Description
Solution Architect - National Security and Defence (NS&D)
Location: Farnborough office for the majority time with occasional travel to customer locations and working from home.
The Role:
Leidos have an opportunity for an experience Solution Architect to provide solution and technical leadership for programmes, including bids, growth opportunities and project delivery, designing differentiating and innovative solutions and services that address customer’s business problems.
The Solution Architect will develop innovative approaches and solutions, applying experience and guidelines from past experience and ensuring the quality and credibility of solutions align with programme delivery needs.
You will be expected to have broad knowledge of a large range of technical capabilities and technologies including hardware, software, networks, cloud, data, analytics, IT services and cyber security.
What will I be doing?
- Provide Solution leadership on assigned programmes and opportunities in the National Security & Defence (NS&D) portfolio, working in conjunction with the Programme leadership and Business Development and Capture communities, meeting key timescales and milestones as necessary to support customer and internal timescales, milestones and governance.
- Enable delivery of key NS&D programmes by leading Solution execution covering Design, technical Customer engagement, programme innovation, growth and solution quality.
- Develop solution concepts and high-level narrative material guiding input from identified internal and external SME’s and relevant partners.
- Work as part of the NS&D Solution Architect team to develop the business landscape and identify and action both short and long-term approaches needed to develop the business and establish key client engagements.
- Support growth within the NS&D division by bringing and applying domain knowledge across its breadth to enhance the value that Leidos brings to customer opportunities and challenges.
- Work across the NS&D and wider Office of Technology community to further Leidos capabilities and develop the solution portfolio for the benefit of NS&D and the wider business.
- Work with the NS&D Chief Architect to provide the optimal approach for design, development and delivery of NS&D capability, whilst supporting the needs of the wider Leidos business.
What does Leidos need from me?
- Solution and high-level technical designs, solution concepts and approaches, supporting design materials and collateral, White Papers and Points of View, customer and internal briefings, innovation ideas including business cases and solution research briefings and progress and status reports, solutions as part of responding to client opportunities and programme execution.
- Experience in defining and maintaining the appropriate technical solution for the opportunity or programme. This involves engaging business stakeholders to understand their needs, justifying the strategy to get approvals, communicating it to the business and supporting the assurance of designed solutions.
- In-depth understanding of technology and technical principles, theories, concepts and their application across range of programmes and contexts.
- Knowledge and experience of core IT capabilities including Cloud, Infrastructure & Networks, Application including development, Data including database, analytics, AI (including Agentic and Generative) and ML, ITSM including ITIL an ESM, Cyber Security, Automation.
- Highly skilled at solutioning and designing complex mission critical systems and services which meet customer needs whilst remaining implementable within schedule and budget.
- Excellent communications skills to engage with executive leadership (internally and client) articulating solution and technical capability aligned to the business challenges.
- Excellent written and presentation communication skills.
- Experience conducting technical solution reviews for large programmes and bids to ensure their success.
Experience of the Defence domain is required for this role.
Clearance Requirements:
Applicants must already hold a valid UK DV and meet nationality requirements (sole UK National).
What we do for you:
At Leidos we are PASSIONATE about customer success, UNITED as a team and INSPIRED to make a difference. We offer meaningful and engaging careers, a collaborative culture, and support for your career goals, all while nurturing a healthy work-life balance.
We provide an employment package that attracts, develops and retains only the best in talent. Our reward scheme includes:
• Contributory Pension Scheme
• Private Medical Insurance
• 33 days Annual Leave (including public and privilege holidays)
• Access to Flexible benefits (including life assurance, health schemes, gym memberships, annual buy and sell holidays and a cycle to work scheme)
• Flexi-Time Working
Commitment to Diversity:
We welcome applications from every part of the community and are committed to a truly diverse and inclusive culture. We foster a sense of belonging, welcoming all perspectives and contributions, and providing equal access to opportunities and resources for everyone. If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages please let us know, and we will respond in a way that best fits your needs.
Who We Are:
Leidos UK & EUROPE – we work to make the world safer, healthier, and more efficient through technology, engineering and science.
Leidos is a growing company delivering innovative technology and solutions focused on safeguarding critical capabilities and transformation in frontline services, our work in the United Kingdom includes addressing some of the most complex problems in defence, healthcare, government, safety and security, and transportation.
What Makes Us Different:
Purpose: you can use your passion and abilities at Leidos to keep the people you care about safe. We are at the forefront of machine learning, AI, cyber security and solutions. Using your skills in the technology frontline by helping to build a safer world. You can inspire change.
Collaboration: having flexibility to do your job is one of our core benefits, enabling you to become part of our extraordinary team. We have been empowering our people to work flexibly for years. Whether you work from home, the office or on customer sites, we will give you the digital tools and the flexibility to work smarter and align your needs and ours.
People: Leidos empowers people from every background to be themselves and gives you the tools to learn new skills by enabling growth whilst developing. We believe that extraordinary people need opportunities to grow, to be inspired and to inspire others. At Leidos, we invest in technical academies, career rotations and a career development plans that enhance your future.
If you’re looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo — because the mission demands it. We’re not hiring followers. We’re recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We’re already at step 30 — and moving faster than anyone else dares.
Original Posting:
For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.
Pay Range:
£75,800.00-£99,800.00
The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.
About Leidos
Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.
Pay and Benefits
Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That’s why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.
Securing Your Data
Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos’ name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system – never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at LeidosCareersFraud@leidos.com.
If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
Commitment to Non-Discrimination
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.
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Description
Service Architect (Bid and Programme)
Location: Farnborough, with opportunity for working at home and the need for occasional travel to customer.
Security Clearance Level: DV
Leidos has more than 30 years’ experience of developing and running some of the largest government systems in the world. We are currently hiring to expand our UK based technical team who support our delivery for the UK Govt. Come join our team and further develop your skills as we deliver and support systems key to the defence of the UK and partner nations.
Being part of the Leidos team is a commitment to push yourself and those around you to do better, constantly adapt and learn new technologies. We’re a passionate team and are committed to developing and growing our staff.
Leidos is a global science and technology solutions leader working to solve the world’s toughest challenges in the defence, intelligence, homeland security, civil, and health markets. We support vital missions for government and commercial customers.
Are you ready for your next career challenge?
We are seeking an experienced and proactive Service Architect to lead and own the service management input to bid activity, and to implement service transition within an agile delivery programme environment. This pivotal role ensures that all aspects of service are considered throughout the delivery lifecycle, enabling successful and seamless transition into live operations. Working as part of the Solution Architects team you will act as the central point for all service design and transition activities, collaborating across engineering, solution architecture, security, ITSM, and programme management teams.
This is both a pre-sales bid role, combined with a hands-on, strategically important position that will shape how services are introduced and maintained in a complex and fast-moving technology environment.
What will I be doing?
The Service Architect will be responsible for:
- Service Architecture: Defining the service approach to enable technical and business service delivery for client environments
- Service Design: Produce detailed, fit-for-purpose Service Designs, including support task analysis and training needs assessment.
- Service Transition Ownership: Lead the service transition planning and execution across agile delivery teams, ensuring new or changed services are effectively and smoothly handed over to live operations.
- Stakeholder Collaboration: Work closely with:
- Customers: to gain their acceptance in your capability
- Bid teams: to build trust in your experience to develop compelling service solutions
- Engineering: to ensure supportability and operational readiness of developed solutions.
- Solution Architects & Security: to influence technical design from a service operations perspective.
- Programme Manager & Scrum Master: to align service readiness with delivery milestones.
- Head of Live Service and ITSM Function Leads: to ensure operational acceptance criteria are met.
- Technical Leads: to define support models and ensure documentation and handover requirements are clearly understood.
- Requirements Management: Define and manage service requirements with the SMO, integrating them into solution designs and
- ITIL Process Alignment: Ensure all service designs and transitions align with ITIL framework best practices, including:
- Incident, Problem, and Change Management
- Service Level Management
- Knowledge Management
- Continual Service Improvement
- Governance & Assurance: Provide service input into design authorities, governance forums, and acceptance boards.
- Continuous improvement & innovation: Identify opportunities for improvement, process & cost efficiency, and innovation. Introduce best practices in service management, automation, and monitoring.
- Service Impact Assessment: Review proposed solutions to assess and influence impacts to live service and support structures.
What does Leidos need from me?
You will have experience in designing full end-to-end service solutions in large scale enterprise environments. Good understanding of enterprise IT technologies infrastructure components, platforms and business processes. Highly experienced and qualified in service management frameworks (ITIL, IT4IT) and their practical implementation. Experienced in large scale outsourcing bid responses, particularly government model contracts.
The Service Architect must have:
- Proven experience as a Service Architect, Service Designer, or Service Transition Lead within complex IT delivery environments.
- Strong working knowledge of the ITIL framework (working towards or having achieved ITIL 4 Master).
- Demonstrable experience in:
- Designing and implementing service models within large programmes.
- Agile delivery methods, particularly Scrum and SAFe, including active participation in ceremonies and backlog refinement.
- Creating Service Design Packages and contributing to Operational Acceptance Criteria.
- Creating compelling text for PQQ and bid activity.
- Development of cost models for new business.
- Excellent interpersonal skills to engage technical and non-technical stakeholders at all levels.
- Strong analytical and documentation skills, including gap analysis, risk assessment, and transition planning.
- Experience working within cross-functional, multidisciplinary teams including engineering, cyber security, and programme teams
It is desirable for the Service Architect to have:
- ITIL 4 Managing Professional or ITIL Expert certification.
- Experience working in secure or regulated environments (e.g. central government, finance, defence, healthcare).
- Experience with at least two service toolsets such as ServiceNow, Manage Engine, BMC Remedy, or equivalent.
Clearance Requirements:
Clearance for Role: DV
Are you ready to make an impact? Begin your journey of a flourishing and meaningful career, share your CV with us today!
What we do for you:
At Leidos we are PASSIONATE about customer success, UNITED as a team and INSPIRED to make a difference. We offer meaningful and engaging careers, a collaborative culture, and support for your career goals, all while nurturing a healthy work-life balance.
We provide an employment package that attracts, develops and retains only the best in talent. Our reward scheme includes:
- Contributory Pension Scheme
- Private Medical Insurance
- 33 days Annual Leave (including public and privilege holidays)
- Use of Flexi-time in accordance with programme priorities
- Access to Flexible benefits (including life assurance, health schemes, gym memberships, annual buy and sell holidays and a cycle to work scheme)
Commitment to Diversity:
We welcome applications from every part of the community and are committed to a truly diverse and inclusive culture. We foster a sense of belonging, welcoming all perspectives and contributions, and providing equal access to opportunities and resources for everyone. If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages please let us know, and we will respond in a way that best fits your needs.
Who We Are:
Leidos UK & EUROPE – we work to make the world safer, healthier, and more efficient through technology, engineering and science.
Leidos is a growing company delivering innovative technology and solutions focused on safeguarding critical capabilities and transformation in frontline services, our work in the United Kingdom includes addressing some of the most complex problems in defence, healthcare, government, safety and security, and transportation.
What Makes Us Different:
Purpose: you can use your passion and abilities at Leidos to keep the people you care about safe. We are at the forefront of machine learning, AI, cyber security and solutions. Using your skills in the technology frontline by helping to build a safer world. You can inspire change.
Collaboration: having flexibility to do your job is one of our core benefits, enabling you to become part of our extraordinary team. We have been empowering our people to work flexibly for years. Whether you work from home, the office or on customer sites, we will give you the digital tools and the flexibility to work smarter and align your needs and ours.
People: Leidos empowers people from every background to be themselves and gives you the tools to learn new skills by enabling growth whilst developing. We believe that extraordinary people need opportunities to grow, to be inspired and to inspire others. At Leidos, we invest in technical academies, career rotations and a career development plans that enhance your future.
If you’re looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo — because the mission demands it. We’re not hiring followers. We’re recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We’re already at step 30 — and moving faster than anyone else dares.
Original Posting:
For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.
Pay Range:
£75,800.00-£99,800.00
The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.
About Leidos
Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.
Pay and Benefits
Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That’s why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.
Securing Your Data
Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos’ name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system – never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at LeidosCareersFraud@leidos.com.
If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
Commitment to Non-Discrimination
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.