Principal Solution Architect

Principal Solution Architect

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Job description

Job Title	Principal Solution Architect
Hours Per Week	37
Reporting to	Head of Services
Location	Independant
Issue Date	June 2026

Role Purpose 

The Principal Solution Architect provides strategic and technical leadership across the organisation’s Defence Experimentation and Demonstration portfolio. 

The role leads the development of innovative, integrated and operationally relevant solutions supporting UK MOD, NATO and multinational experimentation, capability demonstration, concept development and operational assessment activities. 

Acting as a senior technical authority, the Principal Solution Architect provides architectural leadership across complex defence programmes, ensuring coherence between operational objectives, technology solutions, experimentation environments and future capability outcomes. 

The role bridges defence operations, systems engineering, solution architecture, innovation and capability development. Responsibilities include shaping future opportunities, influencing customer strategies, leading technical delivery teams and ensuring successful transition of innovative concepts into operational capability. 

The Principal Solution Architect represents the organisation with senior MOD, NATO, Allied Government and industry stakeholders. 

Key Responsibilities 

Architecture Leadership 

• Lead solution architecture activities across defence experimentation and demonstration programmes. 

• Define architecture strategy, standards, governance and design principles. 

• Provide technical authority across complex defence solutions. 

• Ensure alignment between customer objectives, operational requirements and technical implementation. 

• Maintain architectural coherence across multiple programmes and workstreams. 

Defence Experimentation Leadership 

• Support development of experimentation campaigns and demonstration roadmaps. 

• Ensure experimentation outputs generate actionable evidence supporting future capability decisions. 

Strategic Customer Engagement 

• Build trusted relationships  

• Support opportunity development and business growth activities. 

• Contribute to customer engagement strategies and technical bid activities. 

Innovation and Future Capability 

• Provide technical leadership across emerging technology initiatives. 

• Support transition from experimentation into acquisition and operational deployment. 

Technical Governance 

• Establish technical standards and architecture frameworks. 

• Review and approve technical designs and solution architectures. 

• Ensure compliance with customer and regulatory requirements. 

• Manage technical risk across programmes and portfolios. 

Team Leadership 

• Provide leadership, mentoring and professional development for Solution Architects and technical specialists. 

• Develop architecture capability across the organisation. 

• Promote adoption of architecture best practice. 

• Support recruitment and development of technical talent. 

Business Development Support 

• Support identification and qualification of new opportunities. 

• Lead technical solution development for proposals and bids. 

• Contribute to growth strategies within defence and national security sectors. 

• Support strategic partnerships with technology suppliers, research organisations and defence customers. 

  
  

Essential Experience 

• Significant solution architecture experience within defence, national security or complex government environments. 

• Experience supporting MOD, NATO or multinational programmes. 

• Experience leading architecture teams and technical specialists. 

• Experience delivering experimentation, demonstration or capability development activities. 

• Experience operating within secure and classified environments. 

• Experience engaging with senior military and government stakeholders. 

• Experience leading technical governance and design authority activities. 

• Experience supporting business growth, opportunity development and bid activities. 

  
  

Security Knowledge 

• Defence Standard 05-138 

• NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework 

• ISO 27001 

• Secure-by-Design Principles 

• Information Assurance 

  
  

Desirable Experience 

• Federated Mission Networking (FMN) 

• Army Warfighting Experiment 

• Dstl experimentation programmes 

• Defence BattleLab activities 

• Operational Advantage programmes 

• Multi-Domain Integration initiatives 

• International defence collaboration programmes 

• Defence innovation accelerator programmes 

  
  

SFIA Mapping

SFIA Skill	Level	Description
Solution Architecture (ARCH)	Level 6	Leadership of complex solution architectures across multiple domains
Enterprise and Business Architecture (STPL)	Level 6	Alignment of solution architecture with enterprise objectives
Innovation (INOV)	Level 6	Exploitation and integration of emerging technologies
Systems Design (DESN)	Level 6	Design authority for complex defence systems
Systems Integration (SINT)	Level 6	Leadership of complex multi-supplier integration activities
Consultancy (CNSL)	Level 6	Strategic technical advisory capability
Emerging Technology Monitoring (EMRG)	Level 6	Evaluation of disruptive and emerging technologies
Stakeholder Relationship Management (RLMT)	Level 6	Leadership across multinational stakeholder communities
Information Security (SCTY)	Level 5	Security architecture and assurance
Programme Support (PROF)	Level 5	Technical leadership within programme delivery

Success Measures 

Success within the role shall be measured through: 

• Customer satisfaction and repeat business 

• Technical quality and assurance outcomes 

• Contribution to business growth and contract wins 

• Development and retention of technical staff 

• Adoption of innovative technologies within customer environments 

• Successful transition of experimentation outcomes into operational capability 

  
  

Professional Qualifications 

Essential 

• Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Defence Studies, Systems Engineering or related discipline, or equivalent experience. 

Desirable 

• TOGAF Certified 

• Chartered Engineer (CEng) 

• Chartered IT Professional (CITP) 

• Agile Certifications 

• NCSC Certified Professional qualifications 

  
  

Reporting Line 

Reports to the head of services and works with Project Manager and Programme Technical Lead, Chief Architect or as directed.

Nexor Values 

The role holder will be expected to role model and champion the Nexor core values which are:  Focus, Adaptable, Respect and Collaboration.

Career categories

• Corporate
• Delivery
• Engineering
• Marketing
• Sales
• Services

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