Solution Architect (SA)

Join Police Digital Service (PDS) as a Solution Architect (SA) starting at £75,000 pa

The Solution Architect is a key role in the PDS Technical Team responsible for providing Architecture and Design services to support the successful and timely delivery of the ambitions described in the National Policing Digital Strategy and PDS portfolio in partnership with Home Office, Forces, LEAs, and suppliers. This role will report into the Solution Architect Team Lead.

About Police Digital Service

We exist to harness the power of digital, data, and technology to enable UK policing to better protect the communities it serves. Ours is a team of experts in commercial services, technical assurance, data, digital transformation, and innovation, with unique experience in policing and national programme delivery.

Job purpose

• Serve as a senior expert to provide technical guidance and leadership on all aspects of architecture and design.
• Be a key member of the PDS Enterprise Architecture community working alongside PDS Cyber Services to deliver ‘Security by Design’ for National Policing solutions in accordance with established governance.
• Design, develop, and implement systems architectural blueprints that will meet Forces’ business needs and facilitate improved supporting Policing outcomes.
• Provide advice to Forces on preparation and implementation of the PDS Portfolio and National Programme technologies.
• Contribute to the definition of technology standards, frameworks, and guidelines.
• Explain how the PDS portfolio can solve complex technology problems for Senior Officers, in layman’s terms, and how it can create and maintain sustainable services for their organisation.

What you need to succeed in the role

• Previous, demonstrable, and current experience in a Solution Architect role in a large and complex organisation with equally complex service requirements.
• Industry recognised training/certifications in Cloud technologies (Microsoft, AWS, Google, etc).
• Extensive practical knowledge of Enterprise Architecture, preferably certified with a recognised framework such as TOGAF or ITIL (Service Management).
• Substantial knowledge of ICT design, security, and privacy principles including NCSC guidance and other legislative requirements, gained through significant experience of solutions delivery in similar size organisations.
• Excellent knowledge of the National Policing Digital Strategy and understanding of current technologies relevant to the policing sector and emerging market trends.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Excellent all-round communication skills, with the ability to present to large and small groups alike, including non-technical audiences, with a style that engages stakeholders in the technology and assists them in making the right business decisions.
• Commercially and technically astute problem solver who can quickly assimilate requirements and then combine broad technology knowledge and logical thinking to drive the structured strategic/tactical assessment of business and technology options.
• In-depth technical knowledge covering some or all of the following:
• Cloud architectures and solution design
• Business process development and architecture
• Application development and architecture
• Data architecture and management
• Technical/Infrastructure development and architecture
• DevOps, CI/CD Pipelines, Scripting, and Automation Languages
• Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence

Working Arrangements

Remote based with occasional national travel required.