Solution Architect

World Class Defence Organisation based in is currently looking to recruit a Solutions Architect subcontractor.

Rate: £81.08 per hour
Overtime Rate: Hours worked over the standard 37 hours per week, will be paid at 'time and a quarter'
Location: Bolton or Stevenage or Bristol - depending on your preference
Hybrid/Remote working: The role will be hybrid - onsite 2 days per week
Duration: 12 Months with very likely extension. Contracts are often ongoing and long-term thereafter.
IR35 status: Inside IR35 (Umbrella)

Solutions Architect Job Description:

Digital Excellence function providing IT Services to the business.
We are seeking a highly structured and detail-oriented Solution Architect to spearhead the remediation, alignment, and modernization of our engineering application landscape toward UK MoD Defence Cyber Certification (DCC).
This role focuses intensely on the documentation, design blueprints, and architectural integrity of our engineering systems (including ALM, PLM, and Simulation & Modelling tools). You will bridge the gap between complex engineering systems, and data flows, and the rigorous technical, governance, and asset-management controls demanded by DCC. Your primary mission is to ensure our entire engineering software ecosystem is fully mapped, safely integrated, and rigorously documented to clear the independent evidence-based assessment required for DCC.

Key Responsibilities:

• Architectural Blueprinting & Mapping: Map and document topologies, data flows, and external dependencies.
• DCC Control Alignment: Systematically analyse our engineering application suites against the DCC controls. Lead the remediation of design and documentation gaps to ensure a pass score across all assessment objectives.
• Comprehensive Documentation & Evidence Indexing: Author and maintain precise architectural specifications, system diagrams, and configuration baselines. Build and maintain an exhaustive DCC Evidence Index that cross-references actual system configurations, access records, and recovery policies to specific Assessment Submission Record (ASR) requirements.
• Access & Identity Architecture: Redesign and document strict identity management, role-based access controls (RBAC), and change tracking for specialized engineering apps to satisfy asset and access controls.
• Resilience & Lifecycle Design: Formalize and validate recovery safeguards, business continuity plans, and disconnected/operational technology (OT) procedures for critical engineering systems.
• Stakeholder & Assessor Liaison: Collaborate directly with engineering leaders, IT operations, and the IASME-accredited Certification Body to present clear, practical demonstrations of controls during audits.

• Enterprise Solution Architecture: Proven experience as a Solution Architect, Technical Architect, or Systems Designer, preferably specializing in engineering software ecosystems (eg, PTC Windchill, IBM ELM)
• Cyber Framework Mastery: Deep familiarity with UK defence sector frameworks, including Cyber Essentials, Def Stan 05-138, and the DCC evaluation model. Experience with ISO 27001 or NIST frameworks is highly desirable.
• Expert Diagramming & Modelling: Mastery of architectural diagramming frameworks (eg, TOGAF, UML, swim lanes, or process maps) to turn ambiguous Legacy systems into transparent, readable technical blueprints.
• Rigorous Attention to Accuracy: A "right-first-time" mentality regarding documentation, with a proven track record of converting abstract control concepts into practical, written standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Security Clearance: Must be eligible for, or currently hold, UK Security Clearance (SC)