Civil Aviation Authority
Solution Architect
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Salary: Up to £70,000 per annum dependent upon experience
Contract Type: Permanent – Full Time
Security Level: SC
Location: Gatwick – 2 Days per week office attendance required
Visa Restrictions: This position does not offer visa sponsorship
Closing Date: Sunday 2nd August 2026
Interview Date: W/C Monday 10th August 2026
We are the UK's aviation and aerospace regulator and recognised as a world leader in its field. Our activities are diverse, enabling the aviation industry to meet the highest safety standards, and we pride ourselves on our ability to adapt to the constantly evolving aviation environment.
The Role
As a Solutions Architect, you will translate business and technical requirements into solution designs that address complex problems and deliver measurable outcomes. You will act as the primary architecture partner for assigned business areas or service area, helping shape technology roadmaps and ensuring delivery aligns with CAA strategy, enterprise architecture principles and long-term operational outcomes.
Core Accountabilities
- Develop and maintain solution architectures based on functional and non-functional requirements, ensuring designs address business outcomes and align with organisational strategies, principles and standards.
- Act as the architecture partner for assigned business areas or service area, building domain understanding and supporting technology roadmap development with Product Managers and business stakeholders.
- Design end-to-end architectures and assure designs produced by internal teams, suppliers or third parties, ensuring compliance with architecture, security, accessibility and service standards.
- Promote reuse of platforms, services, patterns and capabilities to reduce duplication, technical debt and delivery risk.
- Participate in architecture governance, including design reviews, decision records, standards development and architecture assurance processes.
- Contribute to agile product teams where required, providing technical leadership, defining work packages and guiding architecture decisions.
- Produce architecture artefacts, models and diagrams using approved EA tooling.
- Manage technical risks, document key decisions transparently and provide architectural input into procurement and supplier engagement.
- Maintain awareness of emerging technologies, architectural patterns and industry trends, assessing their relevance to CAA challenges and opportunities.
- Design application and integration architectures where required, including secure integration patterns, API strategies, cloud-native principles and modern development approaches.
About You
Essential Skills and Experience
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- Broad architectural knowledge across multiple domains, with the judgement to draw on specialist expertise where required.
- Experience translating business and technical requirements into pragmatic, secure and supportable solution designs.
- Experience working across waterfall, agile, product-centric or service-oriented delivery environments.
- Strong stakeholder engagement skills, including the ability to build trusted relationships, communicate clearly with technical and non-technical audiences, and influence without direct authority.
- Understanding of architecture principles, governance and assurance, and how to apply them proportionately in delivery.
- Experience with Microsoft technologies, including Azure, Entra ID, Dynamic CRM, Power Platform, web technologies and SQL Server.
- Knowledge of DevSecOps and CI/CD concepts.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills applied collaboratively and inclusively.
- Ability to obtain and maintain SC security clearance
Desirable
- Experience supporting product operating models, value stream design or business transformation initiatives.
- Experience working within a regulated environment.
- Experience with business capability modelling, value stream mapping or enterprise architecture practices.
- TOGAF certification or practical experience.
- Experience using EA tools such as iServer or equivalent architecture repositories.
- Experience with Azure DevOps tools for source control, CI/CD and backlog management.
- Experience working to GDS framework and service standards.
- Experience with modern application development approaches, including .NET, Azure services, APIs and modern web frameworks.
- Experience with secure data integration, identity, certificate-based trust, cryptographic services or location-based technologies.
Behaviour Expectations
Demonstrates behaviours aligned with organisational values by being outcome-focused, ethical, collaborative, and adaptable. Takes ownership of decisions using evidence-based approaches, delivers value-centred solutions, and prioritises results that support strategic goals. Acts with integrity and self-awareness, continuously developing skills and capabilities. Builds strong relationships through clear, inclusive communication, knowledge sharing, and constructive feedback, while influencing and negotiating effectively. Embraces change with flexible thinking and drives continuous improvement through innovative approaches that enhance productivity and efficiency.
Additional Information
For many appointments within the CAA, these roles require access to operationally sensitive infrastructure and/or Nationally Protected information. For these roles the post holders must undergo National Security Vetting and achieve the appropriate level of clearance.
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SC - To be vetted we will usually expect a reasonable period of residency in the UK so that meaningful checks can be undertaken. For this role this will need to be 5 years.
If you do not meet these requirements, we may not be able to accept your application.
For more information on SC clearance please visit - Vetting explained - GOV.UK
The CAA values high ethical standards and personal integrity among employees. If invited for interview you will be asked to complete a declaration of interest.
Relocation & Property
The CAA will be relocating from Aviation House (Our Gatwick Office) to new premises in a few years’ time. Our move is driven by strategic, operational and environmental considerations.
We will be moving to a new local home, up to a 15-mile radius of Aviation House, to minimise disruption for our valued colleagues and customers.
We are now working with colleagues and visitors to understand what we need in our new office, before we start our property search. We will sell Aviation House and land, vacate the site and move to new premises, but we do not expect to move before 2028
Inclusive Recruitment
We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and welcome applications from all backgrounds. As a Disability Confident employer, candidates who meet the minimum requirements will be guaranteed an interview. Find out more about the Disability Confident Scheme. If you require any adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.
Use of Artificial Intelligence by candidates in the CAA recruitment process
We recognise that many of our candidates find Artificial Intelligence to be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be rejected on that basis.
Working With Us
Explore What We Offer section on our careers website to find out about our benefits and how we support work-life balance.
Our Values
Do The Right Thing, Never Stop Learning, Build Collaborative Relationships, Respect Everyone – For more information please Click Here
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
No recruitment agencies please.
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