Senior Solutions Architect - Solution Shaping

Ubds-Group; Manchester; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Training programs

Private medical cover

Discretionary bonus

25 days holiday + Birthday + Work ann.

EV salary sacrifice

Pension scheme

Death in service

Job summary

UBDS Group is seeking a Senior Solutions Architect in the UK to work with clients, Sales and delivery teams to shape engagements. You will lead discovery, shape opportunities and develop high-quality proposals and SOWs, coordinating across cloud, infrastructure, networking, workplace, data and AI, with a strong emphasis on cyber security.

You’ll manage ambiguity, balance client outcomes with security and delivery risk, and present compelling engagements to senior stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Experience as a Solutions Architect or similar client-facing role.
• Experience with public sector and defence clients in complex, secure or regulated environments.
• Broad technology knowledge across cloud, infrastructure, networking, workplace, data, AI and cyber security.
• Strong consulting, discovery and solution-shaping experience.
• Experience creating SOWs, proposals and technical responses.
• Experience supporting bids, tenders, RFPs and complex opportunities.
• Ability to balance ambiguity with defined upfront versus through discovery.
• Ability to bring together specialist architects, engineers and SMEs.
• Strong commercial awareness around scope, effort, assumptions, risk and deliverability.
• Excellent stakeholder management, written communication and presentation skills.
• Confidence engaging with senior clients across business, technology and security functions.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support client discovery sessions, workshops and technical discussions.
• Shape opportunities into clear, credible and deliverable engagements.
• Develop high-quality SOWs, proposals, technical responses and supporting bid collateral.
• Define scope, outcomes, deliverables, assumptions, dependencies, risks and exclusions.
• Support bid teams with technical responses to RFPs, RFIs, tenders and frameworks.
• Bring together architects, engineers and SMEs across cloud, infrastructure, networking, workplace, cyber security, data and AI, including specialist expertise from 3B Data Security.
• Turn specialist input into coherent client propositions and delivery approaches.
• Ensure cyber security, risk, governance and security-by-design considerations are reflected in proposed engagements.
• Develop work packages, resource requirements and estimates with delivery teams and SMEs.
• Present proposals and recommendations to senior business, technology and security stakeholders.
• Support effective transition from solution shaping into delivery.

Skills

Cloud

Infrastructure

Networking

Workplace

Data & AI

Cyber security

Consulting

Discovery

SOW creation

Stakeholder management

Job description

UBDS Group helps organisations solve complex technology challenges across cloud, cyber security, data, AI and digital transformation.

We work with clients operating in complex, secure and highly regulated environments, with a significant focus on the public sector and defence.

We’re looking for a Senior Solutions Architect with broad technology experience, strong consulting skills and a commercial mindset. The role will work across all of our capabilities and solutions, with cyber security expected to be a significant area of focus, drawing on specialist capabilities across the wider UBDS Group, especially 3B Data Security.

The Role

As a Senior Solutions Architect, you’ll work with clients, Sales, bid teams, delivery teams and SMEs to understand complex requirements and shape clear, compelling and deliverable engagements.

You’ll lead and support discovery, shape opportunities and develop high-quality proposals and Statements of Work (SOWs), bringing together the right expertise from across UBDS Group.

This isn’t necessarily about designing the complete technical solution upfront. Often, the role is to understand the challenge, define the outcomes and shape an engagement where further discovery, assessment or detailed solution design forms part of the project.

You’ll need to be comfortable operating with ambiguity and balancing client outcomes, technical credibility, security, commercial considerations and delivery risk.

What You’ll Do

Lead and support client discovery sessions, workshops and technical discussions

Shape opportunities into clear, credible and deliverable engagements

Develop high-quality SOWs, proposals, technical responses and supporting bid collateral

Define scope, outcomes, deliverables, assumptions, dependencies, risks and exclusions

Support bid teams with technical responses to RFPs, RFIs, tenders and frameworks

Bring together architects, engineers and SMEs across cloud, infrastructure, networking, workplace, cyber security, data and AI, including specialist expertise from 3B Data Security

Turn specialist input into coherent client propositions and delivery approaches

Ensure cyber security, risk, governance and security-by-design considerations are appropriately reflected in proposed engagements

Develop work packages, resource requirements and estimates with delivery teams and SMEs

Present proposals and recommendations to senior business, technology and security stakeholders

Support effective transition from solution shaping into delivery

What We’re Looking For

Strong experience as a Solutions Architect, Technical Architect, Solutions Consultant or similar client-facing technology role

Experience working with public sector and/or defence clients, ideally within complex, secure or regulated environments

Broad technology knowledge across areas such as cloud, infrastructure, networking, workplace, data, AI and cyber security

Strong understanding of cyber security and how it should be incorporated into wider technology solutions and transformation programmes

Strong consulting, discovery and solution-shaping experience

Demonstrable experience creating SOWs, proposals, technical responses and other client-facing documentation

Experience supporting bids, tenders, RFPs and complex client opportunities

Ability to take ambiguous requirements and determine what needs to be defined upfront versus through subsequent discovery or detailed design

Ability to bring together and work effectively with specialist architects, engineers and SMEs

Strong commercial awareness around scope, effort, assumptions, risk and deliverability

Excellent stakeholder management, written communication and presentation skills

Confidence engaging with senior clients across business, technology and security functions

What Success Looks Like

You’ll see the bigger technology and security picture without needing to be the deepest technical expert in every domain.

You’ll understand the client challenge, ask the right questions and bring together the right expertise from across UBDS Group to shape engagements that are compelling, secure, commercially sound and deliverable.

Most importantly, you’ll create proposals and SOWs that clients understand and trust, and that give our delivery teams the foundations they need to succeed.

Why people choose to grow their careers at UBDS Group

Professionals choose to grow their careers at UBDS Group for its reputation as a dynamic and forward-thinking organisation that is deeply committed to both innovation and employee development. At UBDS Group, employees are given unique opportunities to work on cutting-edge projects across a diverse range of industries, exposing them to new challenges and learning opportunities that are pivotal for professional growth. The Group’s culture emphasises continuous improvement, offering ample training programs, mentorship, and the chance to gain certifications that enhance their skills and marketability.

UBDS Group fosters a collaborative environment where creativity and innovation are encouraged, allowing employees to contribute ideas and solutions that have a tangible impact on the company and its clients. This combination of professional development, a culture of innovation, and the opportunity to make meaningful contributions makes UBDS Group an attractive place for those looking to advance their careers and be at the forefront of technological and operational excellence.

Employee Benefits

• Training – All team members are offered a number of options in terms of personal development, whether it is technical led, business acumen or methodologies. We want you to grow with us and to help us achieve more
• Private medical cover for you and your spouse/partner, offered via Vitality
• Discretionary bonus based on a blend of personal and company performance
• Holiday – You will receive 25 Days holiday, plus 1 day for Birthday and 1 day for your work anniversary in addition to UK bank holidays
• Electric Vehicle leasing with salary sacrifice
• Contributed Pension Scheme
• Death in service cover

About UBDS Group

At UBDS Group our mission is to support entrepreneurs who are setting new standards with technology solutions across cloud services, cybersecurity, data and AI, ensuring that every investment advances our commitment to innovation, making a difference, and creating impactful solutions for organisations and society.

Equal Opportunities

We are an equal opportunities employer and do not discriminate on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, gender reassignment, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability or age.