Solutions Architect

CGI Group Inc.; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology firm is seeking a Network Solutions Architect to support the architecture and design of a new Network Management System for satellite operations. The ideal candidate will have 5-7 years of experience in network management systems and a strong understanding of network protocols. Responsibilities include defining end-to-end architecture, designing system interfaces, and ensuring high availability and compliance with security frameworks. Competitive compensation and opportunities for professional development are offered.

Qualifications

• 5–7 years of experience in network architecture and management systems, ideally in satellite or aerospace.
• Strong knowledge of network protocols including SNMP and HTTP APIs.
• Ability to translate technical requirements into architecture specifications.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain NMS architecture with end-to-end monitoring.
• Design interfaces with external systems including APIs.
• Lead design of Configuration Management functions.

Skills

Network protocols (SNMP, NETCONF, RESTCONF, HTTP APIs)

Network orchestration and automation

High-availability design

Configuration management

Performance analytics

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Network Engineering or related

Master’s degree in Systems Engineering (desired)

Tools

COTS products such as DataMiner

Cloud-native deployment tools (Kubernetes)

Job description

About the Role

The Space, Defence and Intelligence business unit in CGI is a true IT Systems Integrator. We work, build, and operate bespoke, technically complex, mission‑critical systems which help our clients keep us all safe and secure. CGI are seeking a Network Solutions Architect to support the architecture, design, and integration of a new Network Management System (NMS) for satellite operations, aligned with the satellite Network Operations Centre framework. The NMS, built on a third‑party COTS platform, will provide end‑to‑end monitoring, control, and configuration management across ground networks, core networks, satellites, and mission control systems.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain the end‑to‑end NMS architecture, leveraging COTS concepts such as drivers, alarm correlation, automation scripts, and Visio‑based operational views.
• Design robust interfaces (SNMP, REST, Smart‑Serial, APIs) with external systems.
• Ensure alignment with subsystem ICDs and external integration requirements.
• Oversee the design of NMS drivers, ensuring distributed monitoring at remote ground stations and centralized performance aggregation.
• Lead the design of Configuration Management (CM) functions including inventory, automated file generation and distribution through orchestration.
• Implement redundancy, fail‑over, and backup/restore mechanisms.
• Define strategies for end‑to‑end monitoring including synthetic flows (global system health) and analytic flows (fault isolation and troubleshooting).
• Specify KPIs and aggregation rules for ground networks, satellites, and service providers.
• Collaborate with operations to design dashboards, alarm templates, and correlation rules for proactive monitoring.
• Support role‑based access control (RBAC), secure file handling, and HTTPS‑based communication within the system architecture.
• Ensure compliance with aerospace security frameworks and OneWeb/CGI enterprise security policies.
• Work with mission operations, software engineers, and NOC subsystem teams to validate architecture decisions.
• Act as technical authority in design reviews, use‑case validations, and operational workshops.
• Present architectural roadmaps and risk assessments to leadership and clients.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Network Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• 5–7 years of experience in network architecture and management systems, ideally within satellite, aerospace, or defence communications.
• Strong knowledge of network protocols such as SNMP, NETCONF, RESTCONF, and HTTP APIs; network orchestration, automation, and monitoring platforms.
• Experience with redundant, distributed architectures and high‑availability design.
• Familiarity with satellite ground systems (GN, PoP, SAP, SOC) and core/WAN integration.
• Experience with configuration management databases, performance analytics, and alarm management systems.
• Ability to translate technical requirements into architecture specifications.

Desired Skills

• Master’s degree in Systems Engineering, Telecommunications, or a related discipline.
• Hands‑on experience with large‑scale NMS deployments in telecom or space industries.
• Experience with COTS products such as DataMiner, driver development, and custom integrations.
• Familiarity with cloud‑native deployment (microservices, containers, Kubernetes).
• Industry certifications such as Cisco CCNP/CCIE, AWS/Azure Solutions Architect, or ITIL.