Software Solution Architect

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Roke clients come to us with niche, challenging problems that matter to their business, looking for experts to develop solutions by applying their experience and knowledge in novel, creative ways.

Our projects range from early feasibility studies, through the entire engineering lifecycle, to multi-year support for production-grade software systems, with engineers switching between these in line with their career aspirations and development plans.

The Opportunity:

Roke is recruiting for a Software Architect who is driven by solving varied and interesting client problems. The Software Architect will be responsible for the architecture and high-level design of software-enabled solutions, and will also support client managers directly in a pre-sales capacity to develop relationships and solutions that can support future business growth.

For this role, we seek someone with strong experience in building distributed software solutions, including middleware technologies to move and manage information across networks with potential communication restrictions. Solutions are typically tested in cloud environments but need deployment in customer environments based on military tactical equipment with no internet connectivity.

The ideal candidate will have a passion for developing capabilities within their technical area. This senior position involves supporting business development, helping develop customer offerings, identifying IP development opportunities, and understanding customer requirements for the engineering team.

Your Role:

• Research and develop innovative software solutions in the Defence domain, such as distributed middleware, software-defined networks, AI applications, reinforcement learning, etc., to address customer problems.
• Define and develop software solutions in architecture terms, including system boundaries, data flows, workflows, system layouts, and deployment plans.
• Lead the delivery of internally and externally funded projects.
• Mentor and guide other engineers to understand problems and demonstrate solutions.
• Promote an architecture-driven approach within existing engineering processes.

Key Skills

• Proven experience as a software architect in Defence, public sector, or industry, with experience in multiple programming languages.
• Experience in defining engineering management plans and leading teams, including CI/CD and TDD practices.
• Familiarity with Agile methodologies like Scrum and Kanban.
• Experience transforming research outputs into robust software products.
• Design experience focusing on performance, resource utilization, and middleware technologies.
• Knowledge of software architecture patterns that promote reuse, productivity, and quality.
• Experience designing plug-in and microservice architectures.
• Experience with various data storage solutions: relational, NoSQL, Big Data, streaming analytics.
• Experience deploying software on-device, on-premises, and in the cloud.
• Ability to articulate design decisions using text and graphical tools like UML or Archimate.
• Quick learner of new tools, frameworks, and languages.
• Strong problem analysis and communication skills.
• Innovative in developing solutions where none pre-exist.
  
  

What you’ll bring

Degree in STEM or equivalent practical experience. Proficiency in technologies such as Python, Java/Kotlin, SQL/NoSQL, Linux, Android, VMWare, messaging systems, Docker, Kubernetes, Infrastructure as Code, cloud platforms, and version control systems. You should be proactive, communicative, team-oriented, curious, and committed to continuous improvement. Experience in the defence industry is a plus.

Our hybrid working policy includes locations in Woking, Romsey, Gloucester, and client sites across the UK.

Areas of responsibility

• Participate in agile ceremonies.
• Coach team members in software engineering.
• Coordinate releases and CI/CD pipelines.
• Ensure security by design in products.
• Maintain high quality standards.
• Translate high-level architecture into implementable designs.
• Collaborate with leadership to implement changes.
• Participate in code reviews.
• Engage with client managers to understand and solve customer problems.

Why you should join Roke

Competitive salary, flexible benefits, active community groups, commitment to diversity and inclusion, and flexible working arrangements.

Clearances

Eligible for SC clearance is required due to the role's nature.