Lead Solutions Architect

Our client, a prominent company in the Defence & Security sector, is currently seeking a Lead Solutions Architect for a contract position, based from Reading. Role Description: As the Lead Solutions Architect within our client's digital business value stream, you will provide senior technical leadership in defining, governing, and optimising the architecture necessary for delivering digital products, platforms, and services. Your primary accountability is to ensure that all digital solutions across major multinational programmes align with the enterprise architecture, digital strategy, and broader business objectives of our client. Leading both internal architecture teams and external delivery partners, you will set the architectural direction, assure solution quality, and embed best practice design principles within the digital portfolio. Your role ensures all digital systems meet required standards for interoperability, resilience, cybersecurity, and long-term scalability. Key Responsibilities: Provide strategic leadership to the Digital Architecture team, ensuring clear direction and strong technical governance. Define, own, and evolve the enterprise architecture roadmap, supporting long-term transformation goals and seamless interoperability across multinational programmes. Assess and validate technical proposals from delivery partners, ensuring they are credible, secure, cost-effective, and aligned with enterprise architecture principles and programme objectives. Shape and contribute to RFPs, procurement activities, and architectural oversight processes, ensuring requirements and quality expectations are embedded from the outset. Partner with senior leadership across the Digital business and the broader organisation to ensure architectural decisions align with strategic priorities and drive business value. Job Requirements: Experience leading architecture functions in at least two major programmes (e.g., Azure, SAP S/4HANA). Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills up to CXO level. Expertise in Microsoft technologies, integration, and security. Desirable Skills: Azure cloud certifications. If you are an experienced solutions architect with a strong background in IT Digital within the Defence & Security sector, we would love to hear from you. Apply now to join our client's mission to shape the future of global defence through innovative and secure digital solutions