Solutions Architect

Solutions Architect - OUTSIDE IR35 Please note you must have experience in the public sector and shared services, ideally understands local government. As the Solutions Architect, you will act as the gatekeeper for all technical design authority decisions. You will work with all relevant ICT staff to support and challenge the technical design of new and existing systems to meet the needs of the ICT Service’s customers. You will have full accountability for the development, ownership, delivery, and support of an Enterprise Architecture. Key Role Accountabilities: Work to agreed objectives with full responsibility for quality of work performance, both as a manager and as a technical specialist. Review all technical designs and provide advice and guidance to less experienced colleagues. Plan, schedule and monitor work in a systematic and analytical manner within agreed timescales. Responsible for providing advice on the use of the ICT environment to ICT staff and business users and for determining the standards to which operating systems and software must comply. Ensure all key processes for the team are documented and owned, and establish and embed a culture of continuous service improvement. Develop partnerships with internal and external customers, service managers and external agencies and organisations engendering a culture of genuine partnership and supporting their needs to achieve the objectives of the ICT Service. Attend and present reports to Management Boards, Senior Management and Programme Steering Groups as and when required and in particular to report operational and corporate risks arising from changes to design principles. Identify options, costs, issues and risks for business stakeholders and make recommendations. Implement and maintain all required architecture governance. Key Competencies: Analytical Skills: Demonstrates highly developed analytical skills that enable the effective management of strategic and operational risks, maximising opportunities and decision making. Planning and Organising: Ability to manage a complex range of functions and manage multiple priorities with confidence. Change Management: Ability to control numerous projects simultaneously to budget and deadline, whilst maintaining excellent quality control and working with a wide range of partners. Problem Solving and Decision Making: Ability to react to immediate problems of a highly complex nature with associated risk factors and deliver pragmatic solutions sometimes under extreme pressure. Strategic Thinking: Ability to identify patterns, trends and long term possibilities; can create and shape a vision of the future that fits in with the Council’s long term objectives and is able to articulate strategy to a wider audience. Technical Requirements: Qualified to ITIL foundation, or willing to work towards. Prince2 Practitioner level or equivalent in a structured project management methodology Understanding of the relevant legislative framework and professional standards both within the ICT industry and in particular to a local authority. Working knowledge of at least 3 of the following areas Information and Data Management, System Design and Development, Security, Application Management, ERP systems, Email systems, AD, Networks, Storage and Backup, OS, Database Management and Microsoft Solutions. • Demonstrable evidence of producing high-quality technical documentation.