Your day-to-day duties might include:

• finding out the client’s needs
• breaking down large system requirements into manageable parts
• researching 'off-the-shelf' products to see whether they'll be more suitable than building a new system
• presenting plans to clients and agreeing how to carry them out
• explaining the structure to designers and developers, and helping them build it
• developing and carrying out tests to make sure everything works properly
• making sure systems meet quality and security standards
• keeping accurate records of steps and decisions taken
• keeping project managers informed of progress
• advising senior managers about how to plan their future IT needs

You could work in an office or at a client's business.

With experience, you could progress to senior architect, or specialise in a particular field, like finance or security.

You could also move into broader IT project management roles, strategy planning or consultancy.