Job Description
Lead Solutions Architect - Team Member are required to ensure delivery of widespread digital change in one of the UK's largest major Government Departments
Your new company
The Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) is a major UK Government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment. From the food we eat and the air we breathe, to the water we drink, Defra plays a vitalrole in people's everyday life. We work tirelessly to sustain a thriving rural economy and together we drive the success of our world-leading food and farming industry. Defra's Digital Data and Technology Services (DDTS) function are currently undertaking significant change across our enterprise and embracing Digital Services as a platform for continued transformation. As such, we require Lead Solutions Architect - Team Member to join us at this exciting time and facilitate change programmes unseen in the private sector.
Your new role
The Lead Solution Architect will work across million-pound projects in different business areas on problems that require broad architectural thinking to ensure delivery of an end-to-end solution. As you consider the architecture, you will need to provide a fully rounded service, implementing designs based on requirements, strategic drivers and best practice. The projects will be high profile and high value. Working across all of Defra and partner organisations. Decisions made and guidance given by an architect operating at this level will be financially consequential and guide long term investment decisions, to the value of millions of pounds. The Lead Solution Architect plays an active and often practical part in the realisation of the design to deliver the desired business outcomes and will be called upon as an expert to resolve conflicts with inter-dependencies in multiple initiative scenarios, often arbitrating between organisations and suppliers.
What you'll need to succeed
The successful candidate will have a track record of complex IT Programme architecture, involving dependency management and multi-supplier deliveries in an enterprise architecture capacity. This will include practical knowledge and understanding of architectural models delivered in a variety of methodologies. You will need to show strong hands-on experience and knowledge of at least one solution stack or product ecosystem, along with a range of application technologies which may be selected from to deliver required capabilities. You will show an ability to identify areas where specialist input is required, allowing you to coordinate required resources, highlighting strong communication and stakeholder management skills. Key to your success will be your technical knowledge surrounding solutions architecture. This will be judged by your experience in a multi-vendor environment. You will be responsible for designing solutions and assuring the work of others to ensure coherent designs, supporting an end-to-end service. You will be required to think pragmatically to balance architectural elegance, value for money and appropriate adoption of risk.
You will be assessed against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communication and Influencing
- Working together
- Managing a Quality Service
You will be assessed against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Turning business problems into technical design
- Bridging the gap between technical and non-technical
What you'll get in return
Defra will continue working from home, and we support fully remote flexible working. Defra have offices across the UK. The DDTS hubs are York, Warrington, Crewe, Birmingham, Reading and Bristol. You'll join Defra at an exciting time within a collaborative team which is involved in all of Defra's technical initiatives.
Our exceptional benefits package includes 25 days of annual leave (increasing to 30 after 5 years of service) + bank holidays, flexible working, a significant pension contribution of 20%+, flexi-benefits and mentoring and personal development opportunities.
What you need to do now
For a confidential discussion and for more information please click 'apply' to submit your CV.
