Cloud Infrastructure Architect

Cloud Infrastructure Architect | Hybrid Working with Glasgow or Dundee Base Location | £57141 - £71243 + £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%)|

Are you a Senior Infrastructure Architect with experience in cloud environments and networking? Would you like to work on large-scale design challenges with the latest technology from AWS? We are looking for an experienced architect to join our expanding friendly team of Cloud Architects here at Social Security Scotland.

This is a unique opportunity to define the cloud infrastructure of the first new public service in Scotland for over fifty years. As an expert in your profession, your skills and decision making will impact the wellbeing of millions throughout Scotland.

The Architecture and Design branch, part of our Chief Digital Office, 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.

We are looking for an accomplished Cloud Infrastructure Architect who enjoys working in a broad, varied role with lots of business exposure. You will have strong visibility across the entire company and therefore excellent communication and relationship building skills are a must. This is an exciting time to join and you will utilise leading edge tools along the way both to create new platforms and ensure continuous enhancements of a Scotland and UK first.

Candidates should be knowledgeable (significant experience of designing and implementing at enterprise-scale) and have hands-on experience with AWS cloud concepts (cloud architect certification preferred). Experience in networks is preferred as is a background in high availability architecture.

Experience working across various domains, developers, managers, and executives is required as is the ability to demonstrate and explain complex solutions. You will have the opportunity to work with a variety of AWS services with other architects and specialists in security and engineering.

This role presents a unique opportunity to play a pivotal role in investing in and designing solutions for Social Security Scotland. Reporting into the Lead Cloud Architect, you will be responsible for taking infrastructure design patterns/low-level designs and working collaboratively to deliver a robust cloud infrastructure.

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. 

• C1 - Salary between £57141 - £71243 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 £5,000 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 scheme, currently BCS Role-Model plus. 

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 of 2 days per week in your assigned location. Base office location can be in either Dundee or Glasgow. 

About Us 

Social Security Scotland is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government. 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  

• Design effective cloud first solutions and networks that support cutting-edge service design.
• Demonstrate your ability to influence and work collaboratively across a broad matrix of specialists and experts.
• Articulately present designs and solutions at the highest level and in a compelling manner.
• Work closely with security colleagues to define highly available, resilient, scalable and fault tolerant end-to-end solution architecture.
• Work with a diverse supplier landscape to select and maximise the value of cutting-edge technology, as well as the latest policies and principles.
• Network and collaborate externally with like-minded professionals as a representative of the organisation.
• Utilise public cloud platforms such as AWS to host and enable line of business applications and services.
• Lead the conversation on network architecture and work with security colleagues.

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 record your Personal Statement (no longer than 750 words). This should clearly demonstrate how your skills, qualities and experience meet the following essential criteria:  

1. An understanding of cloud platform services (ideally AWS) including identity, security, high-availability and cloud networking.

2. Knowledge of modern and relevant cloud security and automation tools within cloud infrastructure.

3. Experience working under security-related frameworks and best practice. Demonstrable design knowledge should include (but not limited to) cloud enabled security capabilities in some of the following areas: Identity and Access, Privileged Access Management, CI/CD Pipeline Security, Security Monitoring, Audit and Response, DevOps Orchestration Security Controls.

4. Experience of Linux/Unix/Windows system administration skills, good understanding of infrastructure, network, and application security including understanding of OWASP objectives and requirements, configuration of firewalls, load balancers and other network equipment.

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. 

DDaT Social Security Scotland - Further information - Cloud Infrastructure Architect

Information Session
We will be running an online information session on 8th May 2024 at 12 - 1pm.

We will be talking about:

• About Social Security Scotland
• The Cloud Infrastructure Architect role and Architecture 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 meeting

Interview/Assessment Information

Here are details of the Competencies required for this role which you will be tested against if you are invited to attend an interview and undertake a digital assessment: 
 
• Leading Others

• Communications and Engagement

• Improving Performance

• Analysis and Use of Evidence

• 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 reached at 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 to a higher Band or Grade. 

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 .

 
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