Lead Solutions Architect – Automation Architecture
WFA Digital Insight
As demand for digital transformation accelerates, companies like Ferguson are seeking skilled architects to streamline operations. With the rise of remote work, the need for efficient automation solutions has grown exponentially. In this role, candidates will leverage their expertise in infrastructure-as-code tools and automation frameworks to drive innovation. According to recent trends, the demand for automation specialists has increased by 25% in the past year. To succeed, candidates should possess strong technical leadership skills, a deep understanding of cloud environments, and experience with automation tools like Terraform and Ansible.
Job Description
About the Role
The Lead Solutions Architect will play a critical role in designing and delivering automation solutions across Ferguson's on-premises and cloud environments. As a key technical leader, this individual will bridge the gap between business needs and technical execution, ensuring that automation solutions meet security, compliance, and performance requirements. The successful candidate will work closely with platform, security, and application teams to identify manual processes and deliver automated replacements that reduce toil and risk.The role will involve collaborating with multi-functional business customers to translate business requirements into automated, scalable technical solutions. The Lead Solutions Architect will also provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineers building and consuming automation solutions, ensuring that automation designs meet security, compliance, and performance requirements.
Ferguson is a Fortune 500 company with approximately 36,000 associates across 1,700 locations. As a community of proud associates, Ferguson operates with a shared purpose of building something meaningful. This role offers the opportunity to build a career that you can be proud of, at a company you can believe in.
What You Will Do
- Design, build, and maintain scalable automation solutions that span on-premises data centers and multi-cloud environments
- Build comprehensive automation frameworks spanning provisioning, configuration management, deployment pipelines, and operational runbooks
- Develop and enforce Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) standards and practices to ensure consistent, repeatable, and auditable environment builds
- Partner with platform, security, and application teams to identify manual processes and deliver automated replacements that reduce toil and risk
- Lead the evaluation and adoption of automation tooling, establishing governance and best practices for their use across the organization
- Design and implement CI/CD pipelines that support automated testing, deployment, and rollback capabilities across hybrid environments
- Create and maintain comprehensive documentation, runbooks, and standards for all automation solutions and frameworks
- Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineers building and consuming automation solutions
- Conduct architecture reviews and ensure automation designs meet security, compliance, and performance requirements
- Collaborate with multi-functional business customers to translate business requirements into automated, scalable technical solutions
- Monitor automation health, identify failure patterns, and drive continuous improvement across the automation ecosystem
What We Are Looking For
- 7+ years of experience in enterprise IT operations, systems engineering, or infrastructure architecture, with a strong emphasis on automation
- Experience as an SRE is a plus
- 4+ years of hands-on experience designing and implementing automation solutions across hybrid and/or multi-cloud environments
- Deep expertise in Infrastructure-as-Code tools such as Terraform, Ansible, and CloudFormation
- Strong programming and scripting skills in Python, PowerShell, Bash, or ARM templates for building automation workflows and system integrations
- Proven background in crafting and managing CI/CD pipelines
- Experience with cloud environments such as Azure, AWS, Oracle Cloud, GCP, and VMWare Cloud Foundation
Nice to Have
- Experience with containerization using Docker or Kubernetes
- Knowledge of agile development methodologies and version control systems such as Git
- Familiarity with security and compliance frameworks such as SOC 2 or HIPAA
Benefits and Perks
- Competitive salary and benefits package
- Opportunity to work with a Fortune 500 company
- Collaborative and dynamic work environment
- Professional development and growth opportunities
- Flexible work arrangements, including remote work options
- Access to cutting-edge technologies and tools
- Comprehensive health and wellness programs
How to Stand Out
- To stand out as a candidate, be prepared to provide specific examples of automation solutions you've designed and implemented in the past.
- Make sure to highlight your experience with Infrastructure-as-Code tools and automation frameworks, as well as your programming and scripting skills.
- Be prepared to discuss your approach to CI/CD pipeline management and how you ensure automation designs meet security, compliance, and performance requirements.
- Show a willingness to learn and adapt to new technologies and tools, as the automation landscape is constantly evolving.
- Consider creating a portfolio of your work, including examples of automation solutions you've developed and implemented, to demonstrate your skills and expertise to potential employers.
- Don't be afraid to ask questions during the interview process, such as what the company's approach to automation is, or what tools and technologies they use.
- Be prepared to discuss your experience working with cross-functional teams and how you handle communication and collaboration in a remote work environment.
This is a remote position listed on WFA Digital, the platform for professionals who work from anywhere. Browse more remote jobs across all categories.