Principal Solution Architect

Job Title:             Principal Solution Architect
Location:             Corsham, Wiltshire + Hybrid Working Arrangements
Compensation:    Competitive Salary + Benefits
Role Type:           Full time / Permanent
Role ID:               SF65026

At Babcock we’re working to create a safe and secure world, together, and if you join us, you can play your part as a Principal Solution Architect at our Hawthorn, Wilshire and Ashton Vale, Bristol sites.

The Role
As a Principal Solution Architect, you’ll have a role that’s out of the ordinary. The Principal Solutions Architect is the key technical bridge to the customer with the ability to understand the customer’s problems/requirements and needs, through being able to translate these into solutions using available technologies.

Day-to-day, you’ll be expected to understand cost and schedule implications of proposals and spend a lot of time on Request for Information, Request for Proposal and Request for Quotation responses with respect to the technical requirements and technology, ensuring that systems are scalable, secure, and efficient.

• The candidate will have domain knowledge and technical understanding within, but not limited SATCOM, RF Systems and Cloud Based Solutions. Activities include working with problem and solution statements supported by use cases, completing relevant horizon scanning for the latest technology, analysing the technical elements of a project and ensuring that those products/solutions solve the problems identified by the customer. 
• The Principal Solution Architect works at the top of the V Lifecycle model and provides holistic big picture thinking to problem solving and deriving the requirements for future technologies / capabilities. The Principal Solution Architect must be able to take the Project/Customer Requirements into a potential solution(s) architecture (including uses cases) and requirements which the System Engineering team can then derive into systems requirements for the solution.
• The Principal Solution Architect must have strong communication and technical leadership skills to ensure collaboration with the engineering team and provide guidance throughout the project lifecycle. The Principal Solution Architect must be able to communicate at all levels and with both internal and external Customers and stakeholders to elaborate and understand the problem space. The Principal Solution Architect shall be able to communicate and transfer knowledge and proposals to stakeholders, a non-technical business audience and developers.
• The Principal Solution Architect must understand costs and cost/time implications of technical decisions and be able to involve multiple departments across the programme to achieve customer requirements and needs, support Project Management and Systems Engineers, monitor and evaluate ongoing projects and initiatives from a solutions perspective.

This role is full time, 37 hours per week and provides hybrid working arrangements with working days onsite, at Hawthorn, Wiltshire and Ashton Vale, Bristol and working days from home.

Essential Experience of the Principal Solution Architect

• Have experience in evaluating technologies across the project/product lifecycle and horizon scanning, demonstrates a holistic approach.
• Thorough understanding of project lifecycles, cost / time trade-offs and risk management. 
• Have experience in product delivery, development of products with COTS, GOTS, including integration, validation, performance, safety and security. 
• Have several years of experience within software development, system administration, IT architecture and delivery. In addition, have hands-on experience with cloud computing, networking, and security.
• Have experience of designing and identifying of scalable systems. 
• Have a deep understanding of Enterprise Architecture with respect to applying the relevant frameworks to the delivery of product, able to tailor the framework for achieving successful delivery.

Qualifications for the Principal Solution Architect 

• Degree or equivalent in Engineering. Higher National Certificate/Higher National Diploma with equivalent, relevant experience is valued and welcomed.

Security Clearance
The successful candidate must be able to achieve and maintain Security Check (SC) security clearance for this role. The successful candidate must also be able to obtain Developed Vetting (DV) security clearance once in post.

Many of the positions within our company are subject to national security clearance and Trade Control restrictions. This means that your eligibility for certain roles may be affected by your place of birth, nationality, current or former citizenship, and any residency you hold or have held. Further details are available at United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

What We Offer 

• Generous holiday allowance 
• Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance
• Access to a Digital GP, annual health check, and nutritional consultations through Aviva DigiCare+
• Employee share scheme 
• Employee shopping savings portal
• Payment of Professional Fees
• Reservists in the armed forces receive 10-days special paid leave 
• Holiday Trading is a benefit that allows UK Babcock employees to buy additional leave or to sell up to one working week of annual leave from their annual entitlement. This Window opens February through to March annually
• ‘Be Kind Day’ enables employees to take one working day's paid leave a year (or equivalent hours) to undertake volunteering work with their chosen organisation or registered charity
• Excellent development opportunities and benefits package including an employee assistance programme supporting physical, mental and financial wellbeing

Babcock International 
For over a century Babcock has helped to defend nations, protect communities and build a better world. To continue, we must adapt, advance and be a sustainable business with a shared goal. 

We are a disability confident committed employer. If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages, please email careers@babcockinternational.com with the subject header ‘Reasonable adjustments requirement’. We’re committed to building an inclusive culture where everyone’s free to thrive. We are happy to talk about flexible working – please ask about alternative patterns of work at interview.

Closing Date: 17/06/2025

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