Application Architect – ID2023-7944

Dundee, Glasgow

Are you looking to begin or grow a career in IT architecture? Or perhaps you are currently working as an architect and looking for a new challenge? Social Security Scotland has an exciting opportunity for an Application Architect to join the team and drive our young and growing organisation further forward, developing strategies, improving its application landscape and shaping the future of its technology, all making a positive impact on our clients’ lives. 

You may be looking to step up into a more senior design role, or you may be a solution architect with a desire to specialise in application architecture on an enterprise-wide canvas. In any case you can expect to work with a friendly, dynamic, talented and self-motivated team with a great opportunity to apply your experience and ideas and make direct and tangible improvements to the services we deliver to our clients and colleagues.

The Chief Digital Office is the technology division of Social Security Scotland, responsible for live running, maintenance and continuous improvement of the technology required to operate the Scottish social security system for its clients and partners. The Application Architect role lies within the Architecture and Design branch of the Chief Digital Office.

The branch is responsible for developing, maintaining and governing technology strategies and designs which underpin the solution, application, data and infrastructure architectures which form the organisation’s overall enterprise architecture. Application Architecture and Cloud Architecture teams work closely with each other and with the wider operational business to inform those strategies and designs.

The post will be based in either Dundee or Glasgow with regular travel to provide leadership across all sites as well as engage extensively with Scottish Government colleagues based in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

As an Application Architect you will play a vital role in designing and implementing cutting-edge application architectures. You will use your expertise to collaborate with stakeholders, identify problems, and recommend innovative solutions. Be part of a dynamic and agile environment, where continuous improvement and collaboration are key. Help shape the future of digital support at Social Security Scotland and make a meaningful impact on people’s lives.

DDaT Pay Supplement
This post attracts a £5,000 DDAT pay supplement after a 3 months DDaT competency qualifying period. The payment will be backdated to your start date in the role. Pay supplements are temporary payments designed to address recruitment and retention issues caused by market pressures and are subject to regular review. This post is part of the Scottish Government DDaT profession. As a member of the profession, you will join the professional development scheme, currently BCS RoleModel plus

• Engage with projects and partners to understand and design appropriate application architectures
• Collaborate with senior stakeholders, providing direction and challenge
• Proactively identify problems and translate them into non-technical descriptions
• Act as the application architecture domain expert in information gathering with stakeholders
• Support Social Security governance activities and contribute to the development of architectural strategies
• Build a deep understanding of the business and digital strategies and leverage them to identify suitable solutions
• Analyse options and recommend the most appropriate approach across different environments
• Provide guidance on technology best practices and continuous improvement
• Produce application architecture deliverables and collaborate with cyber security colleagues
• Review technical proposals from external suppliers
• Work in an agile, multi-disciplinary team environment
• Take an open and collaborative approach to working and sharing knowledge
• Support colleagues with application architecture expertise
• Contribute to the development of an Application Architecture Practice
• Act as a consultant and communicator between technical and non-technical stakeholders

1. Experience of both written and verbal communication of strategic roadmaps, architectural models and discussion documents to audiences at all levels and of all technical backgrounds.
2. Able to demonstrate a strong technical background and an architectural mindset with significant experience as an Application Architect or similar.
3. Able to balance potentially conflicting requirements and interests, negotiate a consensus and can justify your architectural design decisions.
4. Experience of participation in defining business strategies and aligning these with the supporting technology required to achieve them.

Annual Leave – You will receive 25 days annual leave on joining us. This will increase to 30 days after four full years of service. You will also have 11.5 public and privilege days of leave every year. We also offer Flexi-time. Any extra hours you’ve worked can be taken as leave when suitable.

A Civil Service Pension – This job comes with a Civil Service pension. New joiners to the Civil Service will join a career average pension scheme as standard. Read more here – www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk.

Healthy work life balance – We can offer the possibility of full-time, part-time, term-time, and job shares. We also encourage flexible working.

Discounts – You can enjoy a vast range of retail, travel and lifestyle discounts through our benefit scheme.

Personal support for you – Our Employee Assistance Programme gives you confidential, independent information and guidance 24/7.

Volunteering special leave – Up to six days paid special leave a year for volunteering. We support our staff to help causes important to them.

Great locations – Our bright and modern offices in the heart of Dundee and Glasgow have been designed with staff in mind. Both locations are ideal for public transport.

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available.
You may want to save a copy for your records.

Job contact :

• Name : Paul Douglas
• Email : paul.douglas@socialsecurity.gov.scot
• Telephone : 08001577194

Recruitment team

• Email : Recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot