Solution Architect-Senior - VF

About the Role

This is a 12-month contract position located in Columbus, OH, with the potential to transition to a permanent hire. The role involves serving as the Solution Architect for a large-scale transformation programme integrating SAP Service Cloud (C4C) and NICE CXone CCaaS within the utilities sector.

Qualifications

• Core Technical Expertise — Non-Negotiable
  • Deep hands-on experience with SAP Service Cloud (C4C): service ticketing, case management, customer 360, and field service processes.
  • Integration with SAP ERP/S4HANA or legacy CIS systems via SAP BTP or middleware.
  • C4C extensibility, SDK, and configuration vs. custom trade-off decisions.
  • Deep hands-on experience with NICE CXone CCaaS: omnichannel routing, IVR/IVA design, ACD, WFM, and analytics.
  • NICE CXone APIs, CTI integration, and digital-first channel configuration.
  • Integration of CXone with CRM platforms, especially SAP C4C.
  • Legacy CIS integration experience: designing stable integrations between modern cloud platforms and legacy billing/customer systems common in utilities.
  • Enterprise Integration Architecture: event-driven design, API gateway patterns, middleware (e.g., MuleSoft, SAP BTP Integration Suite, Dell Boomi, or equivalent).
  • Non-Functional Requirements expertise: security, scalability, availability, and disaster recovery design in regulated utility environments.
• Programme & Governance Experience
  • Proven experience as a client-side Solution Architect on large-scale, multi-vendor ERP/CRM/CCaaS transformation programmes (£10M+ preferred).
  • Experience establishing and running Architecture Review Boards and Design Authority functions.
  • Track record of technically challenging and holding vendors/SIs accountable on solutioning quality.
  • Proficiency in producing enterprise-grade architecture artefacts: SADs, integration blueprints, HLD/LLD, data flow diagrams, RACI.
  • Experience managing technical risk registers and conducting assurance reviews at major programme milestones.
• Domain & Industry
  • Energy & Utilities sector experience is strongly preferred: understanding of meter-to-cash, outage management, field workforce dispatch, and regulatory reporting.
  • Familiarity with EDL (Electronic Data Interchange / Energy Data Landscape) platforms and data exchange standards common in UK/AU/EU utility markets.
  • Understanding of Ofgem, AEMO, or equivalent regulatory frameworks as they relate to customer data and system change.
• Soft Skills & Leadership Attributes
  • Gravitas and confidence to challenge senior vendor architects and consulting leads — diplomatically but decisively.
  • Strong communicator able to bridge technical and business audiences without oversimplifying critical complexity.
  • Calm under pressure: utilities have zero tolerance for customer-impacting failures.
  • Collaborative by nature but uncompromising on architecture integrity.
• Nice to Have
  • SAP Certified Application Associate — Service Cloud or CX portfolio.
  • TOGAF, SABSA, or equivalent enterprise architecture certification.
  • Experience with NICE CXone Agent Assist, Virtual Agent (IVA), or WFM Advanced modules.
  • Exposure to Salesforce Service Cloud or other CRM platforms (for vendor challenge purposes).
  • Experience with Agile / SAFe delivery at programme scale.
  • Knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks (ISO 27001, NIST) as applied to cloud CX platforms.

Responsibilities

• Architecture Leadership & Governance
  • Own and maintain the Solution Architecture across the SAP Service Cloud (C4C) and NICE CXone transformation, ensuring alignment to enterprise standards and utility-sector regulatory requirements.
  • Define and govern the end-to-end integration architecture across CIS (legacy), SAP C4C, NICE CXone, EDL, and peripheral business-critical systems.
  • Establish and chair Architecture Review Boards (ARBs) to evaluate and approve design decisions across all delivery towers.
  • Produce and maintain key artefacts: Solution Architecture Documents, Functional and Technical Designs, Integration Blueprints, Data Flow Diagrams, Non-Functional Requirements (NFRs), Key Design Decision Document.
  • Enforce architecture governance through design authority — ensuring no delivery team deviates from the approved blueprint without impact assessment and sign-off.
• Vendor & Consulting Partner Management
  • Serve as the client-side technical counterpart to SAP, NICE, and all SI/consulting vendors — critically evaluating their proposed solutions against real-world feasibility and enterprise fit.
  • Challenge vendor solutioning where it introduces unnecessary complexity, technical debt, or integration risk — backed by deep domain knowledge rather than just governance process.
  • Review and technically scrutinise vendor deliverables including solution designs, integration specifications, and test strategies.
  • Lead technical workshops with consulting partners to drive convergence on agreed architectural patterns.
  • Proactively flag vendor delivery risks to programme leadership before they become programme-level issues.
• Risk Management & Technical Assurance
  • Foresee, identify, and escalate technical risks across integrations, data flows, and system interfaces — particularly at the boundaries between legacy CIS and modern cloud platforms.
  • Own the Technical Risk Register, ensuring mitigations are assigned, tracked, and resolved within programme timelines.
  • Conduct and oversee solution assurance reviews at key programme milestones (design freeze, integration testing entry, go-live readiness).
  • Assess the impact of change requests on the broader architecture and provide timely, evidenced guidance to the change control board.
• SAP Service Cloud & CX Platform Architecture
  • Lead the design of SAP Service Cloud (C4C) configuration, extensibility, and integration patterns — covering service ticketing, case management, field service, and customer 360 views.
  • Define the data and process integration between SAP C4C and the legacy CIS, ensuring customer account data, billing history, and service history synchronise reliably and in near-real-time.
  • Govern the SAP BTP (Business Technology Platform) integration layer strategy, including event-driven patterns, APIs, and iFlows where applicable.
  • Advise on SAP C4C configuration versus custom extension trade-offs to protect upgrade paths and reduce long-term TCO.
• NICE CXone CCaaS Architecture & Contact Centre Integration
  • Define the NICE CXone architecture across omnichannel (voice, digital, chat, email), IVR/IVA, ACD routing, and workforce management — ensuring the design reflects contact centre operational realities in a utility environment.
  • Architect the CTI and screen-pop integration between NICE CXone and SAP C4C — ensuring agents have a single, contextual view of the customer at the point of contact.
  • Govern NICE CXone API integrations with EDL and other downstream systems for real-time customer data enrichment and event triggering.
  • Evaluate and challenge NICE CXone configuration decisions — particularly IVR flows, routing logic, and reporting data models — against agreed business outcomes.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Communication
  • Act as the primary technical escalation point for Programme Director, Business Owners, and senior stakeholders.
  • Translate complex architectural concepts into clear, business-aligned language for non-technical audiences — including C-suite and regulatory stakeholders.
  • Represent the architecture function in steering committees, programme boards, and vendor governance forums.
  • Mentor and guide junior architects and technical leads across the delivery towers.