Enterprise Architect

LHH Recruitment Solutions; Reading; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

LHH Recruitment Solutions is seeking an Enterprise Architect for a sensitive defence and aerospace programme in Reading, with at least 50% onsite work. You will drive architecture across people, processes and technology, integrating virtual environment solutions into a wider Digital Engineering environment.

Must have demonstrable MOD/Defence Digital experience and active SC clearance. The role covers Digital Twins, Digital Threads, virtual testing, and Secure by Design throughout the lifecycle,

Qualifications

• Experience delivering architecture within MOD/Defence Digital or defence programmes.
• Proven ability to lead architecture across people, processes and technology.
• Hands-on with Digital Twins, Digital Threads or virtual testing concepts.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture across people, processes and technology for defence programmes.
• Develop HLDs/LLDs and ensure governance, security and compliance.
• Coordinate activities with internal teams, suppliers and partners.
• Support platform selection and architectural roadmaps at SFIA Level 4/5.

Skills

Enterprise Architecture

Stakeholder management

Strategic roadmaps

Security by design

Leadership

Digital engineering concepts

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science / Engineering / IT or related

Chartered Engineer status or equivalent

TOGAF or CISSP or ArchiMate certifications

Tools

TOGAF

AWS/Azure Architect

Docker

Kubernetes

Power BI

CI/CD / DevSecOps

Job description

Active SC clearance is mandatory. DV clearance is preferred.

MOD / defence experience is essential.

Location: Reading, with a minimum of 50% onsite working

We are recruiting an Enterprise Architect to support a sensitive defence and aerospace programme, integrating virtual environment solutions into a wider Digital Engineering environment.

You must have demonstrable experience delivering architecture within MOD, Defence Digital or defence programmes, ideally within aerospace, alongside active SC clearance.

The role

You will lead architecture across people, processes and technology, ensuring virtual environment solutions meet the needs of the wider engineering programme.

The work covers Digital Twins, Digital Threads, virtual testing, qualification, certification and training. You will support a "fail first" approach to identify integration issues early through software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop testing, while embedding Secure by Design principles throughout the system lifecycle.

You will also provide architectural guidance to Product Owners and Delivery Managers, identify opportunities for reuse across digital engineering workstreams, and manage stakeholder expectations.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and maintain High-Level Designs and Low-Level Designs (HLDs and LLDs).
• Write and manage Requests for Information and Requests for Quotation (RFIs and RFQs).
• Lead virtual environment architecture across people, processes and technology.
• Ensure designs meet architectural governance, security, regulatory and compliance requirements.
• Translate architecture policies and risk requirements into practical design standards and governance models.
• Support Digital Twin, Digital Thread and virtual testing capabilities.
• Coordinate architecture activities across internal teams, suppliers and delivery partners.
• Contribute to planning, estimates, workload management and risk escalation.
• Evaluate technologies, support proofs of concept and guide platform selection.
• Promote architecture reuse, innovation and continuous improvement.
• Balance immediate delivery needs with long-term architecture strategy.
• MOD / defence architecture delivery experience, including work with defence prime contractors, system integrators or suppliers.
• More than five years’ experience in Enterprise or Business Architecture.
• A degree in Computer Science, IT, Engineering, Mathematics, Data Engineering or a related discipline.
• Relevant industry certifications, such as TOGAF, AWS/Azure Architect, CISSP or ArchiMate.
• Experience with real-time simulation and digital engineering concepts, including Digital Twins and Digital Threads.
• Understanding of system, data and technical architecture across the full systems engineering lifecycle.
• Experience developing architecture models, contributing to strategy and creating roadmaps at SFIA Level 4/5.
• Experience working across international teams.
• Strong stakeholder communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with Product Owners, Delivery Managers, Engineers, IT teams and end users.
• Willingness to learn new technologies and engineering practices.
• Aerospace, flight simulator or synthetic environment experience.
• Microsoft Azure experience and certification.
• Chartered Engineer status or equivalent professional recognition.
• CI/CD and DevSecOps practices.
• Docker or Kubernetes.
• Power BI or similar reporting and analytics tools.
• Data warehousing concepts and technologies.