Principal Solutions Architect - Defence & National Security

Are you a seasoned solution lead or enterprise architect with a depth of experience in highly secure environments? Do you have the highest levels of security clearance, a consistent track record in defence or national security, and an innovative approach? If you're ready to work with prestigious clients to define and deliver robust, growth-focused solutions, we want to hear from you.

The Defence & National Security Innovation Architect will play a meaningful role in defining and delivering enterprise solutions for high-profile defence and national security clients. Working with the CTO, the role encompasses two key areas of responsibility.

Innovation and Future Solutions (50%) - Lead the identification, design, and development of advanced IT-enabled solutions, fostering innovation to address the evolving requirements of clients and the wider sector.

Short-Term Customer Initiatives (50%) - Provide enterprise and solution leadership for rapid assessments and remediation programmes, working in close collaboration with client teams to resolve complex challenges and make sure successful project outcomes.

This is a permanent role, mostly working on-site at locations across the South of England including, Hemel Hempstead, Salisbury, Portsmouth, Farnborough and Cheltenham.

The role requires candidates to be holding a live DV clearance or previously held DV clearance.

What you will be doing:

• Make sure the integrity and successful delivery of assigned solution areas within agreed scope, time, cost, and quality parameters.
• Maintain strong client and partner engagement, including coordination with subcontractors and partners.
• Represent and promote Sopra Steria's capabilities within client engagements and the wider industry.
• Monitor market and competitor trends to advise ongoing service and solution development.
• Share expertise through mentoring, workshops, and professional knowledge-sharing.
• Proactively identify, manage, and report risks in a timely and clear manner.
• Define enterprise and solution architectures for large-scale, sophisticated, or highly niche assignments.
• Lead pre-sales initiatives with potential for significant downstream revenue.
• Influence business and technology strategy across your area of responsibility.
• Develop and implement functional policies and procedures.
• Advise senior management on architecture, strategy, and market trends.
• Maintain a deep understanding of customer needs and evolving market dynamics.

What you will bring:

• Define solution scope and deliverables to meet client (internal or external) requirements.
• Extensive experience as a Solution Lead or Enterprise Architect in highly secure defence or national security environments.
• Validated leadership in delivering innovative solutions to complex security and technology challenges.
• Confident in engaging with high-profile clients and partners to define strategy and make sure delivery excellence.
• Ability to balance forward-looking solution design with hands-on support for ongoing engagements.
• Deep knowledge of defence markets, suppliers, MOD, and UKIC delivery.
• Proven ownership and design of complex COTS and custom solutions.
• Expertise in IT architecture (TOGAF) and modelling (ArchiMate, C4).
• Solid understanding of standards, industry trends, and secure-by-design principles.
• Agile delivery experience and modern DevSecOps practices.
• Track record in delivery, bid, and pre-sales activities.
• High-level cyber awareness and security enforcement experience.

Employment Type: Full-time, Permanent

Location: Farnborough, Salisbury, Portsmouth, Hemel Hempsetad, Cheltenham with travel as required.

Security Clearance Level: ideally holding, at least eligible for DV clearance

Internal Recruiter: Lee

Salary: Dependant on Experience

Benefits: Car Allowance, Bonus, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy additional days, private health care, life assurance, pension, and generous flexible benefits fund (3% of base salary).

Although this role is advertised as full-time, we believe that flexibility at work can promote work/life balance, increase your motivation, reduce stress and improves performance and productivity. We support different ways of working and can offer a range of flexible working arrangements. So, if you're interested and need to work flexibly, we encourage you to apply and talk to us about what might be possible.

Loved reading about this job and want to know more about ADS?

Sopra Steria's Aerospace, Defence and Security business designs, develops and deploys digital solutions to Central Government clients. The work we do makes a real difference to the client's goal of National Security, and we operate in a unique and privileged environment. We are given time for professional development activities, and we coach and mentor our colleagues, sharing knowledge and learning from each other. We cultivate a culture in which employees feel valued and supported and have pride in their work for the customer, delivering outstanding rates of customer satisfaction in the UK's most sophisticated safety- and security-critical markets.