Chief Digital Architect

Overview

Applications are invited for this role of Chief Digital Architect within the Scottish Government’s Digital Directorate. This role is full time, but people on different working patterns are encouraged to apply and we would work together to consider options for fulfilling the business requirements for this post.

This is a permanent, pensionable Senior Civil Service Deputy Director role, with a starting salary of £91,656.

The digital strategy for Scotland sets out our plans for ensuring that we put digital at the heart of everything we do. The Scottish Government’s Digital Directorate aims to help government organisations adopt digital business models that will deliver well designed, accessible, and inclusive public services.

Through this we facilitate transformation of existing public services, making best use of digital technology for our citizens by championing the core principles of re-use and collaboration – both in technology and skills, and to be an employer of choice in Scotland.

Responsibilities

Reporting to the Digital Director within the Digital Directorate, the successful candidate will be the Chief Digital Architect for Scottish Government. You will demonstrate overarching vision and lead all architecture and technology aspects of digital solutions to implement outstanding digital public services, platforms and user experiences as part of digital transformation programmes and projects that are delivered by the Digital Directorate.

As the Chief Digital Architect you will lead on all architecture principles, standards and enterprise integration across a range of technologies and solutions.

You will provide strategic leadership in conceptualizing, designing and developing new capabilities and technologies, and will represent the digital function in client engagement across government. You will be expected to share knowledge and collaboration with your peers across the Scottish public sector at a senior level seeking to embrace new technology trends and approaches including cloud technologies.

You will be responsible for leading and management of a number of enterprise, solution, technical and integration architects across the organisation, focusing on developing our internal architecture capability.

As a certified architect, you will be experienced in enterprise and solutions architecture and able to converse across a range of technologies and solutions and have experience working in collaboration with both private and public sector organisations.

Further information about the role and responsibilities can be found in the Candidate Pack

Qualifications

Specialist Expertise

Candidates must be able to demonstrate their experience in the following:

• Significant experience of developing an architecture strategy and vision for the delivery of high performing services to users.
• Significant experience of leading technical teams and delivering user focused services.
• Strong software development and application architecture experience, with a good knowledge of open source technologies, testing and at least one programming language.

Leadership Criteria

Leading collectively

• Taking an effective whole system approach to complex, dynamic issues; actively developing wide networks internally and externally, breaking down and collaborating across barriers to deliver outcomes;

Developing others

• Embedding an inclusive, learning culture in your teams, trusting and empowering others and enabling high performance and innovation;

Leading others

• Setting clear strategic direction and making high quality decisions which balance risk and stakeholder interests to deliver outcomes;

Understanding, managing and developing self

• You will demonstrate a strong understanding of yourself as a leader as well as a passion for your work and your own continuous personal development. This includes acting as a role model for inclusive leadership by clearly articulating, with courage and humility, how your personal life experiences and background impact on your thinking and behaviour.