Principal Enterprise Architect - C4ISR

Job Description

Overview

AtkinsRéalis is growing its Digital Blueprint consulting team and is looking for Digital Architects with extensive experience of working with defence organisations. Is this you?

We are looking to build our multi-disciplinary team with people from business, technology consulting or ex-forces backgrounds who bring architecture expertise to the digital transformation of our defence clients. We welcome applications from creative and adaptable systems thinkers who want to be part of shaping the future, whilst expanding your own career potential.

When it comes to living your life, we want your role with AtkinsRéalis to be a key part of your personal journey. We have a collaborative inclusive team culture where people will help, guide and mentor you to help you grow. We pitch in and help colleagues because we succeed as a team. Our flexible and remote working policies are designed to support different personal priorities and needs.

Your role

Experienced C4ISR Enterprise Architect with a technical focus to drive the design, evolution, and modernisation of defence and security architectures. In this role, you will bridge the gap between high-level defence strategy and strategic to tactical-edge implementation for our defence clients.

You will lead the technical vision for integrating C4ISR systems - from cloud-hosted intelligence analytics down to tactical edge computing platforms operating in degraded, bandwidth-constrained environments including Space.

The role as a Principal Enterprise Architect will involve:

Technical Architecture & System Integration

• Edge-to-Cloud Design: Architect resilient, hybrid cloud-to-edge solutions that enable real-time processing and decision support at the tactical edge during disrupted or limited connectivity (DDIL environments).
• Sensor-to-Effector Integration: Design open architectures to ingest, fuse, and orchestrate multi-domain ISR sensor data (radar, EO/IR, EW, acoustic).
• Interoperability & Data Standards: Enforce strict alignment with defence standards (e.g. Link 16, STANAGs, DEFSTANs) to ensuring cross-coalition and joint-force interoperability.
• Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA): Lead legacy modernisation initiatives by abstracting proprietary defence hardware and developing open architectures.
• Space Systems: Define the architecture of space-based capabilities, ensuring alignment between operation, mission, and technology solutions. Provide strategic direction across SATCOM, Space Domain Awareness, Space control, ground infrastructure, cybersecurity, and space base ISR systems. Enable secure, resilient, and interoperable space-based defence capabilities providing support for technology investment, integration, and transformation.

Architecture Modelling & Governance

• Framework Execution: Develop comprehensive operational, service, logical, and physical architectural views using NAF v4.
• Enterprise modelling: Utilise ArchiMate/NAF v4 and TOGAF to map military capabilities directly to underlying IT infrastructure services and networks.
• Architecture Governance: Establish technical baselines, design authorities and interfaces to prevent non-interoperable technology silos across defence.

Security Architecture & Compliance

• Zero Trust: Design defence architectures around Zero Trust principles.
• Cross-Domain Solutions (CDS): Architect secure mechanisms for safe information exchange across disparate security levels.
• MoD Frameworks: Architecting against MoD and Defence frameworks (JSP453, 604 and Secure by Design).

Strategic Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• CONOPS Translation: Analyse military Concepts of Operations (CONOPS) and translate operational intent into scalable technical requirements and system designs.
• Technology Road mapping: Define 5-to-10-year technical roadmaps that align emerging technologies with long-term defence procurement cycles.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Communicate complex technical solutions, architectural risks, and system topologies to military leadership, programme managers, contractors, and engineering teams.

About you

• Education: Degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Software Engineering and/or equivalent Industry experience.
• Experience: In systems/enterprise architecture within defence, aerospace, or national security sectors. C4ISR domain desirable.
• Frameworks: Demonstrated expertise in DoDAF, MODAF or NAF v4, along with formal modelling using ArchiMate.
• Technical knowledge: Wide but not deep across software, Infrastructure and Networks, with the ability communicate effectively with non-technical stakeholders and highly technical SMEs alike. Solid grounding in modern software development process (DevSecOps).
• Hands-on familiarity: enterprise tactical networking, data link protocols and edge computing, architecting AI/ML systems.
• Experience with: Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) and cross-domain security implementations.
• Certifications: TOGAF 9 or 10 Practitioner or BCS Equivalent, plus one of: CISSP or Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP); AWS / Azure / GCP Solutions Architect (Professional level); Certified Network Professional.

Rewards & benefits

Explore the rewards and benefits that help you thrive - at every stage of your life and your career. Enjoy competitive salaries, employee rewards and a brilliant range of benefits you can tailor to suit your own health, wellbeing, financial and lifestyle choices. Make the most of a myriad of opportunities for training and professional development to grow your skills and expertise. And combine our hybrid working culture and flexible holiday allowances to balance a great job and fulfilling personal life.

Rewards and benefits - Careers at AtkinsRéalis

About AtkinsRéalis

We're AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear organization. We connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. Together, with our industry partners and clients, and our global team of consultants, designers, engineers and project managers, we can change the world. We're committed to leading our clients across our various end markets to engineer a better future for our planet and its people.

Find out more.

Additional information

Security clearance

This role may require security clearance and offers of employment will be dependent on obtaining the relevant level of clearance. If this is necessary, it will be discussed with you at interview. The vetting process is delivered by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) and may require candidates to provide proof of residency in the UK of 5 years or longer. If applying to this role please do not make reference to (in conversation) or include in your application or CV, details of any current or previously held security clearance.

We are committed to creating a culture where everyone feels that they belong - a place where we can all be ourselves, thrive and develop to be the best we can be. So, we offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and employee resource groups to support all employees. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we are committed to offering an interview to all applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria. If you would like to be considered under this commitment, please let us know at the application stage.

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Worker Type

Job Type

At AtkinsRéalis, we seek to hire individuals with diverse characteristics, backgrounds and perspectives. We strongly believe that world-class talent makes no distinctions based on gender, ethnic or national origin, sexual identity and orientation, age, religion or disability, but enriches itself through these differences.