrates to them the business value of suggested technical initiatives. Solution architecture is the practice of designing, describing, and managing solution engineering to match it with specific business problems. For solution architect performance goals example, protecting customer data under GDPR and other privacy regulations is a business-level problem. Solution architecture defines how those requirements would translate into the way a given software operates. The set of skills and experience that defines each of these architectural roles can resemble one another, however they do vary greatly across the spectrum of breadth and depth of martech expertise.

Technical expertise

For more senior roles, you may need more experience or education, including a master’s degree. Depending on the role, you might also need experience in specific IT areas, such as networking administration, development, customer service, or other relevant areas. Solutions architects are a vital role in any organization that wants to align its business goals and needs with IT services, products, software, and infrastructure. If you’re already an IT architect, hopefully, you have a better understanding of your peers that are working hard to help put the systems you help create to good use. A Solutions Architect is like water — you’ve got to mold yourself and your skillset into whatever situation you’re presented with. If you enjoy good conversation and know how to talk to people, and tailor the conversation to their specific needs, cool.

The skills and knowledge that you’ll need can vary depending on the role, but you can always find certifications and courses for individual skills required for the job such as Java, AWS, Azure, or Apache Kafka. You can start learning the basics of Kubernetes, but hey, you cannot learn the basics of Kubernetes without learning Linux basics because Kubernetes is actually Linux. If you want to be a Solution Architect, you need to have at least a basic understanding of Linux skills.

Hand-selected developers to fit your needs at scale

They meticulously analyze various facets such as cost, timeline, and expected returns, weaving together a comprehensive understanding of the project’s viability and potential. This estimation process is a crucial safeguard, ensuring that projects remain within budgetary and time constraints while aligning with the organization’s strategic objectives. This task extends beyond bureaucratic documentation—it is fundamental to ensure that all stakeholders clearly understand the nuances of the solution.

A solutions architect is responsible for creating a comprehensive architecture for a software solution and providing strategic direction throughout the development process. The roles and responsibilities that answer what solution architects do, as you would have reckoned, is fairly wide. In order to meet them, they would need to have the best skill sets in place. The average pay scale for IT solutions architects varies widely and is influenced by numerous factors. For instance, a professional with the same qualifications in the US earn between $142K and $238K per year.

Deep analytical skills

When you understand all this you can now jump into simple code; you can now automate whatever, and deploy applications. Take our free career test to find out if solution architect is one of your top career matches. A Cloud Solution Architect specializes in devising and implementing solutions on cloud platforms like AWS, Google Cloud, or Microsoft Azure. They are responsible for managing the strategy and execution of cloud services and solutions.

Nowadays, it’s impossible to imagine a successful business without a solid software foundation. Therefore, more and more organizations and companies all over the world are facing the ultimate need to go digital and adopt innovations and high-end software to multiply their efforts and keep growing. A part of this job role is that the stakeholders have to be constantly updated about products – its development, process, and budget – something that requires translating technical details into layman language. So, here the responsibility of the solutions architect is to ensure that the software meets all the needs and requirements well. To meet these and other business requirements, the Customer needed their QMS modernized with properly managed back-end infrastructure, consistently monitored to ensure their services are highly available.

Solution Architect: What Do They Do? A Complete Guide

Rather, it is a role that is meant to influence some of the projects that will eventually make the company a lot of money. Naturally, quite a bit of trust is placed on the person who will be fulfilling this role since he/she will be affecting the direction that the company will be taking going forward. They will have a considerable level of power to affect not only the employees but also the board of directors, the executives, and of course, the stakeholders. It’s the creation of a framework that will solve problems and plot a course toward success after taking the issues into consideration.

For solution architects, the business side of the product matters as much as the technical side. Among the responsibilities of solution architects is making sure the software they work on meets all functional requirements. A solution architect is a person who finds the best tech solution to clients’ business problems.

Solution architect job description

We invite you to explore our top client cases, where you can gain insights into how we have transformed business challenges into success stories and understand the tangible benefits of custom software solutions. Don’t hesitate to contact us to deliberate your software development needs. Rest assured, opting for Relevant means choosing a trusted partner dedicated to your technological success. A company typically needs a Solution Architect when it is on the cusp of designing, developing, or implementing a sophisticated technology solution to address a specific business issue or realize a particular goal. These intricate problems may be rooted in operational inefficiencies, a need for process automation, or evolving business requirements that necessitate technological adaptation or transformation. One of the Solutions Architects’ key responsibilities is to oversee solutions’ implementation and integration.

Senior Architect

The final component to the role of solution architect is the motivation and guidance of the development leads. Development leaders need to buy into and accept the architecture, to know how the pieces will fit together at a high level. They must also see the art portion of the architecture to get an appreciation of the subtle nuances of their portion of the architecture. That elegance helps to maintain cohesion between various parts of the design and encourages simplicity. It is necessary for the lower level design and approach to match the higher-level architecture for the solution to be cohesive.

Solutions architect vs. project manager

Solution architects possess a broad understanding of the latest technologies and determine how they can solve business problems. In addition, the professionals work closely with stakeholders such as business analysts, developers, and project managers to understand the project requirements and design an appropriate solution. Many solution architects previously worked on system or software development teams, perhaps starting out as software developers or testers. IT jobs like network administrator and QA analyst could also be stepping stones to solution architect. Before becoming a solution architect, many that hold this position were previously project managers.