Solution Architect

Job Description:

The opportunity:

The Leonardo Cyber Division are looking to increase our Solution Architect capacity for the Leonardo Above Secret space for Leonardo internal, Mod and Government in support of our Intelligence Solutions business. We are hoping to meet a Solution Architect who can take a bird’s-eye view of a problem, making sure all actors, systems and components interact together effectively to meet stakeholders’ functional and non-functional requirements.

This is an excellent opportunity to join one of the UK’s leading aerospace companies. To support you in this role, we offer our award-winning flexible benefits plan, having won the Best Flexible Working Policy Award, Best Flexible Benefits Strategy and Best Flexible Benefits Plan in 2023.

What you’ll do as a Solution Architect:

You will work within a highly skilled Solution Architecture community and IPT providing technical oversight and leadership for all technical aspects of the team including:

• Interpret customers' business objectives, concerns, statements of work, and target market for services, to define requirements and key success factors for solutions.  Break down EPIC into stories and facilitate the AGILE approach to deliver the solution
• Assess the current and desired state of customer systems and environments
• Understand contextual factors, constraints and stakeholder perspectives including business, user and operations, and define use cases
• Maintain current understanding of IT,  security and supporting technologies, supplier offerings and in-house capabilities with which to construct solutions
• Use broad technical expertise and creative thinking to define, evaluate alternatives, develop and communicate solution architectures that address functional and non-functional requirements and integrate with their environment
• Support project, programme and service operations managers in the development and delivery of transformation plans and operational plans that implement solution architectures and provide services, while identifying and mitigating risks
• Develop solutions into high level designs for implementation by engineering teams
• Provide technical oversight, guidance and problem solving to operational and project delivery teams to help maintain delivery quality and resolve implementation, integration and maintenance challenges 

You will also be responsible for keeping technical awareness up-to-date with updates in industry including:

• Keeping up to date with evolving technology to support technology/solution selection;
• Keeping up to date with available qualifications and certifications available for technology utilised across all systems;
• Keeping up to date with relevant industry standards, policies, methodologies and frameworks;
• Keeping up to date with relevant customer preferred/mandated standards, policies, methodologies and frameworks;
• Maintaining a coherent mix of Design Principles/Characteristics derived from the client base and internal practices tailored to specific contracts.

And performing a lead role in driving governance and best practice including:

• Providing coordination and oversight for periodic technical documentation reviews in accordance with required review cycles;
• Providing coordination and oversight for periodic audits of all assets and equipment inventory including hardware and software in accordance with required audit frequency;
• Providing senior technical support to meetings such as Project Review Meetings, Capability Working Group Meetings and Security Working Groups as required;
• Performing a lead management role in Continual Service Improvement activities for processes, procedures and working practices utilised by the business unit.

What we need from you:

You really must have:

• The role requires the candidate to be a sole UK National with a current DV clearance.
• Systems infrastructure engineering and architecture design including network solutions, storage solutions, virtualisation solutions, client/server solutions, Windows and Red Hat operating systems, and high availability solutions;
• Knowledge of Microsoft Windows Server and Group Policy; Security Enforcing technologies and Secure gateway solutions providing interconnectivity to external ‘untrusted’ networks;
• Detailed requirements analysis and solution design experience;
• Experience of the complete systems development life-cycle from design through to operation/maintenance including transition, migration and disposal;
• Excellent people skills;
• Excellent documentation skills including initial development/production. 

It would be nice if you had:

• Experience working within secure environments and with higher classified systems;
• Experience of MOD working practices and associated standards and policies;
• Experience of Cloud based technologies;
• Experience with Secure DevOps within an Agile /SAFe environment;
• Experience of architecture frameworks and architecture modelling.

Security Clearance

You must be eligible for full security clearance.  For more information and guidance please visit : https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels

Life at Leonardo

With a company funded benefits package, a commitment to learning and development, and a flexible approach to working hours focused on the needs of both our employees and customers, a career with Leonardo has never offered as many opportunities or been more accessible to as many people.

• Pension: Award winning pension scheme (up to 10% employer contribution)
• Holidays: 25 days plus bank holidays, option to buy/sell leave and to accrue up to 12 additional flexi leave days per year
• Flexible Working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us
• Wellbeing: Employee Assistance Programme, access to Mental Health support, Financial wellbeing support, network groups (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Reservists, Carers)
• Lifestyle:  Discounted Gym membership, Cycle to work scheme
• Company funded flexible benefits: Access to private healthcare, dental schemes, Workplace ISA, Go Green Car Scheme, technology and lifestyle options (£500 annual allowance)
• Training: Free access to more than 4000 online courses via Coursera
• Referral Incentive: You can earn a reward for successfully referring a friend or family member
• Bonus: Scheme in place for all employees at management level and below

For a full list of our Company benefits please visit our website.

Leonardo is a global high-tech company and one of the key players in Aerospace, Defence and Security. Headquartered in Italy, Leonardo has over 45,000 employees, of which 7,000 are based in the UK.

At Leonardo UK, we believe that a diverse and inclusive work environment unlocks our people’s full potential and drives innovation and creativity. We work hard to offer a welcoming, accessible and inclusive place to work for all of our people, creating a culture where everyone can thrive, feel safe and have a sense of belonging and connection.

This is a great opportunity to bring your talents and form an integral part of Leonardo’s future. We can help you develop your skills and offer great opportunities to develop and grow, so why not join us.

Primary Location:

GB - London - Whitehall

Additional Locations:

GB - Bristol - Coldharbour Lane

Contract Type:

Permanent

Hybrid Working:

Hybrid