Lead Solutions Architect – ID2024-9643

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Dundee, Glasgow

About the job

Job summary

We are currently seeking a highly skilled Lead Solutions Architect to join our Architecture and Design branch. You’ll have the opportunity to work with a talented team of around 40 architects, where you’ll play a vital role in defining strategy, collaborating with senior stakeholders, and mentoring junior colleagues. This is primarily a management role although your technical skills will be put to the test too. If you’re ready to make a meaningful impact and help shape the future of social security provision in Scotland apply now to become a valued member of our team.

The Architecture and Design branch, part of our Chief Digital Office, and is a team of around 40 highly skilled individuals. The team is split into six architecture domains: solution, cloud, enterprise, data, business, and application architecture.

We develop high-level architecture and solution designs for all technologies underpinning the Chief Digital Office delivery capability and focus on creating frameworks to sustainably prioritise, plan and deliver change.

Our digital solutions are highly integrated with external parties, which reflects that we are part of a wider public sector ecosystem that follows a service design goal to take the burden away from the client to obtain information. The team follows a set of architectural principles as part of our Digital and Technology Strategy, providing guidance as we continue to progress through the design and delivery of devolved and new benefits to the people of Scotland.

A deep understanding of Architecture methodologies (C4 and ITIL among others) is crucial as you will be responsible for leading a large team of Solutions Architects working on AWS. Reporting to the Chief Architect, you will oversee our AWS Solutions Architecture team. You will provide leadership, direction, and accountability for architectural designs and direction, whist also supporting other domains to ensure a consistent and secure AWS estate.

DDaT Pay Supplement

This post attracts a £5,000 DDaT pay supplement after a 3 month competency qualifying period. The payment will be backdated to your start date in the role. Pay supplements are temporary payments designed to address recruitment and retention issues caused by market pressures and are subject to regular review. This post is part of the Scottish Government DDaT profession. As a member of the profession, you will join the professional development scheme, currently BCS RoleModel plus.

Job description

• Presenting recommendations for technologies or improvements to enhance systems to support project goals clearly to senior management, based on knowledge of IT and analysis of systems’ needs.
• Evaluating the success of a project, once the solution has been integrated, identifying best practices and lessons learned.
• Providing feedback to leadership and incorporating best practices and lessons learned into future integration plans.
• Act as a key contributor to architecture governance activities ensuring the adoption of good working methods and best practice in the application of technology architecture standards.
• Leading the design and review processes for new solution and services, evidencing the inclusion of ‘Secure by Design” in the technical designs you produce, oversee and approve.
• Managing, coaching and mentoring more junior Technical Architects.
• Contributing to the overall technical strategy and road map for the department in your area of expertise.
• Creating optimal technical designs through an iterative process, aligning such factors as the user need within the system requirements, security and organisational objectives.
• Developing and documenting the proposed technical design for the integration and implementation of any solution, working with and across other areas of DDaT and the business.
• Ensure designs meet security and operational requirement.
• Be seen across the department or division as a Subject Matter expert, contributing to the development of architectural practice, ensuring a coherent and consistent strategy across cyber security, cloud, data centre, storage, network, mobile and the user experience of infrastructure.

Additional Duties

• The role will encompass line management duties.
• Act as a deputy for the Chief Architect as and when required including attending meeting with senior stakeholder and Ministers.
• Identify problems pro-actively and translate them into non-technical terms.
• Collaborate with external suppliers to ensure system architectures meet requirements.
• Direct the architecture, design, and implementation of robust, scalable, open and secure digital/web-based components, platforms and products ensuring delivery to the highest standard.

Person specification

1. Demonstrable experience in a Senior Architecture role with strong collaboration skills and understanding of complex technological landscapes.

2. Experience in people management activities such as interviewing, selection/hiring, and conducting performance assessments and ability to work unsupervised in a changing environment.

3. Capability to balance conflicting requirements, negotiate a consensus, and justify architectural design decisions.

4. Highly proficient in architecture principles and frameworks, such as C4 or TOGAF with knowledge of service-oriented architecture and microservices along with an excellent understanding of AWS Cloud, Security, Data Architecture, and Database systems.

Benefits

Annual Leave – You will receive 25 days annual leave on joining us. This will increase to 30 days after four full years of service. You will also have 11.5 public and privilege days of leave every year. We also offer Flexi-time. Any extra hours you’ve worked can be taken as leave when suitable.

A Civil Service Pension – This job comes with a Civil Service pension. New joiners to the Civil Service will join a career average pension scheme as standard. Read more here – www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk.

Healthy work life balance – We can offer the possibility of full-time, part-time, term-time, and job shares. We also encourage flexible working.

Discounts – You can enjoy a vast range of retail, travel and lifestyle discounts through our benefit scheme.

Personal support for you – Our Employee Assistance Programme gives you confidential, independent information and guidance 24/7.

Volunteering special leave – Up to six days paid special leave a year for volunteering. We support our staff to help causes important to them.

Great locations – Our bright and modern offices in the heart of Dundee and Glasgow have been designed with staff in mind. Both locations are ideal for public transport.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Resourcing Team
• Email : [email protected]

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]

Further information

https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/jobs/how-to-make-a-great-application

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