Senior Security Architect in Bristol

Leonardo UK is seeking a Senior Cyber Security Architect to join our Cyber & Security Solutions Division. In this role, you will shape secure‑by‑design architectures for complex customer environments, ensuring that security principles, patterns and controls are embedded from the outset. You will translate business and mission objectives into robust, risk‑informed security architectures and produce clear, actionable artefacts that guide the safe, consistent and resilient implementation of platforms and services. You will work in an agile, collaborative environment with a hybrid blend of home and on‑site working, maintaining close engagement with colleagues, engineering teams and customers.

What you will do as a Senior Security Architect

• Relate: Build trusted relationships with customers, understanding their mission, constraints and operational context. Engage with stakeholders at all levels to ensure architectural decisions align with their objectives.
• Understand: Analyse complex systems and requirements, even with incomplete information, to define secure architectural options grounded in recognised security principles, patterns and frameworks.
• Assess: Apply a risk‑based approach to architecture. Identify threats, vulnerabilities and design weaknesses, and articulate these in business‑relevant language to support informed decision‑making.
• Treat: Define proportionate, layered security architectures across people, process and technology. Recommend security controls, patterns and design approaches that enable customers to meet their objectives while managing risk effectively.
• Assure: Develop and apply architectural assurance criteria. Conduct design reviews, compliance assessments and architecture governance activities to ensure solutions meet required standards and regulatory expectations.
• Develop: Contribute to Leonardo's architectural frameworks, reusable patterns and security offerings. Support business development by shaping technical solutions and providing architectural leadership in bids and proposals.

What you'll bring

This role offers the opportunity to influence major programmes and ensure that solutions meet the highest security and architectural standards. You will work alongside a multidisciplinary team of consultants, engineers and domain specialists.

Core Skills

• Strong consulting and stakeholder‑engagement skills
• Ability to communicate complex architectural concepts clearly
• Adaptability, reliability and high‑quality delivery
• Collaborative mindset and willingness to support team development

Qualifications

Recognised professional certifications in Cyber Security, such as Sec+, CISMP, CISSP, CCSP, SABSA, TOGAF and AWS/Azure cloud certifications.

Knowledge and Experience

• Deep understanding of TCP/IP, OSI layers, network protocols and associated architectural risks
• Ability to derive security requirements and architectural controls from high‑level functional or mission objectives
• Experience decomposing complex systems into modular, secure architectural components
• Ability to lead architectural workstreams and influence delivery outcomes across time, cost and quality
• Strong stakeholder management, balancing technical clarity with empathy and business awareness
• Experience mentoring junior architects or consultants
• Ability to articulate the rationale for architectural security controls to both technical and non‑technical audiences
• Technical depth in network, application, cloud or system security architecture, including control design and threat mitigation
• Understanding of the UK MOD, defence or national security domain is beneficial

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre‑employment screening in line with the UK Government's Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV).

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company‑funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work‑life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we're here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi‑days each year.
• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award‑winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee‑led networks championing inclusion and diversity.
• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website. Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team - they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety. At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know. Be part of something bigger - apply now!