Lead Solution Architect

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

Your impact

Join Jacobs' Design Automation team and play a key role in shaping the software products and platforms used by engineers across our global business. Operating as part of a product-focused software organisation within Jacobs, you'll help define the architectural direction for a diverse portfolio of applications, driving innovation, scalability, and engineering excellence.

This is not simply a delivery role; it is a transformation role. A real opportunity to influence how software is designed, built, and delivered across multiple teams. Your leadership will help strengthen engineering standards, improve development practices, and ensure our technology platforms are ready to support future growth, including the adoption of emerging AI-enabled capabilities.

What You'll Do

As Lead Solution Architect, you'll provide architectural leadership across a broad portfolio of software products and services. Working closely with software engineers, product leaders, and technical stakeholders, you'll translate business needs into robust, scalable, and secure solutions.

You’ll guide architectural decision-making, mentor engineering teams, review solution designs, and help establish consistent approaches to software development, cloud architecture, CI/CD, and technical delivery. While this is not a hands-on development role, you’ll be comfortable engaging with technology at a detailed level, whether reviewing designs, developing proof of concepts, or helping teams solve complex technical challenges.

Here’s what you’ll need

We’re looking for an experienced software or solution architect who combines technical depth with strong leadership and communication skills. Someone who has successfully designed and delivered complex cloud-based software platforms and distributed systems.

You’ll have strong architectural judgement, a pragmatic approach to technology decision-making, and the ability to influence technical direction across multiple teams.

You’ll also bring

• Experience designing and delivering distributed, cloud-based software solutions in Azure, AWS, or similar cloud environments.
• A proven track record of providing architectural leadership across multiple applications, products, or engineering teams.
• Strong understanding of modern software engineering practices, including CI/CD, cloud-native development, and software delivery lifecycle principles.
• Experience mentoring engineers and influencing technical direction without direct line management responsibility.
• The ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders and build credibility as a trusted advisor.

Experience within SaaS, product-led technology organisations, or cloud-native software environments would be particularly valuable. Exposure to technologies such as .NET, C#, Python, microservices, and modern AI-enabled software development approaches would also be beneficial. Experience within the AEC sector or with platforms such as Autodesk or Bentley Systems would be an advantage, but is not essential.

At Jacobs, we deliver solutions that matter. You'll be trusted to shape technical direction, influence engineering excellence, and help teams build high-quality software that makes a real impact across our global organisation. If you're excited by the prospect of solving complex technical challenges, mentoring talented engineers, and helping define the next generation of software platforms, we'd love to hear from you.

Other Key Info

This is a permanent role, UK based, hybrid (2-3 days/week - office/site) aligned to a local Jacobs office, with business travel to support client and business requirements.

Full time employment at Jacobs is based on a 40-hour working week. We place a strong emphasis on work life balance and flexibility, and flexi-time, other working patterns may be available.

All Jacobs employees will require a BPSS check as part of the hiring and onboarding process.

We offer an excellent and wide range of employee benefits including comprehensive Health Cover, Life Assurance, Income Protection, holiday buy/sell scheme, and a variety of wellbeing, family, parental and fertility support offerings, along with an enh