What Does a Solutions Architect Do?
A solutions architect designs and implements comprehensive technology solutions that align with an organization’s strategic objectives. Acting as the bridge between business problems and technology systems, Solutions Architects evaluate requirements, define architecture frameworks, and ensure that proposed systems are scalable, secure, and effective.
They collaborate across departments, including engineering, product, IT, and leadership, to create blueprints for software and infrastructure that meet both current and future needs. Solutions Architects often participate in pre-sales discussions, oversee system integration plans, and serve as the technical lead throughout the solution lifecycle.
Looking to Hire a Solutions Architect?
Speak with one of our recruiting experts today.
Solutions Architect Core Responsibilities
- Analyze business requirements and translate them into scalable technical solutions
- Design system architectures that align with enterprise standards and client needs
- Guide development teams in executing architecture plans and ensuring best practices
- Present technical concepts to stakeholders in clear, accessible language
- Evaluate new technologies and assess fit within existing ecosystems
- Lead proof-of-concept efforts, system evaluations, and integration strategies
- Ensure security, performance, and compliance standards are met across solutions
- Document architectural decisions, workflows, and technical guidelines
Required Skills and Qualifications
Hard skills
- Deep knowledge of systems architecture and software design principles
- Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
- Proficiency in designing APIs, microservices, and enterprise integrations
- Familiarity with security frameworks, compliance requirements, and performance optimization
- Experience with infrastructure-as-code tools and DevOps practices
Soft skills
- Strategic thinking with a business-first mindset
- Ability to simplify complex technical topics for diverse audiences
- Strong presentation and stakeholder engagement skills
- Collaboration across cross-functional technical and non-technical teams
- Adaptability in fast-paced, evolving technology landscapes
Education
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field
Certifications
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate or Professional
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
Recommended: TOGAF or other enterprise architecture frameworks
Solutions Architect Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with enterprise digital transformation initiatives
- Familiarity with industry-specific compliance (e.g., HIPAA, PCI, FedRAMP)
- Background in pre-sales engineering or consulting environments
National Average Salary
Solutions architect salaries vary by experience, industry, organization size, and geography. Click below to explore salaries by local market.
The average national salary for a Solutions Architect is:
$129,798
Solutions Architect Job Descriptions
It’s important to include the right content in your job description when hiring a solutions architect. The following examples can serve as templates for attracting the best available talent for your team.
Example 1: Cloud Solutions Architect
We’re hiring a cloud solutions architect to design and implement secure, scalable cloud-based solutions that meet complex business needs. You’ll serve as the technical lead for cloud architecture initiatives across AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, supporting enterprise transformation and modernization.
Responsibilities
- Design cloud-native architectures for applications, data, and infrastructure
- Define multi-region, high-availability deployment strategies and disaster recovery plans
- Collaborate with DevOps teams on CI/CD, monitoring, and IaC implementation
- Ensure cloud environments meet performance, security, and compliance standards
- Evaluate cloud services and recommend solutions aligned to cost and performance goals
- Guide engineering teams through cloud migrations and modernization projects
- Document architecture blueprints, configuration standards, and governance models
Requirements
Hard skills
- Hands-on experience with AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud services
- Proficiency with infrastructure-as-code tools (Terraform, CloudFormation, Bicep)
- Understanding of cloud security, IAM, and network architecture
- Experience designing microservices, containers, and serverless environments
- Familiarity with CI/CD tools and DevOps pipelines
Soft skills
- Strategic thinking with a cost-optimization mindset
- Ability to explain technical architecture to business stakeholders
- Cross-functional collaboration with product, security, and engineering teams
- Problem-solving in fast-paced cloud initiatives
Education
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Cloud Engineering, or a related field
Certifications
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate or Professional
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
Preferred qualifications
- Experience with hybrid cloud or multi-cloud strategies
- Exposure to cloud cost modeling and financial operations (FinOps)
Example 2: Enterprise Solutions Architect
We’re seeking an enterprise solutions architect to design and align IT systems across the organization with long-term strategic objectives. This role drives cross-functional architecture initiatives, ensuring scalability, interoperability, and compliance across the enterprise.
Responsibilities
- Develop architectural frameworks and technology roadmaps supporting enterprise goals
- Lead system evaluations, vendor selections, and digital transformation projects
- Design integration strategies for ERP, CRM, data, and cloud platforms
- Collaborate with executive leadership, security, and infrastructure teams
- Ensure alignment with enterprise architecture standards and governance policies
- Support M&A system integration and business continuity planning
- Maintain documentation for reference architectures and policy frameworks
Requirements
Hard skills
- Experience designing large-scale, enterprise-wide IT systems
- Proficiency with architecture frameworks (TOGAF, Zachman, etc.)
- Familiarity with cloud, hybrid, and on-premises system landscapes
- Understanding of data integration, security, and regulatory compliance
- Strong vendor management and contract evaluation skills
Soft skills
- Executive-level communication and influence
- Strategic planning and decision-making
- Cross-enterprise collaboration and diplomacy
- Systems thinking and solution-oriented mindset
Education
Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Business Systems, or a related field
Certifications
- TOGAF Certification
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert or AWS Certified Solutions Architect (Professional)
Preferred qualifications
- Experience in global enterprise environments with complex tech stacks
- Exposure to digital transformation at scale
Example 3: Software Solutions Architect
We’re hiring a software solutions architect to define technical architectures for custom software applications. You’ll work closely with development teams to design scalable, high-performance applications that meet functional and business requirements.
Responsibilities
- Translate business requirements into technical designs and application architectures
- Define standards for software development frameworks, tools, and practices
- Guide teams in building microservices, APIs, and user-facing applications
- Ensure applications are secure, performant, and maintainable
- Evaluate emerging technologies and suggest platform improvements
- Conduct code reviews and oversee technical feasibility assessments
- Document software architecture decisions and implementation patterns
Requirements
Hard skills
- Proficiency in full-stack software development (e.g., Java, .NET, JavaScript frameworks)
- Experience designing RESTful APIs, microservices, and distributed systems
- Familiarity with cloud-hosted application architectures
- Understanding of SDLC, Agile methodologies, and CI/CD pipelines
- Application security and performance optimization skills
Soft skills
- Ability to lead technical discussions and mentor developers
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- Clear documentation and architectural communication
- Collaboration across product, design, and engineering teams
Education
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field
Certifications
- None required
- Recommended: Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate or AWS Developer Certification
Preferred qualifications
- Experience with container orchestration (Kubernetes) and service mesh architectures
- Exposure to event-driven or domain-driven design
Example 4: Data Solutions Architect
We’re seeking a data solutions architect to design modern data platforms that support analytics, AI, and enterprise reporting. This role focuses on data pipelines, warehousing, governance, and architecture strategies that ensure data is reliable, secure, and actionable.
Responsibilities
- Design scalable data architectures for ingestion, storage, transformation, and analytics
- Define standards for data modeling, governance, and metadata management
- Architect data lakes, warehouses, and real-time streaming platforms
- Collaborate with engineering, BI, and compliance teams
- Ensure data privacy and security compliance (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA)
- Support ML/AI initiatives through optimized data pipelines
- Document data flows, schemas, and architectural decisions
Requirements
Hard skills
- Proficiency with SQL and modern data platforms (Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift)
- Experience designing data warehouses and ELT/ETL pipelines
- Familiarity with data governance frameworks and MDM
- Understanding of streaming data platforms (Kafka, Kinesis, Pub/Sub)
- Cloud data architecture skills (AWS, GCP, Azure)
Soft skills
- Analytical thinking and attention to data quality
- Clear technical communication with business users and engineers
- Project leadership in data-centric initiatives
- Adaptability to evolving tools and data strategies
Education
Bachelor’s degree in Data Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
Certifications
- Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Engineer Associate
Recommended: DAMA Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP)
Preferred qualifications
- Experience supporting business intelligence and data science teams
- Background in data security or compliance-heavy industries