Engineering

Solutions Architect

  • Location

    Bristol

  • Sector:

    Defence

  • Job type:

    Permanent

  • Salary:

    £80000 - £120000 per annum

  • Contact:

    Joe Field

  • Contact email:

    j.field@ioassociates.co.uk

  • Job ref:

    BBBH168901_1760712684

Senior Solutions Architect

Location: Bristol (Hybrid - 3 days per week in office)
Salary: £80,000 - £120,000 (DOE) + bonus / incentive scheme
Eligibility: Must be eligible for SC Clearance, Bonus if active clearance is held.



About the Role

You'll be part of a small team that works across a range of projects, mainly within the defence and public sector space. The role isn't about chasing sales or managing accounts; it's about helping customers understand their challenges, then working with our engineers and delivery teams to figure out how we can best solve them.

What You'll Be Doing

  • Getting involved early in customer discussions - helping shape problems, not just respond to them.

  • Defining solutions that bring together the right technology, delivery model and commercial approach.

  • Working across domains such as C4ISR, defence, and government technology programmes.

  • Identifying risks and challenges early and helping to structure delivery around them.

  • Working with technical specialists across compute, systems and software to ensure solutions are sound and achievable.

  • Providing technical credibility in customer meetings and supporting bid development.



What We're Looking For

This role would suit someone who's spent time in technically led environments - maybe as a systems engineer, solution architect or technical lead - and who enjoys working with customers and shaping work at an early stage.

We're open on seniority: we're interested in people with the right mindset and capability, not just those with a certain number of years' experience.

Required:

  • A good understanding of complex technical systems and how they fit together.

  • Experience working in or with MOD, government, or other complex organisations.

  • Confidence talking with customers, understanding their context and priorities.

  • The ability to bring together people, ideas and delivery plans to make things happen.

  • Eligibility for SC clearance (dual nationals considered depending on country).

Nice to have:

  • Experience in C4ISR or related domains.

  • Exposure to SaaS or product-led environments.

  • An interest in systems of systems and interoperability challenges.