Solution Architect

Job Description

Job Title: Solution Architect (API Lab & Marketplace Focus)

Location: London/ Edinburgh

Job Type: Full-time

About Us:

At Lloyds Banking Group, we're helping Britain prosper by transforming the way

technology enables our customers, colleagues, and businesses. Through strategic

investment in digital platforms, cloud technologies, and modern engineering practices,

we're creating scalable, secure, and resilient services that power some of the UK's

most important financial journeys.

Within Lloyds Banking Group, the API Lab sits at the heart of our API and Digital

Services Platform. Our mission is to enable teams across the Group to discover, build,

deploy, and reuse high-quality APIs safely and at scale. We provide the products,

standards, and services that underpin our API ecosystem, helping engineering teams

accelerate delivery whilst meeting enterprise standards for security, resilience, and

governance. The API Lab is a key enabler of the Group's move towards a more federated

operating model, empowering platforms to innovate independently while maintaining

consistency and quality across the organisation.

The API Marketplace Team is responsible for one of the API Lab's flagship products:

the API Marketplace. Acting as the front door for API discovery and consumption across

the Group, the Marketplace enables colleagues to discover, reuse, and subscribe to

APIs exposed on Lloyds Banking Group's strategic gateways across both private and

public cloud environments. Our vision is to create a world-class digital marketplace

that drives API reuse, reduces duplication, accelerates time to market, and empowers

teams through self-service capabilities and federated ownership. We are continually

evolving the platform through innovations in discoverability, automation, cloud-native

architecture, AI-enabled experiences, and improved developer journeys, making it

easier than ever for teams to connect, collaborate, and deliver customer value.

Joining our team means working at the forefront of API strategy, cloud architecture,

platform engineering, and digital transformation—helping shape how thousands of

colleagues build and consume services across one of the UK's largest financial

institutions.

The Opportunity:

We are seeking an accomplished and visionary Solution Architect to join our dynamic

API Lab team. In this pivotal role, you will be accountable for all architectural decisions

related to our Marketplace platform, guiding its strategic development and ensuring

technology delivery aligns seamlessly with business priorities.

You will contribute in a high-performing team, driving innovation within an agile

environment to tackle complex and high-impact challenges. This role requires

strong deep technical expertise, and the ability to influence across all levels of the

organization and with external partners. You will play a key role in setting direction and

ensuring the successful delivery of architecturally significant outcomes for our APIdriven initiatives.

What You'll Do:

• Architectural Strategy: Accountable for all architectural decisions within

the API Lab's Marketplace platform, leading and mentoring a small team of

architects.

• Strategic Roadmaps & Delivery: Guide, challenge, and support product

and engineering teams in developing and delivering robust and future-proof

strategic roadmaps for the Marketplace.

• Business & Technology Alignment: Act as a key liaison between

business stakeholders and technology teams, ensuring solution delivery aligns

perfectly with business needs and priorities for the Marketplace.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Build and nurture trusted relationships across

platforms, functions, and third-party vendors.

• Solution Shaping & Innovation: Leverage your insights to shape

innovative business propositions, influence vendor products, and foster

strategic industry partnerships to enhance our Marketplace offering.

• Technical Leadership: Drive architectural outcomes for a mid to large

organization, actively participating in and influencing architectural forums and

design reviews.

• Cloud Architecture Leadership (GCP Focus): Lead the design and share

implementation plan of cloud-native and hybrid cloud solutions, with a strong

emphasis on GCP (Google Cloud Platform) and its associated resources. While

Azure experience is a plus, a deep understanding of GCP concepts and best

practices is essential. You will clearly explain complex cloud concepts to diverse

audiences and facilitate their adoption.

• Modern API Strategy: Champion and implement robust REST API design

principles and best practices for the Marketplace and broader API ecosystem,

ensuring secure, scalable, and performant integrations.

• Emerging Technologies: Maintain a keen awareness of emerging

technologies, including GenAI, understanding their maturity, potential business

applications, and alignment with our long-term strategy for the Marketplace.

• Continuous Improvement & Innovation: Foster a culture of continuous

improvement and drive innovation within your domain and across the API Lab.

• Non-Functional Excellence: Design systems with a strong appreciation for nonfunctional considerations (e.g., performance, scalability, security, resilience,

sustainability) relevant to established, complex organizations with large

customer bases.

What You'll Need:

• Extensive Solution Architecture Experience: Proven breadth of

experience in solution architecture, specifically within an API-first

environment or digital platform context, with a focus on Marketplace

platforms or similar multi-tenant systems.

• GCP Cloud Expertise (Essential): Deep knowledge and hands-on

experience with Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and its associated services (e.g.,

Compute Engine, Kubernetes Engine, Cloud Functions, Pub/Sub, BigQuery,

Cloud SQL, Cloud Storage, Apigee). Experience with Azure or AWS is desirable

but GCP is paramount. You can clearly articulate cloud concepts and guide

implementation.

• REST API Mastery (Essential): Strong expertise in designing, developing,

and managing RESTful APIs, including API security, versioning, documentation

(e.g., OpenAPI/Swagger), and API gateway solutions (e.g., Apigee).Extensive

experience designing, developing, governing, and scaling enterprise API

ecosystems. Strong expertise in RESTful API architecture, API security,

authentication and authorization patterns (OAuth2, OIDC, JWT, mTLS), API

versioning, lifecycle management, developer portals, API products, subscription

management, API analytics, Smart Docs, sandbox environments, certificate

management, and API gateway architectures.

. API Management Platform Experience (Essential):

Proven experience architecting and implementing enterprise API management

solutions using leading platforms such as Apigee, IBM API Connect, Kong

Konnect/Gateway, and Azure API Management. Deep understanding of API gateway

patterns, developer onboarding journeys, API productization, traffic management,

policy enforcement, security controls, monetization capabilities, and multi-cloud API

ecosystem architecture. Ability to evaluate, influence, and define enterprise API

platform strategies aligned to business and technology objectives.

• Modern Technology Landscape: Solid technology knowledge across key

areas such as:

o Domain-Driven Design (DDD)

o API and Event-Based Architectures

o Microservices

o Event-Driven Design

o Hybrid Cloud Deployment Models

o DevOps and CI/CD practices

o Modern Data Paradigms

o Cyber Security principles and "Security by Design"

o Resilience by Design

o Sustainability in technology architecture

• Collaborative & Influential: A strong team player with an open,

collaborative, approachable, and friendly style. Proven ability to build strong

relationships at all levels, break down barriers, and influence stakeholders

effectively.

• Exceptional Communication: Ability to use strong storytelling skills, both

written and verbal, when presenting complex technical recommendations and

strategies in line with business priorities.

• Continuous Improvement Mindset: Proven success in establishing a

culture of continuous improvement and driving innovation.

• Complex Organization Experience: Experience working in established,

complex organizations with large customer bases, demonstrating a strong

appreciation for non-functional considerations and how to design systems

accordingly.

Why Join Us?

• Be at the forefront of API innovation and digital marketplace development.

• Make a tangible impact on strategic initiatives.

• Work in an agile and collaborative environment, tackling challenging

problems.

• Access to continuous learning and professional development

opportunities.

• A comprehensive benefits package and a commitment to work-life

balance.

If you are a visionary Solution Architect with a passion for API-driven marketplaces,

deep expertise in GCP and REST APIs, and a desire to lead transformational

change, we encourage you to apply

Requirements
infrastructure