Principal Solution Architect

About us

Every day, we deliver safe and secure energy to homes, communities, and businesses, connecting people to the energy they need for their lives. Our expertise and track record position us uniquely to shape the sustainable future of our industry as the pace of change accelerates. To succeed, we must anticipate customer needs, reduce energy delivery costs, and pioneer flexible energy systems. This requires delivering on our promises and seeking opportunities for growth.

In IT and Digital, we collaborate closely with the diverse energy businesses within the National Grid group, revolutionizing operations through technology. Embracing modern methodologies and digital mindsets, we drive efficiency and bring new capabilities to internal and external customers as we lead the charge toward a carbon-free future.

Our work is critical, as National Grid powers millions of homes and businesses across the UK and US, and the technology we employ is vital to this task. The successful applicant for this position will play a crucial role in our mission, supported by our multicultural, customer-centric global team, with opportunities for professional development.

This role operates under a hybrid working model and is based out of our Waltham, MA, or the Brooklyn, NY office. Hybrid work expectations are subject to business needs and company policy.

Job Purpose

The Principal Architect, Solution is a senior authority within Solution Architecture, accountable for setting direction, shaping complex end-to-end solution architectures, and providing authoritative design leadership across I&O customer initiatives. The role operates across business units, product teams, platform teams, Enterprise Architecture, cyber security, delivery partners, and senior stakeholders to translate strategic priorities and business outcomes into coherent, secure, resilient, scalable, supportable, and commercially balanced solution designs. The role is expected to lead architecture decision-making, resolve cross-domain design ambiguity, assure solution quality, and ensure alignment to enterprise standards, reusable patterns, technology strategy, and the long-term evolution of I&O platforms and services.

Key Accountabilities

As an employee in the Principal Architect, Solution role, your key roles and responsibilities will include leading and directing solution architecture for I&O customers - the business units, product teams, and delivery teams that build, integrate, and operate business products on I&O platforms:

1. Senior Solution Architecture Leadership Across I&O Customer Solutions

• Lead solution architecture activity for complex business unit initiatives that depend on I&O platforms, services, and technical capabilities.

• Cloud, hosting, infrastructure, network, workplace, and collaboration platforms
• Identity, security, integration, observability, automation, and operational tooling
• Service management, resilience, continuity, support, and run-operate capabilities
• Data, AI, and platform engineering capabilities consumed by business products

• • Cloud, hosting, infrastructure, network, workplace, and collaboration platforms
  • Identity, security, integration, observability, automation, and operational tooling
  • Service management, resilience, continuity, support, and run-operate capabilities
  • Data, AI, and platform engineering capabilities consumed by business products
• Provide authoritative cross-domain design leadership, challenging assumptions and resolving architectural trade-offs that affect business outcomes, platform adoption, operational performance, resilience, cyber risk, and cost.
• Own and assure end-to-end solution architecture, ensuring business products are designed coherently across I&O platforms, application teams, security, data, integration, suppliers, and operational support models.

2. Strategic Customer Requirements, I&O Capabilities & Solution Shaping

• Lead the interpretation of customer requirements and product needs, shaping solution options that make strategic and effective use of I&O platform capabilities.
• Translate business unit priorities, product requirements, regulatory considerations, enterprise architecture direction, and technology strategy into authoritative solution recommendations and design decisions.
• Align:
  • I&O platform evolution with business product needs
  • Solution architecture standards, reusable patterns, and platform consumption models
  • Investment decisions that improve delivery speed, resilience, security, cost transparency, and operational simplicity
• Continuously evolve roadmaps based on:
  • Business product demand and platform consumption trends
  • Emerging technologies and industry direction
  • Operational experience, service performance, security posture, and platform reliability metrics
• Act as a senior voice of solution architecture into I&O technology strategy and platform roadmaps, bringing insight from customer demand, delivery experience, operational performance, and emerging technology direction.

Qualifications

• Degree-level qualification or equivalent professional experience in technology, architecture, engineering, computer science, business systems, or a related discipline.
• Recognised architecture or technology certification is desirable, such as TOGAF, SAFe Architect, cloud architecture, cyber security, service management, or equivalent industry certification.
• Evidence of continued professional development in solution architecture, enterprise technology, digital platforms, infrastructure, operations, security, cloud, automation, or related domains.
• Significant senior-level experience, typically 8+ years, across solution architecture, enterprise technology design, infrastructure, operations, digital delivery, or related technology leadership roles.
• Experience leading the shaping and delivery of large, complex, cross-domain solutions that span multiple platforms, delivery teams, suppliers, technology domains, geographies, or regulatory contexts.
• Experience translating business unit, product team, and enterprise priorities into coherent solution architectures, technology choices, architecture decisions, and delivery guidance that make effective use of I&O platforms, services, standards, and reusable patterns.
• Experience leading architecture governance, design assurance, technical decision-making, dependency management, and risk management across the full solution lifecycle.
• Experience operating across hybrid technology environments, including cloud, infrastructure, network, workplace, identity, security, integration, observability, automation, service management, and operational tooling.
• Experience influencing senior stakeholders across business units, product teams, platform owners, delivery partners, enterprise architects, cyber security, suppliers, and operational teams to drive aligned solution choices.
• Experience working in global, matrixed organisations, balancing enterprise standards, local delivery needs, regulatory obligations, supplier constraints, and operational risk.

Salary

Brooklyn: $184k - $216k a year

Waltham: $172k - $202k a year

National Grid utilizes an assessment that evaluates the job qualifications/characteristics using AI or statistically based scoring. For more information, please view NYC Local Law 144.

This position has a career path which provides for advancement opportunities within and across bands as you develop and evolve in the position; gaining experience, expertise and acquiring and applying technical skills. Candidates will be assessed and provided offers against the minimum qualifications of this role and their individual experience.

National Grid is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment regardless of protected class. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. National Grid maintains affirmative action programs for individuals with disabilities and protected veterans.

Our employment practices are designed to ensure that all individuals are treated fairly and with respect throughout the hiring process and during employment. National Grid complies with all applicable federal, state, and local anti-discrimination laws. We are dedicated to fostering a workplace that is free from unlawful discrimination and harassment, and we encourage a culture of respect for all.