Solutions Architect
Designing solution architectures that meet business requirements
Solutions Architect is a role in the Solutions Architecture family. It has 62 skills across 5 levels (from Junior to Principal). 136 skills are mandatory. Key domains: Programming Fundamentals, Backend Development, Database Management.
Technology Stack
Focus by Level
Designing solution architecture. Creating Architecture Decision Records. Build vs buy evaluation. Technical presales. Prototyping.
Domain architecture. Design standards. Coordinating architects. Working with stakeholders. Technology evaluation.
Enterprise architecture. Technology development strategy. Cross-organizational influence. Vendor relationships. Industry advisory.
Skill Matrix
62 skills × 5 levels. Click on a cell for details.
AI-Assisted Development
4 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Copilot | — | — | W | A | E |
| Cursor IDE | — | — | A | A | — |
| ChatGPT / Claude | A | W | A | E | E |
| Prompt Engineering for Code | A | W | A | E | E |
API & Integration
5 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REST API Design | — | — | W | A | E |
| GraphQL Design | — | — | W | A | E |
| gRPC & Protocol Buffers | — | — | W | A | E |
| API Gateway | — | — | W | A | E |
| API Documentation | A | W | A | E | E |
Architecture & System Design
17 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| System Design Fundamentals | — | — | W | A | E |
| High Load Architecture | — | — | W | A | E |
| Capacity Planning | — | — | W | A | E |
| Disaster Recovery Design | — | — | W | A | E |
| Microservices Decomposition | — | — | W | A | E |
| Saga Pattern | — | — | W | A | E |
| Hexagonal Architecture | — | — | W | A | E |
| Clean Architecture | — | — | W | A | E |
| Modular Monolith | — | — | W | A | E |
| Serverless Architecture Patterns | — | — | W | A | E |
| Event Sourcing | — | — | W | A | E |
| CQRS | — | — | W | A | E |
| DDD Tactical Patterns | — | — | W | A | E |
| DDD Strategic Patterns | — | — | W | A | E |
| Architecture Decision Records (ADR) | — | — | W | A | E |
| Technology Radar Practice | — | — | W | A | E |
| Technical Debt Management | — | — | W | A | E |
Backend Development
2 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apache Kafka | — | — | W | A | E |
| Redis | — | — | W | A | E |
Cloud & Infrastructure
5 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Docker | — | — | W | A | E |
| Kubernetes Core | — | — | W | A | E |
| Terraform | — | — | W | A | E |
| AWS | — | — | W | A | E |
| Network Fundamentals | — | — | A | — | — |
Database Management
3 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PostgreSQL | — | — | W | A | E |
| Database Indexing | A | W | A | E | E |
| Query Optimization | A | W | A | E | E |
DevOps & CI/CD
1 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Actions / GitLab CI | A | W | A | E | E |
Documentation
2 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture Documentation: C4, arc42 | — | — | W | A | E |
| Diagramming: Mermaid, PlantUML, D2 | — | — | W | A | E |
Observability & Monitoring
4 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structured Logging | — | — | W | A | E |
| Prometheus & Grafana | — | — | W | A | E |
| OpenTelemetry | — | — | W | A | E |
| SLI / SLO / SLA | — | — | W | A | E |
Programming Fundamentals
8 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algorithms & Complexity | — | — | W | A | E |
| Data Structures | — | — | W | A | E |
| OOP & SOLID Principles | — | — | W | A | E |
| Design Patterns | — | — | W | A | E |
| Multithreading | A | W | A | E | E |
| Async Programming | A | W | A | E | E |
| Code Quality & Refactoring | — | — | W | A | E |
| Type Safety & Type Systems | A | W | A | E | E |
Security
5 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OWASP & Application Security | A | W | A | E | E |
| Secure Coding Practices | A | W | A | E | E |
| Secrets Management | — | — | W | A | E |
| Cloud Security | — | — | W | A | E |
| JWT / OAuth2 / OIDC | A | W | A | E | E |
Testing & QA
3 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit Testing | A | W | A | E | E |
| Integration Testing | A | W | A | E | E |
| E2E Testing | A | W | A | E | E |
Version Control & Collaboration
3 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Git Advanced | — | — | W | A | E |
| Code Review | — | — | W | A | E |
| Documentation as Code | — | — | W | A | E |
FAQ
What skills are needed for the Solutions Architect role?
The Solutions Architect role requires 62 skills, of which 136 are mandatory. Skills are distributed across 5 levels: from Junior to Principal. See full matrix.
How to advance to the next level in the Solutions Architect role?
Use the Grade Calculator to assess your current level and get personalized recommendations. The system will show which skills need to be developed for the next level.
What tech stack is used in the Solutions Architect role?
The stack includes 3 technologies at different levels. System Design, C4 model, UML/Mermaid, ADR, Cloud architecture (AWS/GCP/Yandex Cloud), Microservices patterns, Event-driven design, Enterprise patterns (TOGAF basics), Multi-cloud, API strategy, Integration patterns, Security architecture, Cost modeling, Enterprise architecture frameworks, Technology radar, Vendor evaluation, Due diligence, M&A tech assessment.
How does the community define requirements for the Solutions Architect role?
Role requirements are shaped by the community through a proposal system. Any member can suggest changes that go through voting and expert review.