DDAT - Senior Technical Architect

DSIT • Full-time • MOD Abbeywood • £59.69k - £59.63k / year • 3d ago

Job summary

Defence Digital ensures our Armed Forces remain among the most technologically advanced in the world. We do this by putting innovative and effective technology into the hands of over 200,000 users, from the boardroom to the front line.

We lead on cutting-edge data science, automation, and cyber security at scale. Our mission goes beyond the battlefield by leading humanitarian efforts and driving digital innovation that impacts lives across the globe.

Defence Digital forms part of Strategic Command which manages the MOD’s joint capabilities for the Army, RAF, and Royal Navy.

Working at Defence Digital

Passionate about using your skills to make a critical difference? Your next career move could be here!

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

Join Defence Digital as a Senior Technical Architect and play a pivotal role in designing innovative technology solutions that serve millions across the UK. You'll be part of a dynamic organisation where your expertise will directly contribute to supporting the nation through cutting-edge digital programmes and future-focused initiatives.

As Senior Technical Architect you will act as part of a team that defines the solutions architecture for medium to large scale, complex or specialised MOD assignments. You will also define the intelligence exploitation and dissemination solutions architecture for Intelligence Systems on a large scale, complex capability within the MOD.

Responsibilities

Design and develop enterprise-level technology solutions aligned with business objectives
Collaborate with stakeholders to understand requirements and translate them into technical specifications
Ensure solutions comply with security, governance, and regulatory standards
Provide technical guidance and mentorship to development teams

For more information on the Senior Technical Architect profession please see the Government Digital and Data Framework;

Technical Architect

Person specification

To be successful in the role of Senior Technical Architect you will bring experience of;

Developing appropriate elements of an integrated suite of architectures and technical models and policies to cover the applications, data and information infrastructure/computing layers whilst applying standard methodology across the portfolio. E.g. TOGAF, ArchiMate and ITIL principles.
Owning the development of and alignment to Enterprise Architectures to drive convergence, coherence and re-use of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) components.
Presenting and ratifying artefacts for the Design & Architecture boards that contribute to the architecture repository.
Acting as a solutions architect domain expert
Working collaboratively with Project Team to deliver applications using Agile and Scaled Agile methodologies.

Application

When submitting your CV, please highlight your career history and experience relevant to this role. Additionally, refer to the "Things You Need to Know" section of the advert and provide a personal statement (max.1250 words) demonstrating the Essential Criteria listed below:

Essential Criteria

Experience in solution architecture or similar technical design roles, with a proven track record of leading and delivering large scale end to end architectural projects.
Strong understanding of enterprise architecture principles and methodologies, proficiency in tools and frameworks to support complex architectural designs, governance and stakeholder communication, for example production of design patterns, modelling languages and component building blocks.
A great listener with excellent communication skills (written, verbal and presentational) including the ability to articulate complex architectural concepts with ability to engage diverse stakeholders by adapting communication style, language and format to fit the needs of the audience.
Problem-solving mindset with analytical thinking capabilities

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

Seeing the Big Picture
Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

Communicating between the technical and non-technical (technical architect)
Making and guiding decisions
Turning business problems into technical design
Understanding the whole context

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £59,690, Ministry of Defence contributes £17,292 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• An environment with flexible working options

• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

• 25 days annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service

• In addition to 8 public holidays per year you will also receive leave for HM The King's birthday

• Minimum of 15 Days Special Leave in a rolling 12-month period to for volunteer military or emergency service reserve commitments

• Special Paid Leave for volunteering up to 6 days a year

• Enhanced parental and adoption leave

• Employee Assistance Programme to support your wellbeing

• Most sites have good travel links with free car parking; many also have other facilities such as a Sports & Social Club and Gyms

• A highly competitive pension scheme.

Discover my benefits for more information

This post may be eligible for a Digital Skills Allowance of up to £15,300 per annum. Eligibility for this allowance will be assessed at interview against the 4 core technical skills only and reviewed annually in line with departmental policy.

Learning & Development

In Defence Digital we have a strong learning and development ethos, supporting you to fulfil your potential by providing –

• Learning and development tailored to your role

• Professional and Personal Development of skills

• Access to thousands of training courses through Civil Service Learning, some free or paid by MOD

• Ability to obtain industry recognised qualifications supported by MOD.

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

Any move to MOD from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

At sift you will be assessed on the following :

Please complete the CV template provided on the CS Jobs dashboard, ensuring your CV highlights your relevance to the Essential Criteria listed in the Person Specification above.

All applicants will also need to provide a personal statement (max. 1250 words) and it is vital that this includes evidence of the Essential Criteria. Your CV and personal statement will be scored 1-7 and make up part of your overall score to assess your suitability to be invited to interview.

At interview, you will be assessed against the following Success Profiles Behaviours/Technical Skills:

Behaviours

Seeing the Big Picture
Making Effective Decisions

Technical Skills:

Communicating between the technical and non-technical (technical architect)
Making and guiding decisions
Turning business problems into technical design
Understanding the whole context

Interview

If invited to interview you will be expected to deliver a short presentation on an architecture related topic. The subject of this will be advised nearer the interview time.

Equality and Diversity

Our people are at the heart of everything we do at Defence Digital. It’s vital that our workforce reflects the diversity of both our audience and the wider society in the UK, so we’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer and we actively seek candidates from diverse backgrounds and communities. We also recognise the importance of a good work life balance, so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including part-time and job shares for all our roles. Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process if this is something you want to explore.

Hybrid Working

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details).

AI Usage in Job Applications

We encourage the use of technology to streamline the job application process. Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be helpful in generating ideas, improving writing style, and increasing efficiency. However, it is essential that any content submitted as part of a job application is truthful, accurate, and a genuine reflection of the applicant’s qualifications and experiences. Any use of AI should be supplementary to your own knowledge and abilities. Ultimately, the application should demonstrate your unique skills and suitability for the role.

Professional Framework Statement

Defence Digital operates an organisation model in which every individual belongs to a Government Profession. The successful applicant will be posted into one of the defined Government Professions on Standard Terms of Reference for the grade. Defence Digital reserves the right to move individuals between roles, within their allocated profession, to meet the needs of the business and in support of agile resourcing. Within Defence Digital each profession is led by a Professional Head of Community who will lead professional development and support the Continuous Professional Development path for their group.

Strategic Command is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to improve the way the Command conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, all posts within Strategic Command Headquarters and in time the wider organisation, are/will be subject to review and potential changes as we continuously improve across the period of the transformation programme. These changes may be minor or could be more substantive and will generate new opportunities. Throughout, the Command’s transformation programme is committed to following the MOD’s framework on managing and supporting people through the change process and places an emphasis on early and open consultation and engagement with the Command’s personnel and Trade Unions.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk .

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came in to effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system.

Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

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).

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.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

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

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

Name :
Defence Digital Talent Acquisition Team
Email :
ukstratcomdd-hr-talentacqdel@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

Email :
DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk

Further information

Please ensure you read the attached candidate information document prior to completing your application. If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint by writing to DBS at the following address: Defence Business Services, Scanning Hub, Room 6124, Tomlinson House, Norcross Lane, Blackpool, FY5 3WP. If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address: , Civil Service commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ Or by email:

info@csc.gov.uk.