V05993 - Solution Architect - On-Prem Design Lead/Solution Architect

Job DescriptionSolution Architect – On-Prem Design Lead ?? Warton ?? 7-Month Contract ?? £71.28 per hour (PAYE) ?? 2–3 Days Onsite at Warton and 1 week in 4 working at Reading site We are seeking two highly experienced Solution Architects to join a defence-focused programme at BAE Systems, supporting the design and delivery of a complex on-premises technical solution within a secure enterprise environment.The Opportunity You will work as part of a wider architecture team to design and implement VMware-based on-premises solutions supporting mission-critical defence capabilities. The role requires strong technical leadership, hands-on design capability and the ability to operate within a secure-by-design framework.Key Responsibilities

• Design and architect on-premises VMware-based infrastructure solutions
• Contribute to the definition and delivery of virtual desktop environments, including support for engineering tools such as CAD and PLM
• Support implementation and migration activities within secure data centre environments
• Provide consultancy and technical leadership within a team of architects
• Ensure solutions adhere to secure-by-design principles and defence security standards
• Troubleshoot and optimise platform performance and resilience
• Work closely with stakeholders including contractors, government stakeholders and internal IT teams

About You We are looking for an experienced architect with strong on-prem infrastructure and enterprise solution design capability.You will have:

• Strong experience designing and delivering on-premises solutions
• Deep knowledge of data centre architecture including compute, storage and networking
• Hands-on experience with VMware environments (including VMware Cloud Foundation desirable)
• Experience with Microsoft enterprise collaboration tools in on-prem environments
• Experience delivering virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), ideally supporting engineering workloads (CAD/PLM)
• Strong understanding of secure-by-design principles and defence-grade security requirements
• Experience working in complex, multi-stakeholder environments

Key Skills

• Enterprise architecture alignment and solution design
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills
• Ability to operate within distributed, cross-functional teams
• Experience producing high-quality technical documentation
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a high-pressure environment

Additional Information This role operates within a highly secure defence environment. All applicants must meet BPSS requirements, with SC clearance in progress. Eligibility is subject to UK and security vetting conditions.