Solution Architect

Thales Canada; Ottawa, Quebec; Hybrid; CAD 132,000 - 171,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Extended Health & Dental

RRSP/DCPP/TFSA match

Paid holidays & vacation

Well-Being program

Employee discounts

Job summary

Thales Canada in Ottawa is seeking a Solution Architect to translate business needs into scalable, secure enterprise designs and guide delivery teams. You will collaborate across cybersecurity, cloud, and infrastructure groups to ensure cost-effective solutions, governance, and adoption across projects.

You will lead architecture activities across the solution lifecycle and mentor technical staff, while maintaining alignment with NORAM and Thales standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related technical field.
• 8+ years of experience in solution/architecture roles.
• 5+ years designing complex cross-domain solutions.
• Leadership across the solution delivery lifecycle.
• Hands-on experience in at least three technical disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Translate business requirements into enterprise solution architectures and guide project teams and SMEs.
• Develop and maintain solution architecture artifacts (logical, physical, integration, security, data, infrastructure).
• Evaluate solution alternatives based on business value, technical feasibility, cost, risk, and ops considerations.
• Ensure designs comply with enterprise architecture principles, standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Own the architecture review process and secure approvals through stakeholder engagement.
• Identify and mitigate solution-level technical risks, dependencies, and constraints.
• Design integration approaches for interoperability between apps, platforms, data sources, and partners.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration with cybersecurity, infrastructure, cloud, network, and applications teams.
• Document architecture decisions and implementation guidance for knowledge transfer and support.
• Share best practices and reusable design patterns with project teams.

Skills

Solution architecture

Enterprise governance

Cloud & APIs

Stakeholder collaboration

Security & compliance

Non-functional requirements

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science/IT/Engineering

Job description

In fast changing markets, customers worldwide rely on Thales. Thales is a business where brilliant people from all over the world come together to share ideas and inspire each other. In aerospace, transportation, defence, security and space, our architects design innovative solutions that make our tomorrow's possible.

This is a remote and localized role in Ottawa, ON.

Position Summary

The Solution Architect (SA) partners with business and technology stakeholders to design, guide, and support the implementation of technology solutions that enable business requirements and operational excellence. The SA translates business requirements into scalable, secure, and cost-effective solution designs that align with NORAM and Thales enterprise architecture standards, technology strategies, and organizational objectives.

The SA's scope of activities includes evaluating business requirements, developing solution architectures, supporting project delivery teams, and ensuring technology solutions achieve desired business outcomes while optimizing costs and managing risk. The SA focuses on building and maintaining relationships with project teams, and regional technical stakeholders, communicating the value of solution architecture designs, and providing architectural guidance throughout the solution lifecycle to ensure successful delivery and adoption.

Key Areas of Responsibility

Design and Govern Technology Solutions

• Own the translation of business requirements into enterprise solution architectures by guiding project teams and technical SMEs, ensuring alignment with enterprise standards, governance, and approved technology roadmaps.
• Develop and maintain solution architecture artifacts, including logical, physical, integration, security, data, and infrastructure designs.
• Evaluate solution alternatives and recommend implementation approaches based on business value, technical feasibility, cost, risk, and operational considerations.
• Ensure solution designs comply with established enterprise architecture principles, standards, policies, and regulatory requirements.
• Own the architecture review process for assigned initiatives, presenting solution designs, resolving governance findings, and securing architectural approval through effective stakeholder engagement.
• Identify and mitigate solution-level technical risks, dependencies, constraints, and implementation challenges throughout the project lifecycle.
• Design integration approaches that enable interoperability between applications, platforms, infrastructure, data sources, and external partners.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration with cybersecurity, infrastructure, cloud, network, and application teams to drive end-to-end solution design, integration, and successful delivery. Document architecture decisions, technical assumptions, and implementation guidance to facilitate knowledge transfer and long-term supportability.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of architecture methods, templates, standards, and reusable design patterns.
• Share knowledge, best practices, and lessons learned with project teams and fellow architects.
• Maintain current knowledge of relevant technologies, platforms, and vendor solutions to effectively support business and project needs.
• Advocate for secure, sustainable, and supportable solution designs that maximize business value while minimizing complexity and technical debt.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related technical field.
• Eight or more years of experience in solution architecture, application architecture, infrastructure architecture, systems engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Five or more years of experience designing and implementing complex business and technology solutions across multiple technology domains.
• Experience leading architecture activities throughout the solution delivery lifecycle, including requirements analysis, design, implementation, testing, deployment, and operational transition.
• Hands-on experience in at least three technical disciplines such as application development, cloud platforms, systems integration, infrastructure services, data management, cybersecurity, networking, or enterprise applications.

Skills

• Familiarity with architecture governance processes and participation in architecture review and design authority activities.
• Strong knowledge of solution architecture principles, design methodologies, and systems integration practices.
• Experience designing solutions utilizing cloud services, SaaS platforms, APIs, microservices, event-driven architectures, and hybrid environments.
• Understanding of application, data, integration, security, and infrastructure architecture disciplines and their interactions within end-to-end solutions.
• Ability to evaluate technology alternatives and develop solution recommendations based on functionality, cost, risk, supportability, and alignment with business requirements.
• Knowledge of non-functional requirements including security, resiliency, scalability, performance, maintainability, and disaster recovery.

Certifications

• TOGAF Foundation or Certified.
• Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect, AWS Solutions Architect, or equivalent cloud certifications.
• ITIL Foundation certification
• SAFe Architect, SAFe Agilist, or other Agile-related certifications

Preferred Qualifications

• Trusted technical advisor with the ability to influence solution decisions and build consensus across business, project, and technical teams.
• Strong collaborator who effectively balances business and technical requirements, delivery timelines, and architectural standards.
• Practical and results-oriented problem solver capable of evaluating trade-offs and recommending feasible, value-driven solutions.
• Composed and professional when addressing technical challenges, conflicting stakeholder priorities, and architecture-related disagreements.
• Effective communicator able to translate complex technical concepts into clear, actionable information for both technical and non-technical audiences.

Physical Demands

Typical Office environment

Special Position Requirements

Schedule: First Shift, Monday through Friday; Core Business Hours

Regulatory Compliance Requirements

Canada
Access to Trade Controlled Hardware, Software, Technical Information, Controlled Goods Program Clearance & Secret Security Clearance

What We Offer

• Thales provides an extensive benefits program for all full-time employees working 24 or more hours per week and their eligible dependents, including the following:
• Company paid Extended Health, Dental, HSA, Life, AD&D, Short-term Disability, Cancer Care Program, travel insurance, Employee Assistance Plan and Well-Being program.
• Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP, DCPP, TFSA) with a company contribution and a match to a DCPP, with no vesting period.
• Company paid holidays, vacation days, and paid sick leave.
• Voluntary Life, AD&D, Critical Illness, Long-Term Disability.
• Employee Discounts on home, auto, and gym membership.

The reference Total Target Compensation (TTC) market range for this position, inclusive of annual base salary and the variable compensation target, is between Total Target Cash 131,981.00 - 170,857.00 CAD Annual.

This reflects how companies in a similar industry and geographic region generally pay for similar jobs. This range helps the Company make pay decisions as one data point among many. Where a position falls within this range is also dependent on other factors including – but not limited to – the employee's career path history, competencies, skills and performance, as well as the company's annual salary budget, the customer's program requirements, and the company's internal equity. Thales may offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant's status protected by local, state, or federal law.

We use artificial intelligence-enabled tools as part of our recruitment process to support activities such as candidate discovery, résumé matching, and interview scheduling. These tools may help screen and assess applications and recommend potential matches based on the requirements within the job description. All hiring decisions, including candidate evaluation, selection, and disposition, are made by human recruiters. Artificial intelligence does not make hiring decisions on our behalf.

Thales provides an extensive benefits program for all full-time employees working 24 or more hours per week and their eligible dependents, including the following:

Company paid Extended Health, Dental, HSA, Life, AD&D, Short-term Disability, Cancer Care Program, travel insurance, Employee Assistance Plan and Well-Being program.

Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP, DCPP, TFSA) with a company contribution and a match to a DCPP, with no vesting period.

Company paid holidays, vacation days, and paid sick leave.

Voluntary Life, AD&D, Critical Illness, Long-Term Disability.

Employee Discounts on home, auto, and gym membership.

Thales is an equal opportunity employer which values diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. Thales is committed to providing accommodations in all parts of the interview process. Applicants selected for an interview who require accommodation are asked to advise accordingly upon the invitation for an interview. We will work with you to meet your needs. All accommodation information provided will be treated as confidential and used only for the purpose of providing an accessible candidate experience.

This position requires direct or indirect access to hardware, software or technical information controlled under the Canadian Export Control List, the Canadian Controlled Goods Program, the Canadian Industrial Security Program, the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the US Export Administration Regulations (EAR). All applicants must be eligible or able to obtain authorization for such access including eligibility to the Canadian Controlled Goods Program and able to obtain a Canadian NATO Secret clearance.