Solutions Architect in Stoke-on-Trent - Sanderson

Solutions Architect - Defence & National Security
Location: Stoke (Onsite - 5 days per week)
Salary: £75,000 + benefits
Clearance: UKSV clearance required (must be eligible)

About the Role
Sanderson Government & Defence is supporting a leading organisation delivering secure, mission-critical solutions into the Defence and National Security sectors.

We're looking for an experienced Solutions Architect to design and deliver innovative, secure collaboration solutions tailored to highly sensitive environments. This is a key role working at the forefront of secure technology, helping clients tackle complex challenges across defence and intelligence domains.

What You'll Be Doing

Client Engagement & Consultation

• Work closely with clients and internal stakeholders to understand business needs, technical challenges, and security requirements

• Translate requirements into clear technical specifications and solution designs

• Lead workshops, presentations, and technical demonstrations

• Act as a trusted advisor on secure collaboration technologies and emerging threats

Solution Design & Architecture

• Design end-to-end solutions aligned with security standards and best practices

• Produce architecture diagrams, technical documentation, and implementation plans

• Support RFI/RFP responses with detailed technical proposals

Technology Evaluation

• Assess and select appropriate technologies, platforms, and tools

• Evaluate security, compliance, scalability, and interoperability

• Provide clear recommendations with supporting rationale

Delivery & Implementation

• Work with engineering, project teams, and vendors to ensure successful delivery

• Provide technical oversight throughout the project lifecycle

• Support issue resolution and ensure solutions meet client expectations

Innovation & Leadership

• Stay up to date with industry trends, emerging technologies, and security developments

• Drive continuous improvement and innovation across solutions

• Contribute to thought leadership and best practices

• Mentor and support junior team members

Key Skills & Experience

• Proven experience as a Solutions Architect within Defence, National Security, or secure environments

• Strong understanding of secure collaboration technologies (messaging, file sharing, video, IA)

• Experience with enterprise architecture frameworks (e.g. TOGAF)

• Strong cloud knowledge (AWS, Azure, or GCP)

• Experience across networking, virtualisation, and cybersecurity tools

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage both technical and non-technical stakeholders

• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities

Desirable

• Relevant certifications (CISSP, TOGAF, CCSP, ITILv4)

• Experience responding to RFIs/RFPs

• Background in complex, multi-stakeholder environments

What's on Offer

• Salary of £75,000 plus a comprehensive benefits package

• Opportunity to work on high-impact, mission-critical projects

• Exposure to cutting-edge secure technologies

• Collaborative, expert-led environment

• Ongoing professional development and career progression

Important Information
Due to the nature of the work, candidates must hold UKSV clearance or be eligible to obtain it.

If you're an experienced Solutions Architect looking to apply your expertise in a highly secure, purpose-driven environment, we'd love to hear from you.

Reasonable Adjustments:

Respect and equality are core values to us. We are proud of the diverse and inclusive community we have built, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and perspectives. Our success is driven by our people, united by the spirit of partnership to deliver the best resourcing solutions for our clients.

If you need any help or adjustments during the recruitment process for any reason, please let us know when you apply or talk to the recruiters directly so we can support you.