Solution Architect

Solution Architect - (All Levels)

Department: Tech Services

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Bristol, UK

We re building the UK s next generation engineering powerhouse, providing critical technology that strengthens national security and resilience.

We specialise in turning advances in sensing, AI, and communications into operational capability for the edge, where connectivity may be degraded or denied. Our work focuses on accelerating the deployment of technology, improving decision-making for frontline teams, and protecting people and critical assets in demanding environments.

Headquartered in Bristol, Rowden employs around 160 people and operates over 20,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing facilities. We have a growing international footprint and are one of Europe s fastest-growing engineering businesses.

As Rowden continues to grow, we are looking to bring on multiple Solution Architects at all levels to contribute across a range of projects  will be providing technical leadership, architectural direction, and engineering credibility across a range of complex programme and pre-sales environments.

Depending on where the business need is greatest, this role may involve shaping technical solutions for major bids and pre-sales engagements - translating ambiguous customer problems into technically credible, commercially viable and deliverable engineering approaches, or providing client-side architectural oversight and assurance on supplier-led programme delivery. In practice, the role may span both.

You will operate at an enterprise level, engaging confidently with customers, partners, and internal teams. Whether leading solution development in pre-sales or assuring early technical delivery, you will bring authoritative technical judgement, structured thinking, and the ability to own coherent solutions end-to-end.

Candidates must be eligible for SC clearance. More information about security clearance is available here:

For transparency and to help candidates make informed decisions, these are the salary ranges for the different levels we are hiring across Solutions Architecture (DOE):

• Mid-Level: £65,000 - £75,000
• Senior:
  For Senior roles, compensation is tailored to the scope of the role and the specific experience a candidate brings. We will discuss compensation openly at the first stage of the process and can share an indicative range before either side invests significant time.

• Shape credible technical and delivery solutions for major bids and pre-sales opportunities, translating complex and often ambiguous customer problems into coherent engineering approaches that can be costed, planned and delivered.
• Provide senior architectural oversight and assurance of solution designs, holding delivery partners to account for technical decisions and ensuring alignment with agreed architectural principles and integration requirements.
• Engage confidently with customers, partners, and senior stakeholders - providing clear technical direction, resolving complex architectural challenges, and representing Rowden s technical authority in external conversations.
• Produce high-quality technical content for bids, proposals, white papers, and presentations.
• Interpret user requirements and translate them into architectural solutions that balance performance, risk, and delivery constraints.
• Investigate and assess hosting, integration, and platform options, understanding constraints, capabilities and trade-offs across complex environments.
• Identify, assess, and manage technical risks, ensuring they are clearly understood, communicated, and mitigated.
• Work with technical SMEs and principal engineers to draw in specialist input while maintaining overall ownership of solution coherence and delivery approach.
• Support early contract mobilisation, helping delivery teams translate bid-stage solution intent into executable engineering plans.
• Support the development of governance frameworks, standards, and assurance artefacts to enable consistent and repeatable delivery.

We are looking for a senior architect who can set direction, provide authoritative technical leadership, and operate confidently at enterprise level across complex and evolving environments.

Essential

• Demonstrable experience operating as a Senior Solution Architect, Chief Engineer, or equivalent in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
• Broad technical understanding across systems architecture, hosting, integration, networking, and service design, with the ability to integrate specialist input without losing ownership of the overall solution. However, we’d welcome applications from those with more specialised depth in AI, Data Science or Machine Learning.
• Proven ability to engage externally with customers, partners, or programme stakeholders with clarity and confidence.
• Experience shaping viable technical and delivery approaches - not just describing technical…