Cloud Solution Architect

This is an exciting opportunity to join our growing Government business unit as a Cloud Solutions Architect. We, amongst many things, deliver next generation digital capability to defence customers.

Our Digital Solutions team is leading the way in providing Cloud-centric solutions. Currently we are working on building an exciting cloud-agnostic product as part of our Cloud-Enabled Mission Services (CEMS) project, helping prepare our clients for the challenges of tomorrow.

Job Role

The role of the Cloud Solutions Architect is to provide the critical skills necessary to help craft our vision for Cloud-based platforms and toolsets which will bring a strong digital advantage to our customers.  

You’ll be working with our global teams and be responsible for ensuring that the solution meets its functional and non-functional requirements, and the correct application of relevant technologies, processes and tool chains.  You’ll need to define innovative solutions to problems, underpinned by robust delivery and engineering methods. 

You’ll enjoy working as part of a team, typically being the most senior technical person on a project working with other architects, engineers and business analysts to get the best out of the team, allowing everyone to contribute the skillsets.  You will be an excellent communicator both internally within your project, as well as externally to senior customer stakeholders to facilitate decision making and co-ordinate design activities with related teams.

Your experience will cover software design, infrastructure, delivery methods and engineering approaches.  You won’t be expected to be an expert in them all, but you should know enough about each to make informed decisions on the best approach to follow for each.  You’ll therefore know when to use Waterfall vs Agile, PaaS vs IaaS or Mongo vs Hadoop.  You’ll be empowered to make decisions but will be part of a community of solution architects and engineers to bounce ideas off of and get assurance where you need it.

Not only will your team be directly making a huge impact upon the systems you work on, you’ll be doing it for an organisation who makes a huge impact to the security of the UK.

What background are we looking for?

You will have experience in as many as possible of the following:

• Shaping and driving solution thinking for complex bids and delivery engagements
• Shaping solution designs following a structured methodology as appropriate to the project
• Defining infrastructure requirements for a software solution to support a scalable and resilient application
• Overseeing the implementation of the design in collaboration with other team members such as Application, Data and Security Architects
• Ensuring the design meets key functional and in particular non-functional requirements, enabling through life scenarios of the solution to be satisfied
• Working with customer technical authorities to ensure that they have a clear understanding of architecture and design proposals at an appropriate level
• Working with Engineering teams to promote good practice in engineering methods, eg development, automation and testing
• Retaining overall ownership of solution through delivery and transition into operation
• Leading estimation efforts to develop an understanding of potential solution costs and delivery timescales
• Designing cloud environments with a focus on Azure and AWS and demonstrating technical cloud architectural knowledge, playing a vital role in the design of cloud infrastructures running in 24×7 environments
• Producing designs aware of all aspects of the cloud environment including provisioning, scaling, monitoring, and security
• Delivery of cloud strategies, aligned with business objectives and with a focus on cloud migrations
• Providing leadership in infrastructure migration methodologies and techniques including mass application movements into the cloud including implementation of Azure or AWS within in global enterprise environments
• Nurturing cloud computing expertise internally and externally to drive cloud adoption
• Acting as key stakeholder for validation of new cloud or SaaS solutions adherence  to architecture roadmaps
• Ensuring all cloud solutions adhere to security and compliance best practices
• Collaborating with Enterprise Architects, Data Platform, DevOps, and Integration Teams to ensure cloud adoption follows standard best practices
• A working knowledge of scripting and how it can or should be used to operate effective cloud systems.
• Experience in modern methodologies and cultures, such as Agile and DevOps.
• Familiarity with TOGAF
• Experience of Archimate 3.1

You will have applied this in some of the following domains :

• Web Scale applications for the Cloud
• Open Source and COTS integration
• Integration patterns and architectures
• Workflow systems

SC Security Clearance is required for this vacancy. If you are not currently Security Cleared, you will need to be eligible for this and willing to go through the process.

We are looking for a dynamic professional who enjoys working in a fast-paced organisation. The ideal candidate should be a proactive problem solver, skilled at collaboration and a keen learner.

How we will support you:

• Work-life balance is important; you’ll get 25 days holiday a year and, via our flexible benefits package the option to buy/sell and carry over from the year before
• Our flexible benefits package includes; private medical and dental insurance, a competitive pension scheme, cycle to work scheme, taste cards and more
• You’ll have a dedicated Career Manager to help you develop your career and guide you on your journey through BAE
• Don’t know a particular technology? Your learning and development is key to your future career
• You’ll be part of our bonus scheme
• You are welcome to join any/all of our Diversity and Support groups.  These groups cover everything from gender diversity to mental health and wellbeing.
• About BAE Systems Applied Intelligence:
• We help nations, governments and businesses around the world defend themselves against cyber-crime, reduce their risk in the connected world, comply with regulation, and transform their operations.  We do this using our unique set of solutions, systems, experience and processes. 
• Our success is down to our people. The changing nature of our business means that we’re constantly looking for the brightest talent to help us fulfil our ambitions. As an experienced professional, we’ll entrust you with responsibility; this means that you’ll have client contact, variety and support from day one.
•  We'll encourage and support you to develop your skills and reward you as you grow. Whatever your area of expertise, you'll be much more than just a job title; you'll be an integral part of the business where your individual contribution makes a difference every day. Great minds deserve great rewards, so we also offer a very competitive salary and benefits package.
•  Diversity and inclusion are integral to the success of BAE Systems Applied Intelligence. Staying competitive in today’s global marketplace requires an organisational culture where employees with varying perspectives, skills, life experiences and backgrounds – the best and brightest minds – can work together to achieve excellence and realise individual and organisational potential. We also welcome discussions about flexible working.
• Security Clearance
• Only those with the permanent and unrestricted right to live and work in the UK will be considered for a position within BAE Systems Applied Intelligence. Due to the nature of our work, successful candidates for this role will be required to go through Government SC clearance prior to starting with us. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/security-vetting-and-clearance

Life at BAE Systems Digital Intelligence 

We are embracing Hybrid Working. This means you and your colleagues may be working in different locations, such as from home, another BAE Systems office or client site, some or all of the time, and work might be going on at different times of the day. By embracing technology, we can interact, collaborate and create together, even when we’re working remotely from one another. Hybrid Working allows for increased flexibility in when and where we work, helping us to balance our work and personal life more effectively, and enhance well-being.

Diversity and inclusion are integral to the success of BAE Systems Digital Intelligence. We are proud to have an organisational culture where employees with varying perspectives, skills, life experiences and backgrounds – the best and brightest minds – can work together to achieve excellence and realise individual and organisational potential. 

About BAE Systems Digital Intelligence

BAE Systems Digital Intelligence is home to 4,800 digital, cyber and intelligence experts. We work collaboratively across 16 countries to collect, connect and understand complex data, so that governments, nation states, armed forces and commercial businesses can unlock digital advantage in the most demanding environments.

Launched in 2022, Digital Intelligence is part of BAE Systems, and has a rich heritage in helping to defend nations and businesses around the world from advanced threats.