Solutions Architect

Job Description

Job Description

Who We Are
Urban Insight is a leading digital agency creating innovative websites and web applications for organizations that make a difference. We specialize in solving complex problems through website strategy, design, and development using open source content management systems (primarily Drupal, WordPress, and composable architectures). Our clients include leading museums, nonprofits, universities, cities, and cultural institutions. With nearly 25 years in business, we continue to grow each year. We foster a professionally rewarding environment where team members are encouraged to learn, lead, and thrive.

Key Responsibilities

Client Discovery & Technical Strategy

• Collaborate with clients, project managers, and internal teams to understand business goals, functional requirements, and technical constraints.

• Proactively propose technology solutions that meet strategic objectives, balancing usability, maintainability, and scalability.

• Translate complex technical concepts into clear, understandable language for clients and stakeholders.

Architecture & Solution Design

• Design high-level and detailed architecture for CMS-based and headless web applications, including component structure, data flow, APIs, hosting strategy, and third-party integrations.

• Evaluate and select appropriate technology stacks, platforms, and third-party services to meet project and client requirements.

• Document system designs with architecture diagrams, data models, and technical specifications.

Collaboration & Technical Leadership

• Guide technical direction in collaboration with Tech Leads and Senior Engineers.

• Support project planning with realistic level-of-effort (LOE) estimates and identify risks early.

• Write technical specifications, user stories, and acceptance criteria that serve as a clear blueprint for development teams.

• Participate in agile ceremonies (standups, grooming, demos, retrospectives) and help facilitate cross-functional collaboration.

Implementation Support & Quality Oversight

• Support developers throughout implementation, removing blockers and ensuring alignment with the architectural vision.

• Validate deliverables against acceptance criteria and perform architectural reviews for quality, performance, and maintainability.

• Ensure technical solutions adhere to accessibility, performance, security, and compliance best practices.

Continuous Improvement & Innovation

• Contribute to internal process and tooling improvements across development, QA, and DevOps.

• Lead or participate in evaluations of emerging technologies, frameworks, and vendors relevant to Urban Insight’s service offerings.

• Share architectural knowledge across the team to build technical capability and improve consistency.

QualificationsTechnical Expertise

• 5–8 years of experience in technical architecture, full-stack web development, or technical strategy, ideally within a digital agency or consulting environment.

• Deep experience with Drupal and WordPress, including site architecture, custom development, and deployment.

• Understanding of headless CMS, composable architectures, and integrations via RESTful and/or GraphQL APIs.

• Strong knowledge of LAMP stack, hosting environments, and cloud services.

• Familiarity with performance optimization, accessibility standards (WCAG), security best practices, and SEO considerations.

Project & Communication Skills

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage technical and non-technical audiences.

• Experience with agile methodologies such as Scrum or Kanban.
  
  

• Comfortable writing technical specifications and leading discovery and requirements-gathering sessions with clients.

• Experience with technical backlog management and cross-functional coordination.

Architectural Thinking

• Ability to think strategically about technical ecosystems and long-term maintainability.

• Skilled at creating architecture documentation, workflows, and decision-making frameworks.

• Comfortable evaluating vendor tools and technology platforms with a critical eye toward tradeoffs.

Success Metrics

In the first 90 days:

• Support architecture and planning for a new project that meets or exceeds client expectations and internal standards.

• Achieve a billable utilization rate of 70–80%.

In the first year:

• Successfully lead the architecture of multiple projects from discovery through delivery.

• Elevate internal architectural standards and documentation practices.

• Demonstrate strong client satisfaction, minimal rework, and on-budget delivery across projects.

Total Rewards

We offer a highly competitive salary and benefits package:

• Total annual compensation range $110K–$125K (DOE)

• Health insurance (95% employer-paid)

• Dental insurance (95% employer-paid)

• Vision Insurance (95% employer-paid)

• Paid time off (15 days increasing to 20 after four years)

• Holiday time off (~10 days per year)

• Company-sponsored 401(k) plan with employer match

• An annual customized training plan and time to study

• Performance and compensation reviews annually