Solution Architect West Midlands
Job description
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Salary
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Contract type
Fixed Term
Length of employment
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Type of role
Information Technology
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Contents
Location
About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
Apply and further information
Location
About the job
Job summary
Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success, and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role. We look forward to receiving your application.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
We are looking for two Solution Architects to join our Enterprise Architect team. We have one permanent post available and one post on a 24 month fixed term appointment. The permanent post will be offered to the highest scoring candidate in merit order.
At the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), we believe everyone has the right to come home safe and well from their job. We use world-leading science to prevent work-related death, injury and ill health. We don’t just inspect and investigate; we also provide advice and training to organisations. All this together means we help keep people safe, boost productivity, support the UK economy and contribute to a fairer society.
Core to all of HSE’s work is the data, information and knowledge that we have gathered and developed, and which is used to support our field force of inspectors, scientists and policy makers. Information Technology plays a vital role in assuring that HSE staff have the right information, in the right place and at the right time.
Utilising Mobile Device Management technologies to deploy, build and control smart phones, tablets and laptops, HSE has been a leading government department at the forefront of innovative remote working solutions and is continuously looking at how to better support its 1500 inspectors and visiting officers in the field.
Newly refreshed server and data storage solutions are securely hosted in modern commercial data centres and monitored by HSE’s Security Operations Centre. Using industry-leading components, management tools and software, the data centres have undergone significant investment in recent years to ensure that services are reliable and robust.
Job description
HSE is now developing on a roadmap to replace its core business systems. Major digital services programmes are underway, operating with the guidance of the Government Digital Service’s service manual and TCOP, to redesign how HSE delivers its work and how new technologies can improve operational processes. Collaboration and IoT are integral to HSE’s future, supporting remote inspections and compliance monitoring.
The Information Technology and Facilities Division includes an Enterprise Architecture Team which is primarily responsible for the development of an enterprise architecture (including business, data, applications and technology domains), defining and executing technology strategy, and also for directing and assuring the delivery of new IT Solutions.
HSE is now developing on a roadmap to replace its core business systems. Major digital services programmes are underway, operating with the guidance of the Government Digital Service’s service manual and TCOP, to redesign how HSE delivers its work and how new technologies can improve operational processes. Collaboration and IoT are integral to HSE’s future, supporting remote inspections and compliance monitoring.
The permanent role will be in the Enterprise Architect Team to lead on the applications architecture domain, and direct and govern the design and delivery of new application components, and the end-to-end design that uses those components to delivery new digital IT solutions.
The fixed-term appointment will be the lead Solution Architect in one of HSE’s 3 Change Programmes.
You will have a key role in developing application roadmaps, target architectures, and reusable application components, and determining how we best transition from legacy solutions to modern services that help HSE to meet its business objectives
This is a very exciting time to join HSE. A series of new change programmes are now mobilised to deliver new Digital IT solutions that will replace legacy systems and improve processes. Each programme supports a specific operational area within HSE, but there will be commonality across the solution building blocks that require designing and integrating. There will be a blend of internal and 3rd party resources to deliver these programmes.
All Solution Architect positions will involve taking a lead role in this significant transformation within HSE.
At HSE, we are proud to be able to offer our people the opportunity to work in a hybrid way which combines working from home and the office. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your allocated office will be your contractual place of work. There will be a requirement to travel to the office for various activities e.g. collaborative working, supporting and training colleagues. If hybrid working is suitable for you and your role, the arrangements will be determined primarily by business need, but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. Therefore, we would encourage candidates to consider if the commute from home to the office is a feasible distance to travel before making an application. Please note that if you are successful, hybrid working will be discussed prior to taking up the post.
The post can be based in any HSE location with the exception of our London offices. For further information about HSE locations please click here.
You will be working as part of a predominantly Bootle based team and it should be assumed that you will be required to attend our Bootle HQ for team meetings and workshops on an occasional basis.
Person specification
Responsibilities
Your role as Solution Architect will include:
- Leading the Application/Solution Architecture domain within the Enterprise Architecture team
- Developing Target Application Architecture(s) and Roadmaps
- Assuring that any 3rd party supplier proposals are fit for purpose
- Leadership in ensuring HSE can maximise development of reusable services, through consistency and standardisation, that span different business areas
- Engagement with stakeholders (at all levels, including Director level) to better understand business objectives and technology challenges – to help ensure requirements are met in the design
- Recommending technology opportunities and innovations
- Applying strong communication and influencing skills to both technical and business stakeholders
- Building strong links for collaboration across other government departments to share best practice and insights
- Applying strong governance throughout the delivery, championing reuse, alignment to industry best practise, and HSE Architecture standards and principles.
- Recognising common requirements, across programmes, to standardise and deliver common services/enterprise components wherever possible
Key Experience and Skills
- An experienced Solution Architect, ideally with a track record of leading on the architectural design of enterprise level IT Solutions for UK Government
- Forward looking, with experience in developing Strategy, Roadmaps, Architectural Standards/Principles and Patterns
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Depth and Breadth of experience in the Business/Application services aspects. For example,
- Digital services
- Application components such as Case Management, Document/Evidence Management, Identity Management – and the leading technologies that deliver these components
- Architecting Cloud technologies, specifically Microsoft based such as the Power Platform, and Azure services
- Integration approaches, architecture, best practise, and technologies.
- Designing in compliance with Security Standards
- Experience of using Architecture Frameworks and Standards (e.g. TOGAF, Archimate) and associated Tools
- Experience of working effectively within a professional IT programme/project management environment and working collaboratively with suppliers, government partners and end users
- Leading on business problem definition, analysis & solution design activities
- Strong communication skills, listening to the needs of business and IT stakeholders
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Changing and Improving
- Making Effective Decisions
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role.
- An environment with flexible working options.
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- Competitive rates of pay
- Highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme to which HSE contribute 27.9% far more than in the private sector.
- Family friendly policies and working hours to help balance your home life and career.
- Carer friendly policies and working hours to help balance your home life and career.
- 25 days annual holiday increasing to 30 days after 5 years' service, plus bank holidays and 1-day Civil Service privilege leave.
- Competitive parental leave benefits.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Application information
As part of your application, you will be asked to complete an anonymised CV. Please ensure you complete your career history, your experience and qualifications.
You will also be asked to complete a personal statement, of no more than 500 words, which should evidence how your skills and experience align with the responsibilities listed in the advert and demonstrate the behaviours applicable to the role.
For guidance on how to apply and how to complete an application, please visit Civil Service Careers (opens in a new window).
Sift Information
A sift will take place during week commencing 27th February 2023 when you will be assessed on your CV and personal statement.
Interview information
Candidates who pass the sift will be invited for an interview during the week commencing 20th March 2023 when you will be asked questions based on the advertised behaviours and skills and experience.
As part of your interview, you will also be required to deliver a short presentation. Further details of this will be sent out with your interview invitation
Interviews will take place via Microsoft Teams and further information will be sent to candidates who are successful at sift.
Please note that dependent on numbers of applications received these dates could be subject to change.
Further information
Please note that, due to the nature of security checks undertaken, applicants must have 3 years continuous residency in the UK up to the date of the application and, Home Office approval for indefinite leave to remain within the UK.
Please note that a reserve list will be held for the period of up to 12 months.
It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful in their application. For a summary of HSE terms and conditions as part of Civil Service Reform, please see the attached document.
Any move across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018 may have implications on an employee’s ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers.
Please note, if you are a current civil servant and you are currently undergoing any of the following formal actions your application will not be progressed any further;
Formal discipline action, any formal action regarding attendance, poor performance or any restriction of duties as a result of disciplinary action.
If you have a disability and you need an application form in an alternative format or you would like to know more about our recruitment process, please contact: [email protected]
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Apply and further information
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