Lead Solution Architect inBirmingham inBirmingham PUBLISHED 5 NOV 2024

The UKHSA Data Design & Architecture (DD&A) team is responsible for supporting data architecture and data solutions across the organisation. We are a small team of solution architects, data architects, and data modellers. We also work closely with other parts of the organisation who also are involved in development and maintenance of infrastructure and software, including Programme Teams, Engineering & Enablement, Surveillance Systems, Data Services & Quality, Genomics, Enterprise Architecture and the Development and Operations team.

The DD&A team supervises and actively develops solutions and data architecture which meet both our own and wider strategies and design principles/blueprints. We also work on solution migration, consolidation, transformation, improvement, stabilisation, and decommissioning. We are seeking solution architects with AWS/Azure experience.

This role will be a Lead Solution Architect managing up to three other Solution Architects directly.

This role comes with a Market Pay Supplement of up to £15,000 for 12 months from the effective start date. The Market Pay Supplement is based on a capability assessment completed for the successful candidate before offer.

As part of our key leadership team within the organisation, you'll work closely with stakeholders and technology leaders to ensure that DD&A solutions meet the business and technology objectives of the organisation.

You will develop solution designs and blueprints across AWS, Azure, and on-premises infrastructure, ensuring the most effective use of components which also meet current and future requirements. You will be responsible for ensuring that solutions are properly elaborated and documented, reporting to the Head of Enterprise Data on progress, and leading the delivery of architecture on daily stand-ups. You will also present these solutions for review to the appropriate governance bodies for approval.

When required, you will also support implementation of architecture, lending expertise to ensure any implementation challenges are overcome while aligning to the approved architecture.

About us

Your role as Lead Solution Architect will include:

Grade 6 Specific Criteria

• Responsible and accountable for guiding a team of solution architects to translate the UKHSA Data Ecosystem Framework into reusable design patterns which will guide approval for all data solutions within the organisation
• Responsible for influencing other parts of the organisation to adopt the UKHSA Data Ecosystem Framework
• Responsible for delivery of design patterns for key enterprise data tooling including but not limited to the UKHSA enterprise data catalogue, master data management, reference data management, and data quality management
• Accountable for ensuring alignment with requirements as set by the Head of Enterprise Data for data platform consolidation and improvement through data solution architecture management.

Line Management Criteria

Supervision for and hands-on creation of:

• Design patterns and blueprints for solution architecture across cloud and on-premises infrastructure
• Alignment of solutions to business and technology strategies
• Implementation of best practice informed by standards, such as The Open Group Architectural Framework (TOGAF) and Government
• Digital Services frameworks
• Enterprise architecture, data architecture, and stakeholder requirement specifications
• A unified data ecosystem across UKHSA through reusable and consolidated solutions
• Documentation for solution artefacts in Confluence and LeanIX
• Opportunities for improvement in current solution architecture
• Tactical requirements where applicable backed by strategic thinking

Essential Criteria

Please be aware that we will assess on the six essential criteria stated on the advert rather than the full list on the job description document.

• Development of architectural principles and blueprints
• Cloud architecture expertise in AWS or Azure
• Strong communication skills
• Ability to translate complex topics into simple language
• Integration experience
• Broad IT infrastructure components, applications, security, and networking
  
  

Desirable Criteria

• Understanding of TOGAF and other major data and solution related architecture frameworks (DMBOK)Experience with healthcare-based applications and data
• Experience of leading solution architect teams, preferably within government organisations

Selection Process Details:

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours/Ability/ Experience/Technical skills.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

Success profiles

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the above listed six essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application)
• 
  1500 word
  Statement of Suitability.

This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

The Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked separately, and you must pass both to move forward to interview.

Shortlisting:
In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on:

• Cloud architecture expertise in AWS or Azure, and
• Integration Experience

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview and assessment.

Please do not exceed
1500 words
. We will not consider any words over and above this number.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview (success profiles)

You will be invited to a (single) remote interview.

Behaviours, technical and ability will be tested at interview.

There will be a Presentation.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Leadership
• Communicating and influencing
• Seeing the big picture
• Delivering at pace
• Changing and improving

Interviews will be held week commencing 9 December 2024. Please note, these dates are subject to change.

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

Eligibility Criteria

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual workinghours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's core HQs (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London).

Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport link and benefit from benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard.