Principal Solution Architect

Principal Solution Architect PFH Technology Group are currently looking for a Principal Solution Architect to join our growing team in Dublin. 12-month contract Dublin – Hybrid Role Overview: The Principal Solution Architect is a senior technology leader responsible for defining and delivering strategic solution architecture across major digital transformation programmes. The role provides technical leadership, sets architectural standards and governance, and works closely with senior stakeholders to develop scalable, secure and innovative technology solutions. This is a strategic leadership position focused on shaping the organisation’s architecture strategy, driving large-scale transformation, strengthening the architecture practice, and promoting best practice in solution architecture, technology governance and digital innovation. The organisation is committed to delivering secure, scalable and digitally enabled services, supported by data-driven solutions, interoperable systems and modern technology platforms. Delivering this requires a coherent enterprise architecture spanning electronic health records, shared care records, patient and health-identifier services, ePrescribing, imaging, laboratory and terminology services, patient-facing digital services, and existing operational systems. The Architecture and Service Design function provides enterprise architecture governance through established design authorities, architecture boards and working groups, working closely with senior data, technology, security and business stakeholders. Responsibilities: 1. Strategic Architecture Direction and Organisational Transformation Architecture strategy – Develop and own the solution architecture strategy, aligned with organisational objectives, and translate it into architecture principles, standards and roadmaps that programmes and business units can act on. Technical vision – Articulate and drive the technical vision for digital transformation. Set strategic direction for technology choices across clinical, community, corporate and patient-facing systems, and communicate recommendations to executive and clinical leadership. Portfolio architecture – Lead architecture across major digital programmes, ensuring solutions are coherent, integrate effectively and avoid duplication of capability. Own architecture dependencies, risks and trade-offs across programmes. Organisational alignment – Work with business and technology leadership to align local and regional architecture with the overall technology strategy and support the transition from legacy environments to modern platforms. Executive and governance leadership – Present architecture strategy, options and risks to senior leadership and governance forums. Advise on strategic technology options, investment priorities and the architectural implications of business and policy decisions. 2. Enterprise Solution Architecture Enterprise architecture – Design enterprise-wide solution architecture spanning acute, community, primary care, mental health, older persons and public health settings, as well as corporate and workforce systems. Reference architectures – Develop and maintain reference architectures covering electronic health records, integration and interoperability, data and analytics platforms, identity and access, patient engagement and digital front door, medical device integration and cloud hosting. Technology strategy – Develop technology strategies across key domains including cloud, integration, data, identity, security and AI, driving standardisation of platforms, technologies and architectural patterns. Procurement and vendor strategy – Shape procurement strategies for major digital investments, ensuring architecture requirements are established before market engagement. Lead strategic vendor engagements and represent the organisation's architecture position during major technology negotiations. Policy and standards alignment – Ensure architecture aligns with applicable legislation, regulation, national standards and recognised industry frameworks, including GDPR, the European Health Data Space, healthcare information standards and interoperability requirements. Architecture assurance – Lead architecture reviews of business cases, tender documents and solution designs through established governance processes, providing assurance on major programmes and projects. 3. Architecture Capability and Organisational Development Practice leadership – Lead the solution architecture practice, recruiting, developing and managing architects while building a capability that can meet organisational demand for architecture review and design. Capability development – Develop architecture capability across the organisation, embedding architecture discipline within programme delivery, product teams and procurement. Federated operating model – Contribute to the design and operation of a federated architecture model spanning programmes, business units, clinical domains and product teams, with clear responsibilities and escalation routes. Culture – Champion a culture of architecture-led thinking, technical excellence and engineering excellence across technology teams and business stakeholders. Talent and succession – Identify and develop high-potential architecture talent, creating career pathways, professional development opportunities and succession plans. Community leadership – Lead the architecture community, establishing forums, knowledge-sharing sessions and learning opportunities for architects and technology professionals across the organisation and wider healthcare sector. 4. Thought Leadership and External Impact Visibility and reputation – Establish a strong reputation as a leading expert in healthcare solution architecture nationally and internationally. Publication and speaking – Contribute to professional publications, case studies and industry events, sharing expertise and best practice in healthcare architecture and digital transformation. External partnerships – Develop partnerships with healthcare organisations, universities, research bodies and professional organisations to support innovation and knowledge sharing. Policy influence – Engage with relevant national bodies and stakeholders to contribute architectural expertise to healthcare technology policy, standards and regulation. Standards leadership – Contribute to the development and adoption of healthcare IT standards, including HL7 FHIR, IHE profiles, SNOMED CT and DICOM, and represent the organisation in relevant national and international standards forums. 5. Innovation and Research Leadership Innovation agenda – Define the architecture contribution to the organisation's innovation agenda, ensuring innovation initiatives are supported by sustainable architecture rather than isolated technology pilots. Emerging technologies – Lead the evaluation and responsible adoption of emerging technologies, including AI and machine learning, FHIR-native platforms, precision medicine and genomics integration, remote monitoring and digital therapeutics, with appropriate consideration of clinical safety, data protection and equitable access. Research leadership – Lead architecture research initiatives in partnership with academic institutions, research programmes and international collaborators, ensuring relevant research outputs inform future architecture and technology strategy. Methodological leadership – Develop and mature architecture methods, artefacts, standards and repositories, promoting a consistent, high-quality and rigorous approach to solution architecture. Requirements: Qualification – Master's degree or higher in Computer Science, Engineering, Health Informatics or a related field, or equivalent professional experience. Professional architecture qualifications such as IASA CITA-D or TOGAF Open CA are expected. Professional experience – Ten to fifteen or more years of experience in solution architecture, with at least five years in strategic leadership roles, ideally including experience within a public health system or similarly regulated environment. Demonstrated impact – Proven track record of leading major healthcare transformation programmes with significant, measurable impact on services, safety or cost. Recognised expertise – Recognised nationally or internationally as an expert in healthcare solution architecture, with a strong professional profile and demonstrated thought leadership. Strategic and Leadership Skills (Expert) BTABOK Pillar: Business Technology Strategy (BTS) – Expert Strategic leadership – Sets organisational technical direction and shapes technology strategy at enterprise scale. Business strategy alignment – Deep understanding of how technology enables service transformation and the ability to translate organisational objectives into effective architecture strategies. Healthcare strategy – Expert understanding of healthcare policy, health economics and service delivery, and how digital transformation can improve care systems within complex and publicly funded healthcare environments. Portfolio management – Expert in portfolio architecture and investment optimisation across major programmes, managing dependencies, priorities and trade-offs. Value analysis – Exceptional ability to analyse and quantify the value of architecture options and develop strategic business cases that demonstrate clear operational and financial benefits. BTABOK Pillar: Human Dynamics (HD) – Expert Executive leadership – Comfortable operating at executive and Board level, advising senior leaders, clinicians and key stakeholders on technology strategy and transformation. Organisational change – Expert in leading transformational change across large, complex and highly regulated organisations, shifting culture and embedding new ways of working. Visionary thinking – Articulates a compelling vision for future healthcare delivery enabled by technology and mobilises clinical and operational leaders around that vision. Influence and persuasion – Exceptional ability to influence without direct authority across programmes, clinical stakeholders, technology teams and vendors through technical expertise, strategic insight and clear communication. Governance – Experienced in executive, Board and regulated-sector governance processes, presenting complex strategies in a clear, decision-ready format and understanding the accountability associated with significant public and organisational investment. Advanced Technical Skills (Expert) BTABOK Pillar: IT Environment (ITE) – Expert Healthcare IT – Expert knowledge of the healthcare IT landscape, standards, emerging trends and relevant Irish and European regulatory requirements. Cloud architecture – Expert in cloud-native architecture, hybrid and multi-cloud strategies, cloud economics and cloud governance. Integration architecture – Expert in enterprise integration patterns, FHIR-based integration, HL7 v2, DICOM and healthcare information exchange. Data architecture – Expert in healthcare data architecture, including FHIR, data platforms, real-time analytics, semantic interoperability and clinical terminology services. Security architecture – Expert in security architecture, threat modelling, zero trust and healthcare data protection, with the ability to work effectively alongside senior information security leadership. BTABOK Pillar: Design (D) – Expert Architecture patterns – Expert-level knowledge of architecture patterns, with the ability to develop new patterns and reference architectures. Design leadership – Exceptional design thinking and leadership, with experience leading complex design processes across multiple programmes and vendors. Modelling – Expert in architecture modelling and communication, producing clear architecture narratives that clinicians, executives and engineers can understand and act upon. BTABOK Pillar: Quality Attributes (QA) – Expert Quality attribute analysis – Expert in quality attribute analysis and trade-off decisions at enterprise scale, including clinical safety, availability, resilience and data protection. Security, performance and resilience – Expert-level knowledge across the full range of quality attributes, with recognised expertise in applying these principles within healthcare environments. Thought Leadership and Impact Publications – Track record of publications, articles, conference papers and professional contributions. Speaking – Regularly invited to present at major national and international forums. Network – Strong professional network, with recognition and respect across the Irish and international healthcare IT and architecture communities. Advisory roles – Holds or has held advisory roles with policymakers, professional bodies, healthcare organisations or other relevant stakeholders.