Solution Architect

Astuco Ltd; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Astuco Ltd is recruiting Solution Architects to lead the architecture for a Federated Mission Networking (FMN) Spiral 6 data-centric interoperability capability delivered into a major UK Defence customer.

The role focuses on turning operational requirements into robust technical solutions and governing them through design, build, integration and transition, with strict adherence to FMN Spiral 6 and MOD security policy.

Qualifications

• DV clearance is current.
• 5+ years architecting complex infrastructure and secure information systems.
• Experience delivering enterprise-scale solutions from concept to transition.
• Proven ability to produce HLDs and LLDs and related technical documentation.
• Strong command of enterprise architecture principles and frameworks.
• Experience designing secure defence/interoperability solutions.
• Understanding interoperability architectures and coalition information sharing.
• Experience with FIAM, PKI, and data-centric security.
• Ability to work with engineering teams through design, build, integration, and handover.

Responsibilities

• Lead the architecture set with high-level and low-level designs and roadmaps.
• Read FMN Spiral 6 standards and interoperability patterns and apply where appropriate.
• Extract requirements from users, security specialists and engineers and surface constraints.
• Architect federation interoperability with policy-based data handling.
• Design FIAM, PKI, trust frameworks and data-centric security.
• Keep architecture compliant with FMN Spiral 6 and MOD security policy.
• Steer technology selection and integration planning.
• Provide governance across build, test and demonstrations.
• Produce risk assessments, design recommendations, reference architectures.
• Maintain architecture documents and configuration records.

Skills

DV clearance

Enterprise architecture

HLD/LLD experience

Interoperability

Security governance

Stakeholder communication

Agile SAFe

Cloud/hybrid infra

Education

Degree in CS/Engineering/Info Systems/Cyber Security

Tools

JIRA

Confluence

Security frameworks (NIST/ISO)

Job description

About the role - Overview

Astuco is recruiting Solution Architects to lead the architecture for a Federated Mission Networking (FMN) Spiral 6 data-centric interoperability capability delivered into a major UK Defence customer. Two positions are available.

The job is turning operational and interoperability requirements into technical solutions that hold up - against FMN Spiral 6, against MOD security policy, and against what coalition partners actually need to exchange. You'll set the architecture with stakeholders, engineers, security specialists and programme leadership, then govern it the whole way through build, integration, validation and transition.

Responsibilities

• Lead the architecture set - High-Level and Low-Level Designs, options assessments and technical roadmaps.
• Read across FMN Spiral 6 standards and established interoperability patterns, and judge what genuinely applies here.
• Draw requirements out of users, stakeholders, security specialists and engineers, and surface the constraints and dependencies hiding behind them.
• Architect for coalition interoperability - information exchange, metadata-driven handling and policy-based control of what moves where.
• Design and document Federated Identity and Access Management (FIAM), Public Key Infrastructure, trust frameworks and data-centric security.
• Keep the solution compliant with FMN Spiral 6 and with MOD security policy.
• Steer technology selection and integration planning, folding in approved hardware, software and interoperability services.
• Hold technical governance and design assurance across build, integration, test and demonstration.
• Review engineering designs and sign them off against the architectural intent.
• Support the interoperability test effort, the FMN compliance evidence behind it, and demonstrations run in front of the Authority.
• Produce the supporting analysis - technical risk assessments, design recommendations, reference architectures and patterns worth reusing.
• Contribute to design and risk reviews, change control and stakeholder reporting.
• Keep architecture documentation, technical reports and configuration records current, and set out what should carry forward into future capability.

Candidate Requirements - Essential

• Current DV clearance.
• Five years or more, within the last five, architecting complex infrastructure, networking, interoperability or secure information systems.
• Enterprise-scale solutions carried from concept all the way to transition.
• A strong record producing HLDs, LLDs, architectural decision records and the technical documentation around them.
• Detailed command of enterprise and solution architecture principles and frameworks.
• Designing secure solutions for Defence, Government, NATO or comparably regulated customers.
• A firm grasp of interoperability architectures, federation concepts and what coalition information sharing demands.
• Architectures that move information safely between security domains.
• Data-centric security - policy-based control, metadata-driven handling and the auditability that has to sit underneath.
• Identity and Access Management, FIAM and role-based access control models.
• Public Key Infrastructure - certificates, trust chains and the cryptography behind them.
• Running architecture assessments, technical risk assessments and technology evaluations.
• Working with engineering teams through design, build, integration, test and operational handover.
• Communication that lands equally well with engineers and with senior leadership.
• Delivery against tight timescales in large, complex organisations.
• Competent across MS Office.

Candidate Requirements - Desirable

• Time spent on MOD, Defence Digital, NATO, FMN or coalition interoperability programmes.
• Knowledge of Federated Mission Networking standards, FMN Spiral 6 above all.
• Mission Partner Environments or comparable Defence interoperability capabilities.
• Accredited secure solutions delivered into UK Government or Defence.
• Building data-centric interoperability solutions and reference architectures.
• Zero Trust Architecture and Secure by Design principles.
• Trust frameworks, policy enforcement tooling, and the governance wrapped around information sharing.
• Virtualised, cloud and hybrid infrastructure.
• Supporting security accreditation and producing the artefacts it needs.
• Agile (SAFe) and Waterfall delivery; Atlassian toolset (JIRA, Confluence).
• A degree in computer science, engineering, information systems or cyber security.
• Architecture or security certification - TOGAF, BCS, CISSP, SABSA or equivalent - and ideally Chartered Engineer status.