Solution Architect
Department for Work and Pensions
Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 19th May 2024
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About the job
Job summary
Are you an experienced architect looking to apply your skills to develop new digital services, to drive true transformation and bring about positive change for the lives of millions of people?
If so, this could be the job for you!
Your work will involve creating digital solutions and collaborating with forward-thinking teams to underpin the architecture of DWP’s Children’s and Families services.
Job description
As a Solution Architect, you will:
- Design technical solutions (products and services) to meet user needs and align with DWP architecture strategy and standards
- Provide a consistent set of solution views, that communicate and describe the construction of the solution to all stakeholders
- Champion solution communication, making the complex simple to understand
- Support delivery teams, blending technical (development and architecture) and behaviour (leadership and communication) skills to achieve team goals.
Responsibilities
Your responsibilities for this role include, but are not restricted to the following:
- Deliver the architecture design elements of DWP services
- Work with DWP engineering teams, and other Digital stakeholders, to create VFM solution designs
- Ensure technical quality and adherence of solution designs to the DWP architecture principles, standards, patterns and practices, Enterprise Architecture and Product Roadmaps.
- Identify, capture, share, and implement architecture patterns
- Drive resolution of technical debt, to reduce the ongoing cost of DWP IT services
- Represent solution designs at DWP governance forums, providing clear communication of architecture design and rational for decision making, in order to gain approval to proceed with designs.
Person specification
When giving details in your CV and personal statement you should highlight your experience in line with essential criteria below:
- Application Architecture design and modelling techniques, patterns, tools, and standards
- Event-based architecture design, patterns (including pub-sub and data streaming), modelling techniques, tools, and standard.
- Agile delivery methodologies and best practice
- Public cloud technologies and cloud hosting design patterns
- Presenting to technical governance forums.
When giving details of your CV, you should therefore include details of the work and projects that you have been involved in, and your role therein.
If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact abs.ali@dwp.gov.uk.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Technical Breadth
- Turning business problems into technical designs
Benefits
• An employer pension contribution of up to 27% For further information please click here.
• Annual leave rising up to 30 days, (based on your working pattern).
• Family friendly flexible working arrangements, such as hybrid working, job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
• Learning and development tailored to your role this could include industry recognised qualifications, coaching and mentoring.
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join staff networks including: Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.
Location
Applicants should apply for suitable posts where they can travel to and from their home office location daily within a reasonable time.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas. Relocation costs will not be reimbursed
Hybrid Working
This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business need but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.
HASSRA
DWP colleagues will have the opportunity to join HASSRA, a vibrant and successful organisation that provides a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly). It also has an important part to play in helping us achieve a healthy work-life balance and wellbeing in the workplace.
Salary Information
Pay for this role is from £52,412 to £70,000.
The maximum salary for the grade is £63,517, however a Digital Allowance of up to £6,483 per annum is available for exceptional candidates, based on our assessment of your skills and experience.
Our offer to successful candidates will be based on an assessment of your skills and experience as demonstrated at interview.
Existing Civil Servants who secure a new role on lateral transfer should maintain their current salary.
Existing Civil Servants who gain promotion may move to the bottom of the next grade pay scale or 10% increase in salary whichever would be the greater.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Stage 1: Application
Your application will consist of three parts:
1. A Personal Details application form.
2. Your employment history detailing your responsibilities, skills, accomplishments, plus your qualifications and relevant training. Please copy this information into the box field provided.
3. Personal statement up to 500 words. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
When giving details in your employment history and personal statement you should highlight your experience in line with essential criteria listed in the Person Specification.
The sift panel will use the information in your employment history and personal statement to assess your experience, skills and knowledge against the essential criteria above.
For Hints and Tips on completing your application visit Applying for jobs at DWP Digital.
Applications will be sifted at regular intervals from the date the posts are advertised. Please apply as soon as you can, do not wait until the end of the campaign.
Important Information
• You will be asked to complete your employment history any information that you would customarily share on a CV should therefore be entered onto the application form.
• Personal details that could be used to identify you including your name, contact details and address must be removed for your application to be considered.
• If your employment history/personal statement contains any personal details your application will be withdrawn.
Stage 2: Interview
If you’re successful at sift stage you will be invited to a video interview via Microsoft Teams. There, you will be assessed against the following Behaviours and Technical Skills:
Behaviours
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
Technical Skills
• Technical Breadth
• Turning business problems into technical designs
Candidates will be asked to submit, prior to interview, a short presentation (5 minutes, 2-3 PowerPoint slides) on an architecture design you've been involved in, explaining the key architecture designs made, and their rationale.
Interviews will take place from early July 2024. Interview dates to be confirmed.
Further information:
Find out more about Working for DWP
For Hints and Tips on completing your application visit Applying for jobs at DWP Digital.
A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.
Reserve list candidates will be posted in merit order by location.
Reasonable Adjustment
At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.
We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: Contact Government Recruitment Service via DigitalRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
For further information on reasonable adjustments, terms and conditions and how we recruit visit the How we recruit page
The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
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).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Abs Ali
- Email : abs.ali@dwp.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : digitialrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
