Defence Intelligence - Senior Cloud Enterprise Architect at Ministry of Defence in City of Westminster, London (region)

Job summary

The Senior Cloud Enterprise Architect will provide enterprise architectural leadership for cloud services across Defence Intelligence and, where directed, the Military Intelligence Service, spanning Official, Secret and Top Secret environments.

The post holder will translate strategic objectives, operational requirements and technology opportunities into coherent cloud architecture principles, target states and transition roadmaps. They will define architectural standards and reusable patterns, guide workload placement and technology investment decisions, and assure cloud proposals against Defence architecture, cyber-security, interoperability, resilience and value-for-money requirements.

Working with Defence Digital & Data colleagues, cyber and security specialists, data and solution architects, service owners, delivery teams, industry and wider government partners, the role will build agreement around architectural decisions and ensure cloud adoption remains coherent across organisational and security boundaries.

This is a senior architecture role requiring strong enterprise architecture capability, practical cloud knowledge, sound judgement and the ability to communicate complex decisions to technical and non-technical audiences. Travel to DI and other HMG sites within the UK will be required. A small amount of international travel may be required.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

In Defence Intelligence (DI) our people solve problems, create understanding and give perspective to the diverse and complex Defence threats and challenges in a rapidly changing world. Together our civilians and military personnel inform decision making in Defence, manage complex finance programmes and develop new technology.

In DI we believe your unique experiences, view and understanding of the world could provide a vital perspective and contribution to our work. We recognise that great minds do not think alike and are striving to increase our diversity representation at all levels. As an equal opportunities employer we hire, train and promote people based on merit and aspire to create an inclusive workplace free of discrimination. We also offer flexible working arrangements such as flexi-time, job share and compressed hours. 

Defence Intelligence relies on secure, resilient and interoperable digital services to support intelligence assessment and operations. Cloud technologies are central to modernising these services, enabling better access to data and capabilities while reducing fragmented delivery, duplication and technical debt.

As the Senior Cloud Enterprise Architect, you will be the principal architectural authority for cloud within Defence Intelligence and, where directed, across the Military Intelligence Service. You will define how cloud should be used across the enterprise and ensure that investment and delivery decisions align with agreed architecture strategy, principles, standards and roadmaps. 

You will translate business strategy and operational needs into current-state, target-state and transition architectures across Official, Secret and Above Secret environments. You will work across business, data, application, technology, service and security architecture domains to ensure that cloud-enabled change is coherent, deliverable and aligned with wider Defence direction.

You will provide authoritative advice to senior leaders, governance bodies, service owners and delivery teams. You will lead architectural option analysis, make or recommend architecture decisions, assure proposed designs, identify opportunities for reuse and standardisation, and manage architectural risks, exceptions and technical debt. This role is one requiring broad architectural judgement, practical knowledge of cloud technologies and operating models, and the ability to influence outcomes across organisational boundaries without relying on formal authority.

The role offers the opportunity to shape the future of secure cloud across Defence Intelligence, ensuring that cloud capabilities support operational advantage, interoperability, resilience, sustainability and value for money.

Main Responsibilities:

• Own and maintain the Defence Intelligence enterprise cloud architecture vision, strategy, principles and roadmap, aligned with Defence and Government direction.
• Develop and maintain business cases, current-state, target-state and transition architectures for cloud capabilities across relevant security classifications.
• Lead problem definition, architecture option analysis and trade-off assessments, balancing operational outcomes, security, interoperability, resilience, scalability, sustainability, affordability and value for money.
• Assure designs and investment proposals against enterprise architecture, cyber-security, data, service and technology requirements.
• Represent Defence Intelligence at architecture boards, design authorities and cross-Defence governance forums, escalating material risks and resolving architectural conflicts.
• Promote reuse, interoperability and standardisation while identifying opportunities to simplify the estate, retire duplication and reduce technical debt.
• Undertake horizon scanning and assess emerging cloud technologies, supplier developments and architectural patterns for their relevance to Defence Intelligence.
• Communicate complex architectural issues and recommendations clearly to senior technical and non-technical stakeholders.

All jobs advertised in DI are subject to fair and open competition.

DI operates as part of Cyber and Specialist Operations Command (CSOC) which is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to design the way in which the new Military Command conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, posts within CSOC are/or may become 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. 

Person specification

We are looking for an experienced enterprise architect who can operate confidently across organisational, professional and security boundaries. You will be comfortable shaping strategy in a complex environment where requirements may be unclear, technology choices involve significant trade-offs, and progress depends on the quality of your judgement, evidence and influence.

This post requires British nationality (some dual nationals may be ineligible) and Developed Vetting clearance. You will also need to undergo additional security clearance checks, with the offer of employment being conditional on obtaining all necessary security clearances. There are limitations on travelling to a small number of countries once in post.

Essential criteria

• Significant experience operating as an enterprise, domain or senior solution architect in a large, complex or federated digital environment. 
• Experience translating organisational strategy and operational needs into architecture principles, target states, transition roadmaps and implementable change. 
• Demonstrable experience architecting for the whole context, balancing business outcomes, user needs, security, data, technology, service, commercial, affordability and sustainability considerations. 
• Experience leading complex problem definition, option analysis and architectural decision-making, with clear rationale and traceability. 
• Experience assuring strategies, designs or investment proposals against enterprise architecture and managing architectural risks, exceptions or technical debt. 
• Strong architecture communication skills, including the ability to explain complex decisions and trade-offs to senior technical and non-technical stakeholders. 
• Experience influencing across organisational boundaries and building consensus around strategic architecture direction. 

Desirable criteria

• Experience working in Defence, Intelligence, National Security or another highly regulated or security-conscious environment. 
• Experience designing or assuring services across multiple security classifications or high-assurance environments. 
• Knowledge of cloud security, identity, networking, resilience, interoperability and service operating models. 
• Understanding of platform engineering, DevSecOps, infrastructure as code, FinOps and technology lifecycle management. 
• A relevant cloud architecture qualification, such as AWS Solutions Architect, Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Google Professional Cloud Architect or equivalent.

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Technical skills

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

• Architect for the whole context: practitioner level.
• Strategy design: practitioner level.
• Enterprise architecture: practitioner level.
• Problem definition and shaping: practitioner level.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £61,630, Ministry of Defence contributes

£17,854 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

We offer a range of excellent benefits including but not limited to the following:

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• Leave entitlement - 25 day annual leave allowance per year increasing by 1 day per year (maximum 30 days per year). In addition, 8 statutory Bank Holidays and 1 privilege day per year.

We also offer an excellent range of family-friendly benefits, for example, enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave.

• Special Paid Leave to volunteer up to 6 days a year
• London site has a Gym and onsite shop.

Please note: Interview travel expenses will not be reimbursed.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

This post does not offer any assistance with relocation allowances.

Discover My Benefits

Please follow the link to visit the Discover My Benefits site which showcases the benefits and discounts offered when working as a civilian for the MOD.

https://discovermybenefits.mod.gov.uk/civilian/

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and working from home as part of a non-contractual hybrid working arrangement. All office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to site capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD workplace, will also count towards this level of office attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this and other flexible working arrangements may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.

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.

Please be adv