UK

United Kingdom · Technology and data · Mid-Level (2-5 years)

Solutions Architect

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

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Free to start: a plan built for this role, and a Future Fluency module to try first. No card.

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Where should we send it?

One email: what AI is changing in this job, and where to start free. With a link back here. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

Also at another level: the Senior Solutions Architect job description.

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  • Experience bandMid-Level (2-5 years)
  • Direct reportsNo direct reports
  • Reports toSenior Solutions Architect
  • UK framework levelUsually a coordinator, or early in a professional job

Also advertised as Telecoms Architect · Network Solutions Designer · Technical Architect (Telecoms)

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in qualifications employers recognise

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

Pearson BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Professional Competence for IT and Telecoms Professionals Pearson Education Ltd · Level 3 · covers 2 of 10 standards
City & Guilds Level 3 Diploma in ICT Systems and Principles for IT Professionals City & Guilds Limited · Level 3 · covers 1 of 10 standards
Pearson BTEC Level 4 Diploma in Professional Competence for IT and Telecoms Professionals Pearson Education Ltd · Level 4 · covers 1 of 10 standards
City & Guilds Level 3 Diploma in ICT Systems Support City & Guilds Limited · Level 3 · covers 1 of 10 standards
City & Guilds Level 3 Certificate in ICT Systems and Principles City & Guilds Limited · Level 3 · covers 1 of 10 standards
Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Cloud Computing Pearson Education Ltd · Level 5 · covers 3 of 10 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Cisco Discovery Designing and Supporting Computer Networks Pearson BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Professional Competence for IT and Telecoms Professionals
Implementing and maintaining Cloud technologies and infrastructure City & Guilds Level 3 Diploma in ICT Systems and Principles for IT Professionals
Cloud Architecture Design Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Cloud Computing

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
Systems Fluency seeing the whole picture
Trust Fluency keeping the digital world safe
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Your Plan Illustration

Built for Solutions Architect

3 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Cisco Discovery Designing and Supporting Computer Networks Pearson Education Ltd · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 3
  2. Implementing and maintaining Cloud technologies and infrastructure City & Guilds Limited · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 3
  3. Cloud Architecture Design Pearson Education Ltd · covers 3 of 10 standards Level 5
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Solutions Architect?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skills this role is being asked for

  • Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration
  • Open RAN Architectures
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Solutions Architect plan as you set up, starting with a Future Fluency module on using AI in your job. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

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3What this role really is

You translate what customers need into a detailed technical blueprint for telecoms solutions. You take a concept, work out how it functions, and draw up plans for engineering teams to build it. This covers everything from the network core to the customer's device. The job means creating a solution that is reliable, cost-effective, and fits together properly.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

Lucidchart/Visio Advanced

Creating detailed network diagrams, solution flowcharts, and architectural blueprints that are easy to understand for both technical and non-technical audiences.

AWS/Azure/GCP (Core IaaS/PaaS) Intermediate

Designing solutions that use specific cloud services like EC2/VMs, VPC/VNets, S3/Blob Storage, and understanding core cloud networking and security concepts.

Postman Advanced

Testing API endpoints for services within your solution designs, understanding API specifications (like OpenAPI/Swagger), and troubleshooting integration issues.

Ericsson OSS/ServiceNow TPM (or similar OSS/BSS) Intermediate

Navigating the UI to understand existing inventory data, service configurations, and data models to ensure your new designs integrate correctly with our operational systems.

Jira/Confluence Advanced

Structuring project tasks, creating detailed technical epics, managing documentation, and tracking the progress of your design work within our project management ecosystem.

SolarWinds/Nagios (or similar NMS) Intermediate

Understanding how to read network monitoring dashboards and alerts, and specifying basic monitoring requirements for the components within your solution designs.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Technical Component Selection (within defined scope) Proposes options, requires full approval from Senior Architect. Selects components for routine designs within a single domain, consults Senior Architect for non-standard choices, informs engineering. Approves component selection for complex, multi-domain solutions, defines preferred vendor lists, consults Lead Architect on strategic vendor shifts.
Design Methodology & Tools Follows established templates and tools, seeks guidance for any deviation. Chooses appropriate design methodology (e.g., waterfall vs. agile for design phase) and tools for their projects, within team standards, informs manager. Defines and refines design methodologies for specific solution types, introduces new tools to the team, consults Lead Architect on major process changes.
Risk Identification & Mitigation Identifies obvious risks, escalates all to supervisor for mitigation plan. Identifies and proposes mitigation strategies for technical risks within their design, consults Senior Architect on high-impact risks. Identifies systemic risks across multiple solutions, designs complex mitigation plans, consults Lead Architect on cross-project risk management.
Budget Allocation (for specific components/tools) No authority, provides estimates for manager review. Recommends budget for specific technical components up to £10K, requires manager approval for procurement. Approves budget for technical components up to £50K, manages small project budgets, consults Lead Architect on larger spends.

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Solution Document Quality
This is about how clear, complete, and unambiguous your High-Level Design (HLD) and Low-Level Design (LLD) documents are.
Target · < 5% rework requests from engineering due to ambiguity

After delivering the LLD for the new private 5G campus solution, the engineering team only came back with two minor clarification questions, well below the 5% threshold for rework.

RFP Technical Response Time
How quickly and accurately you can contribute to the technical sections of a Request for Proposal (RFP) or similar pre-sales documentation.
Target · Technical sections of standard RFPs completed within 48-hour SLA

For the recent smart city RFP, you delivered your section on the IoT connectivity architecture within 36 hours, allowing the bid team plenty of time for review.

Certification Achievement
Staying current with industry certifications shows you're keeping your skills sharp and relevant.
Target · Achieves 1 professional-level cloud or networking certification per year

You successfully passed your AWS Solutions Architect Associate exam in Q2, demonstrating a solid understanding of cloud design principles.

Design Adherence Rate
This measures how closely the implemented solution matches your original design, indicating clarity and practicality.
Target · > 90% adherence without significant design changes post-sign-off

The new fixed wireless access solution was deployed with only minor, agreed-upon deviations from your LLD, hitting 95% adherence.

Stakeholder Satisfaction with Design Clarity
How well your designs are understood and received by both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Positive feedback from engineering and product teams during design reviews
  • stakeholders proactively seeking your input early in new projects
  • fewer follow-up questions post-presentation.
Proactive Problem Identification
Your ability to spot potential issues or risks in a design before they become actual problems during implementation.
  • Documenting potential technical debt or integration challenges in your HLDs
  • raising valid concerns during early concept discussions
  • proposing alternative solutions to mitigate identified risks.
Mentorship and Knowledge Sharing
Even without direct reports, your willingness to help and guide junior team members is crucial.
  • Actively participating in code reviews for junior engineers
  • answering technical questions on internal forums
  • offering to explain complex concepts to new joiners
  • positive feedback from those you've helped.
Design Practicality & Buildability
Are your designs actually implementable? Do engineers find them practical and efficient to build?
  • Engineering teams consistently giving 'thumbs up' on design reviews
  • projects completing close to estimated timelines because designs were clear
  • minimal 'design changes' requested during the build phase due to impracticality.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Solving Complex Technical Puzzles

You'll spend your days dissecting tricky requirements, designing intricate network flows, and figuring out how disparate systems can talk to each other. It's a constant mental workout.

Spending an afternoon whiteboarding different options for integrating a new IoT platform with our existing billing system, trying to find the most elegant and scalable approach.

Seeing Your Designs Come to Life

There's a real satisfaction in watching a project you designed move through implementation and eventually go live. You'll see the tangible impact of your work.

Attending the launch of a new enterprise private network and knowing that your detailed designs made it all possible, seeing it actually work.

Continuous Learning and Technical Mastery

The telecoms industry moves fast. You'll be constantly learning about new standards, technologies, and vendor solutions. If you love staying at the forefront, you'll thrive.

Diving deep into the latest 3GPP release documents to understand new features for network slicing, then applying that knowledge to a new customer solution.

What frustrates people
  • The 'Sales-Driven' Architecture: Sometimes, you'll be asked to design a solution around a feature a sales person promised a client, even if it feels technically unsound or isn't really scalable. It's a push and pull.
  • Legacy System Anchors: You'll often find yourself trying to integrate modern, cloud-native solutions with a 15-year-old billing system that has virtually no documentation. It's like trying to put a rocket engine on a bicycle.
  • 'Scope Creep' Disguised as 'Clarification': When the Product team or the client suddenly changes a fundamental requirement weeks after you've signed off the HLD, claiming it was 'implied' all along. It messes up your plans.
  • The RFP Pressure Cooker: Expect to work some seriously long days responding to massive RFPs, only to potentially lose the deal over a tiny price difference. It can feel like a lot of effort for no reward.
  • Vendor Politics: You might get caught between our strategic partnership with Vendor A and the stark technical reality that Vendor B actually has a far superior product for a specific use case. It's not always about the best tech.
  • The 'Why Can't We Just...' Question: You'll patiently explain for the tenth time why you can't 'just use the public internet' for a service that has a strict 10ms latency SLA. Some things just aren't negotiable.
  • Post-Design Black Hole: Handing over a meticulously crafted LLD to the implementation team, only to hear six months later that they 'had to make some changes' that completely undermine your original design's integrity. It's frustrating when your work gets altered without consultation.
What this role does not give you
  • Full control over implementation: You design it, but others build it. You won't be writing the code or configuring the network devices yourself, day-to-day.
  • A purely greenfield environment: Most of our work involves integrating with or evolving existing 'brownfield' networks, which means dealing with legacy systems and their constraints.
  • Predictable, unchanging requirements: The telecoms landscape and customer needs are constantly shifting, so your designs will need to adapt.
  • Immediate gratification: Solutions architecture is a long game. Your designs might take months or even years to fully deploy and realise their impact.

8Who you work with

Your designs directly influence the success of new service launches and the efficiency of our network. Get it right, and we win new business and keep customers happy. Get it wrong, and we're looking at significant costs, delays, and potential service outages. You're a crucial link between strategy and execution, ensuring our technical foundations are solid.

Inside the business
  • Product Management (to understand what we're actually building)
  • Engineering Teams (who'll build your designs)
  • Operations (who'll run your designs once they're live)
  • Sales Teams (to help them understand what's possible)
  • Cyber Security (to ensure your designs are safe)
Outside the business
  • Key Vendor Technical Teams (for specific product details)
  • Internal Clients (the people who'll use your solutions)

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • 2-5 years of hands-on experience in telecoms engineering, network design, or a technical pre-sales role, where you've been involved in designing or implementing network solutions.
  • A proven track record of creating clear, detailed technical documentation (e.g., HLDs, LLDs, network diagrams).
  • Demonstrable experience with at least one major cloud platform (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and its core IaaS/PaaS services.
  • A solid understanding of IP networking fundamentals, including routing, switching, and common network protocols.
  • Experience working with OSS/BSS systems, even if just from a user perspective, to understand how they manage network inventory and services.
  • The ability to work independently on assigned tasks and take ownership of your design deliverables.

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Edge Computing Design (MEC focus)

With 5G, moving compute closer to the user (Multi-access Edge Computing, or MEC) is becoming a huge differentiator. You'll need to design solutions that leverage this for low-latency applications, which is a big growth area.

MEC architectures and deployment models · Latency and throughput optimisation · Edge orchestration and management · Security at the edge

  • This week: Research use cases for MEC in industries like manufacturing, logistics, and gaming.
  • This month: Explore cloud provider offerings for edge computing (e.g., AWS Wavelength, Azure Edge Zones).
  • Month 2: Look for hands-on labs or tutorials that simulate MEC deployments.
  • Month 3: Propose a small internal project or PoC that could benefit from an edge computing architecture.

Quick win: Identify one existing application or service that could benefit from reduced latency by moving compute closer to the user.

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) for Telecoms

Automating infrastructure deployment using code (e.g., Terraform, Ansible) is becoming standard practice, even in telecoms. This isn't just for cloud; it's for network functions too. It means faster, more consistent deployments and fewer manual errors.

Declarative vs. imperative IaC · Terraform and CloudFormation for cloud resources · Ansible/Puppet for network device configuration · Version control for infrastructure (Git)

  • This week: Take an introductory online course on Terraform or Ansible.
  • This month: Try to automate a small, non-production network configuration task using one of these tools.
  • Month 2: Work with an engineering peer to understand how they currently deploy infrastructure and identify areas for automation.
  • Month 3: Propose an IaC standard for a specific type of network function deployment.

Quick win: Automate the deployment of a single virtual machine or network function in your personal cloud environment using Terraform.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly reading industry publications and analyst reports (e.g., Light Reading, Analysys Mason, Dell'Oro Group) to stay abreast of market trends.
  • Attending industry webinars, virtual conferences, or local meetups focused on telecoms, cloud, or specific technologies like 5G and IoT.
  • Participating in online learning platforms (e.g., Coursera, Udemy, Pluralsight) to deepen your knowledge in specific technical areas or gain new certifications.
  • Contributing to open-source projects related to telecoms or cloud infrastructure, if you're inclined.
  • Seeking out mentorship from more senior architects within the team to learn from their experience and insights.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration

Honestly, competitors are already using tools like ChatGPT and Claude to draft reports in minutes that used to take hours. Architects who figure this out will simply outproduce their peers. It's not future-tech; it's happening now.

  • Context windows and token limits
  • Temperature settings for different tasks
  • RAG architectures for proprietary data
  • Output validation and hallucination detection
  • Prompt chaining for complex analysis

Open RAN Architectures

The industry is shifting towards disaggregated and virtualised Radio Access Networks. Understanding Open RAN principles isn't just a nice-to-have; it's becoming fundamental for designing future mobile networks and private 5G solutions.

  • RAN disaggregation (RU, DU, CU)
  • O-RAN Alliance specifications
  • Virtualisation and containerisation in RAN
  • RIC (RAN Intelligent Controller)
  • Security considerations in Open RAN

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • TM Forum Frameworks (eTOM, SID, TAM)
  • NFV/SDN Architecture
  • 5G Core (5GC) & Service-Based Architecture (SBA)
  • Solution Costing & TCO Analysis
  • Carrier-Grade Design Principles

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Network Engineer / Senior Network Engineer

    2-4 years

    Skills to master

    • Deep understanding of network protocols, hands-on configuration experience, troubleshooting complex network issues, familiarity with vendor hardware/software.

    You're ready to move on when

    • You've moved beyond just implementing to actively designing network segments.
    • You're often asked for your opinion on how new services should integrate into the existing network.
    • You've started to document your own designs and present them to peers.
  2. 2

    Technical Consultant / Solutions Engineer (Vendor Side)

    2-5 years

    Skills to master

    • Translating customer requirements into technical solutions, presenting technical concepts to clients, understanding product roadmaps, strong communication skills.

    You're ready to move on when

    • You're regularly building technical proposals for clients.
    • You've gained experience across multiple customer environments and seen different architectural approaches.
    • You're comfortable articulating the 'why' behind technical choices, not just the 'what'.
  3. 3

    Pre-Sales Engineer (Telecoms)

    2-4 years

    Skills to master

    • Understanding client pain points, mapping products to solutions, creating technical demonstrations, strong presentation skills, commercial awareness.

    You're ready to move on when

    • You're actively involved in the technical discovery phase with clients.
    • You've started to design bespoke solutions to meet specific client needs.
    • You understand how technical features translate into business value.

15Where this role leads

The long view: From here you can move towards deep technical specialism, take on leadership of a team, or branch into new technical areas.

16Pay and demand

Pay & demand

Typical pay £60,288 a year Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 (provisional), under the Open Government Licence v3.0

The figure is the median for full-time employees in the ONS occupation this job title codes to (IT business analysts, architects and systems designers), from the April 2025 survey, about six months old when published, as ASHE always is. It is that occupation's middle, not this role's. Half earn more.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Solutions Architect is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Cisco Discovery Designing and Supporting Computer Networks, worked against Solutions Architect.

Cisco Discovery Designing and Supporting Computer Networks Level 3

Applied to your work in Solutions Architect

The objective of this unit is to equip learners with the skills to design, implement, and maintain a prototype network infrastructure. Learners will analyse requirements, design a network topology, implement a prototype, and ensure its ongoing functionality by addressing any issues that arise.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

Start my Solutions Architect plan, free
See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Solutions Architect
  • TM Forum Frameworks (eTOM, SID, TAM)
  • NFV/SDN Architecture
  • 5G Core (5GC) & Service-Based Architecture (SBA)
  • Solution Costing & TCO Analysis
  • Carrier-Grade Design Principles
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

17The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Solutions Architect is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Senior Solutions Architect (Level 3)

    3-5 years in this role

    This is the most natural next step. You'll move from owning single-domain solutions to leading designs for complex, multi-domain solutions, mentoring junior architects, and challenging requirements at a deeper level.

    • Enterprise Architecture Frameworks (e.g., TOGAF) Applying structured approaches to ensure solutions align with the wider enterprise architecture.
    • Complex Systems Integration Designing solutions that integrate numerous disparate systems and platforms.
    • Advanced Cost Optimisation Identifying significant cost reduction opportunities through architectural simplification or vendor consolidation.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, a big chunk of a Solutions Architect's time goes into research, documentation, and making sure everyone's on the same page. Imagine if you could cut down on those repetitive tasks, freeing you up to focus on the really interesting, complex design work. Well, you can.

We're investing in AI tools that are genuinely changing how our architects work. These aren't just buzzwords; they're practical applications that streamline your workflow, help you make better decisions faster, and ultimately, make your job more about creative problem-solving and less about tedious admin. Here's a glimpse of how AI can boost your day-to-day productivity:

HLD & BoM Generation

Feed an AI assistant a client's RFP or a set of high-level requirements, and it can generate a first-draft High-Level Design document and even a Bill of Materials (BoM). It pulls from a library of past designs and vendor catalogues, giving you a massive head start. You'll spend your time refining, not starting from scratch.

Network Traffic Analysis & Forecasting

Use machine learning models to crunch historical network traffic data from tools like NetFlow. This helps you predict future capacity needs with far greater accuracy, meaning you can size your solutions perfectly and avoid over-provisioning expensive hardware. Less guesswork, more precision.

3GPP Standards & Vendor Doc Research

Ever spent hours sifting through dense 3GPP standards documents or comparing features across dozens of vendor spec sheets? An AI-powered search tool can answer natural language questions, summarise key sections, and highlight differences, saving you precious research time every week.

Stakeholder Presentation Drafting

Got a complex technical design you need to present to a non-technical audience, like the CFO or Head of Sales? Give an AI assistant your technical details and target audience, and it'll draft a PowerPoint presentation, translating features into clear business benefits, ROI, and competitive advantages. No more struggling to 'dumb it down'.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Solutions Architect?

Common routes in include Network Engineer / Senior Network Engineer (2-4 years), Technical Consultant / Solutions Engineer (Vendor Side) (2-5 years) and Pre-Sales Engineer (Telecoms) (2-4 years). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Solutions Architect progress to?

This role can lead on to Senior Solutions Architect (3-5 years in this role), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Solutions Architect?

Increasingly, Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration and Open RAN Architectures. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

Want a read on where you stand?

Three free tools, no account needed. Each one ends with a role, a level and a way in.

Read the Zavmo manifesto to understand how you will be taught Meet your tutors

Or try another one

18Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 3

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.
This job at other levels
More jobs in technology and data

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.
If you leave this industry

The skills built as a telecoms solutions architect transfer well elsewhere. You could move into broader enterprise architecture, specialise in cloud architecture for other industries, or move into product management or technical consulting in other technology sectors. Translating business needs into technical solutions is useful in many settings.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my Solutions Architect plan, free What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.