Lead Solution Architect – Engineering Systems

BAE Systems; Preston; Hybrid; GBP 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading aerospace and defense company in the UK is seeking a Lead Solution Architect to shape the IM&T Technical Strategy. The role involves collaborating with various teams to support technical solutions across the Air Sector. Candidates should have experience in the aerospace IT environment and relevant degrees. Benefits include a competitive pension scheme and flexible health options.

Benefits

Competitive pension scheme

Employee share plans

Flexible health and wellbeing benefits

Qualifications

• Experience within the aerospace industry in an IT environment.
• Sound understanding of the solution lifecycle.
• Experience in IT-related roles, ideally supporting engineering platforms.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Engineering Function to shape a business-focused IM&T Technical Strategy.
• Act as Technical Authority for the ESCC, supporting the technical team.
• Serve as a domain consultant for Engineering solutions across Air Sector projects.

Skills

Experience in aerospace industry IT environment

Understanding of solution lifecycle

Degree in relevant discipline

Experience in IT-related roles

Information architecture development

Experience in developing cost estimates

Education

Degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline

Tools

INCOSE

BCS

TOGAF

Job description

Job Title: Lead Solution Architect – Engineering Systems

Location: Warton - We offer a range of hybrid and flexible working arrangements - please speak to your recruiter about the options for this particular role

Salary: £75,000 Depending on Skills & Experience

What you’ll be doing

• Collaborate with the Engineering Function and the Design, Development, Test & Evaluation SDU to shape a business-focused IM&T Technical Strategy and Architecture that maximises value from investments and effectively manages risk
• Act as Technical Authority (under delegation from the Air Chief Digital Architect) for the ESCC, supporting the technical team in delivering Air Platform Engineering services and solutions across the Sector
• Serve as a domain consultant for Engineering solutions across Air Sector projects — supporting architecture design, infrastructure planning, and the governance and approval of business requirements, solution designs, and acceptance criteria
• Work with the Architecture Practice to drive continuous improvement and deliver on key goals, supporting the development and coordination of the Air Sector Architecture in line with enterprise strategy
• Support and guide the development of architectural policies and procedures alongside the Chief Digital Architect, Sector Domain Architects, and the Head of the Architecture Management Office
• Influence the business solution strategy and roadmap, partnering with strategic vendors and key Air Sector functions (including Support & Services, Engineering, and Procurement) to ensure alignment with sector needs

Your skills and experiences

Essential:

• Experience within the aerospace industry in an IT environment, with a broad understanding across the full range of Engineering disciplines
• Sound understanding of the solution lifecycle (both phase and design review) and experience applying it to IT-based change projects
• Degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline
• Experience in IT-related roles, ideally including work supporting engineering platforms and related systems
• Experience in information and data architecture development, with a background of delivering IM&T solutions through business transformation programmes
• Background in systems interpretation and design across a broad business environment, ideally including experience with integrated design, manufacturing, and support systems
• Experience in developing cost estimates and proposals for IM&T components of bids and projects, with the ability to recognise cost discrepancies and constructively investigate when appropriate

Desirable:

• Professional qualification or certification such as INCOSE, BCS, or TOGAF (The Open Group Architecture Framework)

Benefits

As well as a competitive pension scheme, BAE Systems also offers employee share plans, an extensive range of flexible discounted health, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits, including a green car scheme, private health plans and shopping discounts - you may also be eligible for an annual incentive.

The Engineering Support Competency Centre (ESCC) Team:

Join our ESCC Team, a cross-functional group working across Engineering, Manufacturing, and Support Services to deliver critical technical solutions and system support. Collaborating with engineering software vendors, application owners, and internal stakeholders, the team ensures tools and processes run efficiently across global projects. With opportunities to work internationally, this team offers a dynamic environment that blends collaboration, innovation, and global engineering excellence.

Why BAE Systems?

This is a place where you’ll be able to make a real difference. You’ll be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity of thought, rewards integrity, and merits, and where you’ll be empowered to fulfil your potential. We welcome people from all backgrounds and want to make sure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or health condition (for example dyslexia, autism, an anxiety disorder etc.) that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.

Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.

Closing Date: 17th November 2025

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.