Solution Architect

Job title: Solution Architect (On-Prem Design Lead)
Location: Warton (Nr Preston), Lancashire (3 days onsite per week)
Rate: £71.28/hour PAYE or £96.36/hour Umbrella
Duration: 7 months initial contract with scope for extenion
IR35: Inside IR35
Clearance: BPSS required; SC in progress/eligible
Openings: 2

We're supporting a major organisation within the Defence & Security sector who are looking for an experienced Solution Architect / On-Prem Design Lead to join a team delivering secure, on-prem VMware-based platforms.

You'll work within a wider architecture function, owning specific areas of the solution design and supporting delivery through implementation and migration within secure data centre environments.

• Contribute to the technical design and architecture of on-prem hosted VMware platforms in a secure environment
• Provide consultancy/advisory input to the lead architect, owning defined solution areas and producing high-quality design outputs
• Support delivery across secure data centres, including technologies such as:
  • VMware Cloud Foundation
  • Microsoft enterprise collaboration (on-prem)
  • Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, including support for engineering tools (e.g., CAD/PLM)
• Work to a secure-by-design approach and support assurance/compliance activities
• Troubleshoot and improve platform performance, resilience, and operational supportability
• Engage with a broad stakeholder group, aligning technical decisions to mission-critical outcomes

• Strong experience across data centre design (compute, storage, networking) and WAN concepts
• Hands-on architecture experience with VMware (ideally VMware Cloud Foundation)
• Experience with on-prem Microsoft enterprise collaboration services
• Strong background designing/building/managing VDI solutions (including for CAD/PLM / engineering workloads)
• Experience working in secure environments with an understanding of security classifications and supplier assurance
• Ability to work with (and feed into) enterprise architecture teams and wider architecture governance
• Confident communicator with strong stakeholder management and documentation skills
• Able to guide/direction-set across platform areas and contribute to roadmaps with product ownership

If you're a Solution Architect with strong on-prem infrastructure design experience in secure environments, please apply and I'll be in touch