Solution Architect in Farnborough

Location: Farnborough office for the majority time with occasional travel to customer locations and working from home.

The Role: Leidos have an opportunity for an experienced Solution Architect to provide solution and technical leadership for programmes, including bids, growth opportunities and project delivery, designing differentiating and innovative solutions and services that address customer’s business problems. The Solution Architect will develop innovative approaches and solutions, applying experience and guidelines from past experience and ensuring the quality and credibility of solutions align with programme delivery needs. You will be expected to have broad knowledge of a large range of technical capabilities and technologies including hardware, software, networks, cloud, data, analytics, IT services and cyber security.

What will I be doing?

• Provide Solution leadership on assigned programmes and opportunities in the National Security & Defence (NS&D) portfolio, working in conjunction with the Programme leadership and Business Development and Capture communities, meeting key timescales and milestones as necessary to support customer and internal timescales, milestones and governance.
• Enable delivery of key NS&D programmes by leading Solution execution covering Design, technical Customer engagement, programme innovation, growth and solution quality.
• Develop solution concepts and high-level narrative material guiding input from identified internal and external SME’s and relevant partners.
• Work as part of the NS&D Solution Architect team to develop the business landscape and identify and action both short and long-term approaches needed to develop the business and establish key client engagements.
• Support growth within the NS&D division by bringing and applying domain knowledge across its breadth to enhance the value that Leidos brings to customer opportunities and challenges.
• Work across the NS&D and wider Office of Technology community to further Leidos capabilities and develop the solution portfolio for the benefit of NS&D and the wider business.
• Work with the NS&D Chief Architect to provide the optimal approach for design, development and delivery of NS&D capability, whilst supporting the needs of the wider Leidos business.

What does Leidos need from me?

• Solution and high-level technical designs, solution concepts and approaches, supporting design materials and collateral, White Papers and Points of View, customer and internal briefings, innovation ideas including business cases and solution research briefings and progress and status reports, solutions as part of responding to client opportunities and programme execution.
• Experience in defining and maintaining the appropriate technical solution for the opportunity or programme. This involves engaging business stakeholders to understand their needs, justifying the strategy to get approvals, communicating it to the business and supporting the assurance of designed solutions.
• In-depth understanding of technology and technical principles, theories, concepts and their application across range of programmes and contexts.
• Knowledge and experience of core IT capabilities including Cloud, Infrastructure & Networks, Application including development, Data including database, analytics, AI (including Agentic and Generative) and ML, ITSM including ITIL and ESM, Cyber Security, Automation.
• Highly skilled at solutioning and designing complex mission critical systems and services which meet customer needs whilst remaining implementable within schedule and budget.
• Excellent communications skills to engage with executive leadership (internally and client) articulating solution and technical capability aligned to the business challenges.
• Excellent written and presentation communication skills.
• Experience conducting technical solution reviews for large programmes and bids to ensure their success.
• Experience of the Defence domain is required for this role.

Clearance Requirements: Applicants must already hold a valid UK DV and meet nationality requirements (sole UK National).

What we do for you: At Leidos we are PASSIONATE about customer success, UNITED as a team and INSPIRED to make a difference. We offer meaningful and engaging careers, a collaborative culture, and support for your career goals, all while nurturing a healthy work-life balance. We provide an employment package that attracts, develops and retains only the best in talent.

Our reward scheme includes:

• Contributory Pension Scheme
• Private Medical Insurance
• 33 days Annual Leave (including public and privilege holidays)
• Access to Flexible benefits (including life assurance, health schemes, gym memberships, annual buy and sell holidays and a cycle to work scheme)
• Flexi-Time Working

Commitment to Diversity: We welcome applications from every part of the community and are committed to a truly diverse and inclusive culture. We foster a sense of belonging, welcoming all perspectives and contributions, and providing equal access to opportunities and resources for everyone. If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages please let us know, and we will respond in a way that best fits your needs.

Who We Are: Leidos UK & EUROPE – we work to make the world safer, healthier, and more efficient through technology, engineering and science. Leidos is a growing company delivering innovative technology and solutions focused on safeguarding critical capabilities and transformation in frontline services, our work in the United Kingdom includes addressing some of the most complex problems in defence, healthcare, government, safety and security, and transportation.

What Makes Us Different: Purpose: you can use your passion and abilities at Leidos to keep the people you care about safe. We are at the forefront of machine learning, AI, cyber security and solutions. Using your skills in the technology frontline by helping to build a safer world. You can inspire change.

Collaboration: having flexibility to do your job is one of our core benefits, enabling you to become part of our extraordinary team. We have been empowering our people to work flexibly for years. Whether you work from home, the office or on customer sites, we will give you the digital tools and the flexibility to work smarter and align your needs and ours.

People: Leidos empowers people from every background to be themselves and gives you the tools to learn new skills by enabling growth whilst developing. We believe that extraordinary people need opportunities to grow, to be inspired and to inspire others. At Leidos, we invest in technical academies, career rotations and a career development plans that enhance your future.

At Leidos, we don’t want someone who “fits the mold”—we want someone who melts it down and builds something better. This is a role for the restless, the over‑caffeinated, the ones who ask, “what’s next?” before the dust settles on “what’s now.” If you’re already scheming step 20 while everyone else is still debating step 2… good. You’ll fit right in.