Solution Architect

We are looking for a senior customer-facing Solution Architect to help shape and win strategic opportunities across our UK Central Government portfolio. Working alongside account, capture and bid teams, you will engage customers, develop compelling solution strategies, lead solution development and support major pursuits from early qualification through to contract award. This role is ideal for someone who combines strong architecture credentials with experience supporting UK Government digital transformation programmes and competitive procurements.

Responsibilities

• Engage customers early to understand mission needs, business challenges and transformation goals.
• Develop compelling, deliverable and differentiated solution strategies for major public sector pursuits.
• Lead solution development from early qualification through proposal, orals and handover to delivery.
• Create clear solution narratives, value propositions, win themes and architectural differentiators.
• Facilitate discovery workshops, architecture reviews and solution design sessions with customers and internal teams.
• Translate complex customer problems into practical differentiated solutions across multiple digital capabilities such as Data & Analytics, Cloud, Cyber Security, AI/ML, IT Service Management, Systems Integration and Digital Modernisation.
• Assess solution feasibility, delivery risk, commercial viability and strategic fit during qualification.
• Work with delivery and programme teams to ensure proposed solutions are credible, cost-aware and achievable.
• Represent the solution in customer meetings, executive briefings, bid reviews and orals.
• Contribute reusable solution patterns, proposition material and thought leadership for future pursuits.
• Support handover from growth into delivery so that commitments, risks and design intent are understood.

Essential Experience

• Proven experience working with UK Central Government departments, agencies or arm's-length bodies.
• Understanding of how UK public sector customers buy, govern and deliver complex digital transformation programmes.
• Experience with departments such as HMRC, DWP, Defra, GDS, Cabinet Office or similar.
• Experience supporting competitive procurements, frameworks, bids, proposals or capture activities.
• Cloud or architecture certifications such as Azure, AWS or TOGAF are useful but not a substitute for relevant experience.
• Ability to create confidence with customers, strengthen capture strategy and improve the quality of major bids.
• Evidence of personal contribution to winning, shaping or significantly improving strategic opportunities.
• Understanding of balancing customer outcomes, technical quality, delivery risk and commercial competitiveness.
• Strong workshop facilitation, stakeholder management and executive communication skills.
• Current and valid UK Security Check (SC) clearance.
• Extensive experience working in the UK and developing successful solutions for UK Government contracts.

Desirable Experience

• Experience helping shape opportunities before formal procurement begins.
• Able to write clearly and contribute high-quality bid, proposal and presentation content.
• Knowledge of orchestrating specialists effectively.
• Experience in consulting, systems integration, managed services or complex technology delivery environments.
• Knowledge of public sector procurement frameworks and competitive bid processes.
• Knowledge of AI-enabled transformation, data-driven services and platform modernisation.

What you need to show

• Ability to describe trade-offs made between scope, cost, risk, differentiation and deliverability.
• Ability to explain a complex government solution in plain business language.
• Ability to show collaboration with capture, commercial, delivery and technical teams to create a coherent proposition.
• Understanding that this role may move between accounts, opportunities and sectors as business priorities change.
• Flexibility in deployment according to priority pursuits and business need.

Additional Information

• This is not a product presales role focused on demos or licensing conversations.
• This is not a pure delivery architecture role focused only on post-award implementation.
• Must be able to travel regularly across the UK to support customer meetings, Leidos workshops and other pursuit activities, with very occasional travel to the United States.

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.

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.

Who We Are: Leidos UK & Europe – we work to make the world safer, healthier, and more efficient through technology, engineering and science.

What Makes Us Different: Purpose: you can use your passion and abilities at Leidos to keep the people you care about safe. Collaboration: having flexibility to do your job is one of our core benefits. People: Leidos empowers people from every background to be themselves and gives you the tools to learn new skills.