Senior Enterprise Architect

Job summary

The MOD's digital teams ensure we remain among the most technologically advanced Armed Forces in the world. We develop and lead in cutting-edge data science, automation, and cyber security solutions to protect the UK and its interests, at home and abroad.

Our mission also goes beyond the battlefield by leading humanitarian efforts and driving innovation that impacts lives across the globe. 

▶ Watch to find out more about what we do.

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

In this role, as Senior Enterprise Architect, we’re offering a great opportunity to develop within Enterprise architecture, using your previous experience in the architecture space. We’ll support your learning and development and build on your existing knowledge and skills.

You’ll work with civil servants and contractors across various levels, providing a key leadership role, translating business strategy into actionable change and technical delivery. You’ll support Lead Architects in shaping, aligning and driving the organisation's strategic direction, ensuring it is effectively developed, agreed upon and implemented.

You’ll help develop target architectures and templates for some of MOD’s most complex use cases and you’ll work with partners from across government departments and other nations, to develop end-to-end solutions to meet changing capability needs.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain Enterprise level models, including as-is and target models.
• Network and communicate with stakeholders across domains, enterprises and government departments to develop the models.
• Identify influences or risks and provide mitigations to minimise impact.
• Use emerging technologies and approaches, horizon scanning to develop target architectures.
• Identify opportunities for improvement.
• Play an active part in the team and understand how to deliver the team’s objectives, to meet organisational goals.

Person specification

Please ensure that your application demonstrates the essential criteria below:

We would expect you to be able to demonstrate knowledge of architecture principles and modelling, including the ability to document current state, and design future state, architectures.

You’ll be able to communicate with stakeholders, project solution architects and wider architectural teams, to ensure consistency with the overarching strategy and demonstrate familiarity with architectural frameworks, languages and methodologies.

You’ll also need knowledge of cloud computing concepts and cloud migration strategies and of implementing and managing Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), within an interconnected system landscape.

You’ll also need:

• Ability to collaborate with stakeholders, providing direction and challenging when required.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to align technical solutions with business objectives.
• Great communication skills, able to identify problems and clearly communicate to both technical and non-technical teams.

If not held already, opportunity may be provided to gain the following when in post:

• TOGAF certification
• BCS Enterprise and Solution Architecture Certification
• Open Agile Architecture™ Practitioner Certification
• Archimate Training
• ITIL certification

Additional information

This post may be eligible for a Digital Skills Allowance of up to £11,400 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.

This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is an informal, non-contractual and voluntary arrangement, blending a balance of attendance in the workplace (your permanent duty station, which is based on business assessment of where the work is best done) and working from home as a personal choice (if the role is suitable for this). If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post. Whilst embracing hybrid working, there is an expectation you will attend the office a minimum of 3 days a week.

Dependent on the business need, there may be a requirement to travel to meetings within the UK (or potentially occasional overseas visits).

If not already held, successful candidates will be required to undergo DV clearance. We will also undertake additional security checks as part of the recruitment process.

Please note, this position is open to sole UK nationals only.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

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

• Architecture Communication
• Architect for the whole context
• Making architectural decisions
• Enterprise Architecture

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £46,040, Ministry of Defence contributes

£13,337 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).

Our benefits include:

• Learning and development tailored to your role with a dedicated minimum of 5 days per year
• 25 days paid annual leave rising (by 1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of five years’ service
• Ability to roll up to 10 days annual leave per year
• In addition to eight public holidays per year, you will also receive leave for HM The King’s birthday
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• Parental and Adoption Leave
• Discounts on a range of services within and external to the civil service – Defence Discount Service, Civil Service societies for Sports and Leisure, Healthcare, Insurance, Motoring, Company discounts with Virgin, Vodafone, and Microsoft Office.
• In year rewards and ‘thank you’ schemes such as vouchers and gift cards
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• Please see Benefits Leaflet for more detail

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 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.

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

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

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

To apply please complete the CV template provided on the CS Jobs dashboard, ensuring it highlights your relevance to the essential criteria listed in the person specification.

Applications will be sifted using the CV , P ersonal statement and the behaviour listed below.

At Sift , you will be assessed against the following:

• CV with full job history, qualification details, previous skills and experience.
• Personal Statement: Describe how your experience is relevant for this role and how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the Person Specification. Maximum 750 words.
• Behaviour: Communicating & Influencing. Maximum 250 words.

Interviews

We’ll assess you against these behaviours, technical skills & experience during the interview process:

Behaviours

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating & Influencing

Technical Skills:

• Architecture Communication
• Architect for the whole context
• Making architectural decisions
• Enterprise Architecture

The Government Digital and Data Framework and the Enterprise Architect role used in this vacancy can be found at: Enterprise architect - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework .

Further Information:

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.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into 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.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at inter