DV Cleared Design Authority - Solution Architect

Location:
Type: Contract
Security Clearance: Active DV (Developed Vetting) Clearance required
Salary / Rate: £700-£875

We are seeking a highly experienced and security-cleared Design Authority – Solution Architect to lead the end-to-end technical architecture and assurance of critical systems in secure environments. This strategic role requires broad architectural expertise, stakeholder influence, and a strong understanding of delivering resilient, secure, and scalable enterprise solutions.

As a Design Authority, you will act as the primary technical decision-maker, ensuring that all design outputs are cohesive, compliant, and aligned with business goals, technology standards, and security requirements.

• Act as the technical design lead and final authority for all architectural decisions within the scope of the programme or solution

• Define, own, and maintain the solution architecture roadmap, ensuring coherence across platforms and services

• Provide governance and assurance across all architectural artefacts, including HLDs, LLDs, interface specifications, and design patterns

• Engage with stakeholders to ensure business, security, and operational requirements are effectively captured and translated into viable designs

• Lead architecture reviews, technical assessments, and design sign-off processes

• Oversee the selection and integration of technologies, platforms, and tools

• Ensure architecture adheres to best practices for security, performance, resilience, and scalability

• Collaborate with delivery, security, and operational teams to support implementation and ongoing evolution of the architecture

• Mitigate technical risks and ensure effective change control over the design baseline

• Active DV Clearance (Developed Vetting) is essential

• Proven experience in a Design Authority or Lead Architect role within secure or critical national infrastructure environments

• Strong background in enterprise solution architecture across infrastructure, application, and integration layers

• Deep knowledge of architectural frameworks and standards (e.g., TOGAF, SABSA, NIST)

• Track record of leading the technical design of complex, high-availability systems

• Experience working with cloud (AWS, Azure, or GCP), hybrid, and legacy platforms

• Excellent stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to bridge business and technical domains

• Skilled in producing high-quality architectural documentation and leading design reviews

• Strong awareness of security architecture principles and secure system design practices

• Relevant industry certifications (e.g., TOGAF, AWS/Azure Architect, CISSP, SABSA)

• Experience with DevSecOps and automated delivery pipelines

• Understanding of Zero Trust architecture and modern identity/access management models

• Experience in highly regulated industries such as finance, energy, aerospace, or telecoms

• Familiarity with agile and hybrid delivery methodologies