Senior Solutions Architect - Technical

Sopra Steria is involved in delivering some of the UK's most exciting and complex Defence technology programmes, supporting critical capabilities that contribute to national security.

We have an exciting opportunity for Solution Architects to join our growing team, working on highly secure and technically challenging projects where you'll have the opportunity to shape, design and deliver innovative technology solutions.

Whether your expertise sits within Networking, Infrastructure, Linux or DevOps, you'll be working alongside experienced technical teams, tackling complex challenges and helping deliver solutions that make a real difference to our Defence customers.

This is an opportunity to work on interesting and meaningful projects, gain exposure to a wide range of technologies and play a key role in shaping how solutions are designed and delivered within some of the UK's most secure environments.

Location: Salisbury or Portsmouth – Hybrid working (3 days per week on-site).

Security Clearance: Active SC clearance required and eligibility to obtain MoD Developed Vetting (DV).

What you'll be doing

• Lead the end-to-end design of technical solutions, taking high-level concepts and requirements and developing them into detailed, deliverable solutions that meet customer needs.
• Provide technical leadership across projects, guiding engineering teams, defining work packages, resolving technical challenges and driving decisions to ensure solutions are successfully delivered.
• Produce and review high-level and low-level designs, ensuring solutions are technically sound, meet architectural standards and progress through the appropriate design assurance and approval processes.
• Work closely with customers, technical SMEs and internal stakeholders to understand requirements, challenge existing approaches, agree design decisions and ensure solutions align with wider business and technical objectives.
• Embed Secure by Design principles throughout the solution lifecycle, ensuring security, compliance and operational requirements are considered when designing solutions for highly classified environments.
• Work alongside Project Managers to support delivery planning, estimate technical effort, track progress and proactively identify and manage risks, dependencies and challenges that could impact delivery.

What you'll bring

• In-depth technical knowledge and experience in at least one of the following areas: Networking (Cisco technologies), IT Infrastructure, Linux platforms or DevOps and Automation, with the willingness to work across other technologies.
• Experience working within highly secure or classified environments, such as Defence, Intelligence, Government or similarly security-sensitive sectors, with an understanding of the challenges and constraints associated with these environments.
• Proven experience designing and delivering technical solutions, producing architectural documentation and applying security, governance and design standards, including an understanding of Secure by Design principles.
• Strong technical leadership and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to guide engineers, influence technical decisions, challenge existing approaches and communicate complex solutions to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• An understanding of project delivery methodologies, including Agile and Waterfall, with experience supporting technical planning, estimating effort, managing risks and dependencies, and working collaboratively to deliver solutions within agreed timescales.

If you are interested in this role but not sure if your skills and experience are exactly what we’re looking for, please do apply, we’d love to hear from you!

Employment Type: Permanent
Location: Salisbury or Portsmouth
Security Clearance Level: Active SC clearance and eligibility to obtain MoD Developed Vetting (DV).
Internal Recruiter: Josh
Salary: Competitive, based on experience
Benefits: £5,400 car allowance, which can also be taken as cash, 25 days’ holiday, with the option to purchase up to an additional 10 days per year,