Solution Architect (Artificial Intelligence)

BAE Systems; Preston; Hybrid; GBP 59,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading defense and aerospace company based in the United Kingdom is seeking a Solution Architect specializing in Artificial Intelligence. The role involves leading technical initiatives, designing machine learning systems, and providing expert guidance. Ideal candidates should have significant system architecture and data science experience, along with strong stakeholder management skills. Flexible working arrangements and competitive benefits offered.

Benefits

Competitive pension scheme

Employee share plans

Health and wellbeing benefits

Green car scheme

Private health plans

Shopping discounts

Annual incentive eligibility

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and governance of solution architectures.
• Architect end-to-end machine learning pipelines and systems.
• Establish practices and standards for machine learning development.
• Specify safety-related systems architectures.
• Provide expert advice on machine learning techniques.
• Design large, complex systems balancing requirements.
• Manage practices, analytics needs, and data insights.
• Manage risks and ensure compliance with policies.
• Lead and coach teams and manage resources.
• Collaborate with stakeholders on technical initiatives.
• Influence and communicate with customers and partners.
• Identify and analyse hazards and evaluate risk reduction.

Skills

System Architecture experience with a focus on Artificial Intelligence

Experience of data science and machine learning lifecycles

Stakeholder management experience

Education

Relevant IT qualifications

Job description

Job Title: Solution Architect (Artificial Intelligence)

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: £70,000

What you’ll be doing:

• Lead the development and governance of solution architectures, ensuring appropriate tools, resources, and technical strategies (including security and cost management) are applied effectively
• Architect end-to-end machine learning pipelines and systems, incorporating Machine Learning (ML) Ops best practices, and provide expert guidance on ML techniques, ethics, and AI/data governance
• Establish practices and standards for machine learning development and operations
• Specify safety-related systems architectures for defined safety levels
• Provide expert advice and guidance on machine learning techniques and applications
• Design large, complex systems balancing functional and non-functional requirements; conduct impact analysis and risk assessments; review and improve system designs
• Manage practices, analytics needs, data insights, and capacity planning to support decision-making and scalable service components
• Manage risks within area of expertise, promote continuous business improvements, and ensure compliance with organizational policies, standards, and health & safety regulations
• Lead and coach teams, manage resources and milestones, and handle complex incident/problem management with minimal supervision
• Collaborate with stakeholders to align technical initiatives with organizational goals, including policy development related to AI ethics and system architectures
• Influence and communicate with senior customers, suppliers, and partners, providing authoritative advice on technical methods, tools, and strategic decisions
• Identify and analyse hazards and contributes to identifying and evaluating risk reduction measures, ensuring these are adequately documented
• Ensure safety assurance evidence is gathered for safety case preparation

Your skills and experiences:

• System Architecture experience with a focus on Artificial Intelligence
• Experience of data science and machine learning lifecycles and applying relevant methods or approaches
• Considerable stakeholder management experience
• Relevant IT qualifications would be desirable

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 Air Data Analytics Architectural team

The Air Data Analytics Architectural team support Data Science & AI initiatives within the IM&T function, providing solution design proposals for projects and programmes. You will be joining a young team who is at the cutting edge of delivery in this space within BAE Systems Air Sector. You will work closely with the Air Data Analytics Cluster Lead Architect and the Air Applied Analytics data science team.

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 merit, 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.

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.

Closing Date: 23rd February 2026