Software Architect

About Benchmark

At Benchmark, we offer award-winning, proprietary solutions that encompass regulatory, platform, and investment services, designed to support advisers throughout their journey. Whether it's starting and managing a financial advice business more effectively or accelerating its growth and realizing its value, our solutions are tailored to meet every need.

We empower high-quality financial advisers with our top-tier technology and support services. Additionally, through our own Financial Advice business, we assist families in finding solutions that fulfill their needs and aspirations, providing them with peace of mind. By facilitating access to superior solutions, we help our clients achieve and surpass their goals.

Ensuring positive client outcomes, with the clients' interests at the forefront of decision-making, is paramount at Benchmark. We embed Treating Customers Fairly principles within our organization, taking responsibility to embrace and promote our duty of care to all clients, including those who may be more vulnerable.

The Base

You will be located at our Broadlands Business Campus, near Horsham in West Sussex. The campus boasts high standards and an international reputation while providing a countryside setting that offers a different lifestyle from the city. Equipped with cutting-edge software and hardware, our spacious facilities foster a great working environment for our team. Amenities include an on-site restaurant, coffee shop, and gym, all complemented by a dedicated shuttle bus service for commuters to and from Horsham's main line train station.

What You'll Do

In this role, you will be responsible for designing and assuring various components of both the current and future Benchmark Capital suite of applications, alongside related processes, systems, and integrations.

• Collaborate within our scaled agile environment with product owners and managers to determine functional and non-functional requirements for new features and applications.
  
  
• Lead the design at the value stream level to develop high-level specifications for Features and Enablers.
  
  
• Collaborate with the team to develop spikes and proofs of concept for emerging technologies.
  
  
• Promote alignment with the Architecture Governance Framework and related processes with fellow architects and principal developers/testers.
  
  
• Ensure designs comply with architectural, security, and engineering policies.
  
  
• Take ownership of cloud infrastructure design in Azure when required, providing guidance and architectural reviews from a business and security standpoint.
  
  
• Help define aspects of development, including appropriate technology, workflow, and coding standards.
  
  
• Communicate concepts and guidelines to business stakeholders, other architects, and development teams.
  
  
• Monitor the progress of the Safe Train to ensure consistency from initial design through delivery.
  
  
• Provide technical guidance and coaching to developers.
  
  
• Define how products and software meet standards related to quality, security, modifiability, and extensibility.
  
  
• Articulate architectural concepts and requirements to key stakeholders while addressing challenges.
  
  
• Develop an in-depth understanding of the business's processes, strategy, and products to align architectural designs accordingly.
  
  
• Work with third-party vendors to implement solutions where appropriate.
  
  
• Collaborate with Schroders on joint initiatives.
  
  
• Assist the business in pre-sales meetings to provide potential technical solutions for project advancement.
  
  
• Stay current with the latest industry trends and technologies, sharing insights with the Architectural Runway to shape future architectural solutions.
  
  
• Operate within an Agile environment, facilitating emergent design sessions and upfront designs as necessary.
  
  
• Provide cost/resource estimates to support swift and informed business decisions.
  
  The Knowledge, Experience, and Qualifications You Need
  
  
• Proven experience as a solution/software architect or as a senior/principal developer, with strong knowledge of .NET, ASP.NET, and Azure technologies.
  
  
• Experience in software development and proficiency in various programming languages, primarily C#.
  
  
• Familiarity with software and application design, architecture, and patterns (Solid, DDD, TDD, SOA, Service Design thinking, and Distributed Systems).
  
  
• Understanding of cloud design patterns and implementations in Azure.
  
  
• Knowledge of software quality assurance principles.
  
  
• A technical mindset with keen attention to detail.
  
  
• Excellent organizational and communication skills.
  
  
• Strong interpersonal, time management, and communication skills—both written and oral.
  
  
• Customer-focused and able to present ideas in user-friendly language.
  
  
• Flexible and willing to work outside of core business hours when necessary.
  
  What You'll Be Like
  
  The ideal candidate is energetic and motivated, with a 'can do' attitude, strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and a desire to grow within a department that offers development and advancement opportunities. Given the unpredictable nature of the IT industry, it’s crucial for this individual to be open to expanding their knowledge in Architecture, Software, and IT, while upgrading their skill set as needed. The role involves working within a small team in a collaborative environment that encourages information sharing to ensure cross-training and coverage within the department.
  
  We Recognise Potential, Whoever You Are
  
  Our purpose is to deliver exceptional investment performance to clients through active management. By fostering an inclusive culture that values diversity of thought, we can make better decisions and achieve our goals more effectively. Inclusion and diversity are strategic priorities for us, and we are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. You are welcome here, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, or any other protected characteristics