Lead Solutions Architect

Lead Solutions Architect | Hybrid Working with Glasgow or Dundee Base Location | £73757-£85130 + £5,000 DDaT Pay Supplement after 3 month qualifying period | Full or Part Time Hours | Flexi- time | 25 Days annual leave (increasing to 30 after 4 years’ service) plus 11.5 Public and Privilege | Contributory Pension Scheme (employee contributions 7.35% employer contributions 28.97%)|

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.  

Joining our team means being part of our mission to develop innovative digital solutions that enhance the welfare of the people of Scotland. If you are seeking a role that offers exciting opportunities for personal and professional growth, apply now to become a valued member of our Architecture and Design branch. 

You will be a highly skilled Solutions Architect who has a proven track record in designing large, complex IT solutions.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.

What do we offer you?

We offer meaningful and engaging careers, a collaborative culture, and support for your career goals, all while nurturing a healthy work-life balance.We provide an employment package that attracts, develops, and retains only the best talent.

• C2 - Salary between £73757 - £85130, plus a £5000 annual Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) pay supplement after a 3 month qualifying period. This supplement is backdated and paid with your monthly salary.
• Flexible working arrangements with potential of up to 4 days off per month.
• You will have an annual leave allowance of 5 weeks, rising to 6 weeks after 4 years. In addition, the Scottish Government observes 11½ days public and privilege holidays, dates of which are set annually.
• Workplace adjustments for everyone that needs them to ensure your comfort and safety in your new role.
• Learning and development opportunities to support your personal and professional growth.
• Career progression – join a rapidly growing and developing organisation with excellent opportunities for career advancement.
• Contributory Pension Scheme (employee contributions 7.35% employer contributions 28.97%).
• Health and wellbeing support including 24 hour access to our Employee Assistance Programme, plus counselling support available for all.
• Discounts on gym memberships and retail outlets.

DDaT Pay Supplement

This post attracts a £5000 Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) pay supplement after a 3 months DDaT 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 system, currently BCS RoleModelplus.

Hybrid Working

We embrace a hybrid working style where all colleagues will spend time in either our Glasgow or Dundee offices. There is an expectation of a minimum 2 days per week in your assigned location. Base office location can be in either Glasgow or Dundee.

About Us  

Social Security Scotland is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government and has the largest and most complex IT and digital change programme since devolution. With a lifetime budget of over £300m, we are delivering a social security system that will support the people of Scotland for decades to come. Our benefits help people from all walks of life in Scotland. We are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce that is representative of the clients we serve.   

Find out more about us here  

• 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 cybersecurity, 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 proactively 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.

No specific qualifications are required for this post.     
 
How To Apply

To apply for this post, you will need to provide the information requested below via the online application process.

A CV no longer than two pages setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements - this is accessed through the candidate profile.

In addition, please complete a personal statement no longer than 750 words. This should clearly demonstrate how your skills, qualities and experience meet the following essential criteria:

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.

When considering how your experience relates to the role, please tailor your CV and personal statement to reflect the role and the essential skills/criteria as described in the job description. 

If we receive a large number of applications, we may complete an initial sift on the first essential criteria.

If you pass the sift but are not invited to the first round of interviews, you may be invited to a subsequent round. Any queries on this please contact recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot 

If you are invited to an interview this will be held in person in either Agnes Husband House, Dundee or High Street, Glasgow. 

We aim to provide feedback on request, however; if we receive a large number of applications it may not be possible for us to provide feedback on your application if you are not invited to attend an interview/assessment. We will provide feedback on request to all candidates that attend an interview/assessment.

Social Security Scotland Further information Lead Solutions Architect

Information Session

We will be running online information sessions on Tuesday 7th May 12-1pm.

The session will cover:
•  About Social Security Scotland
•  The Lead Solutions Architect role and Architecture and Design Team
•  Our recruitment process
•  Q&A with the hiring manager

Please feel free to join us using the link below to find out more about the role and working for Social Security Scotland.

Click here to join the Information Session

Interview/Assessment Information

Here are details of the Competencies required for this role, you will be tested against these competencies if you are invited to attend an interview and undertake a digital assessment:

•  Leading Others
•  Communications and Engagement
•  Analysis and Use of Evidence
•  Financial Management
•  DDaT Technical Skill Assessment

Reserve List

In the event that further posts are required, a reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for up to 9 months.

Recruitment Contact

To learn more about this opportunity, please contact our Resourcing Team who can be contacted by emailing recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot.

Please note that we will not engage with external recruitment agencies for this post. 

Further Information   

The successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 3 years unless successful in gaining promotion. 

Social Security Scotland are a Disability Confident Employer. We will consider and implement any reasonable adjustments you may require throughout the recruitment process and during the course of your employment, should you be successful in securing a post. If you feel you may require assistance with any part of our recruitment process, please contact us at Recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot.   

  
Social Security Scotland’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the recruitment principles of the Civil Service Commissioner, which outline that selection for appointment be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition - Recruitment - Civil Service Commission (independent.gov.uk)   

If you feel at any time your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, you can make a complaint, by contacting Social Security Scotland at recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commissioner.  

If you experience any difficulties accessing our website or completing the online application form, please contact the Resourcing Team via recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot 

If you are interested in us contacting you about further available vacancies, please sign up to our mailing list to receive job alerts.