Technical Architect

at  Vehicle Certification Agency

JOB DESCRIPTION

Our work is focused on improving vehicle safety and environmental protection by providing robust testing and certification to national and internationally recognised standards. We are a part of the Department of Transport as the designated UK Vehicle Type Approval Authority. With more than 40 years’ experience, we have become one of the largest and well-respected approval bodies around. This position has been built on a reputation for technical expertise and quality, which is at the heart of everything we do, and what you could be a part of.
We are looking for a Technical Architect to join our dynamic and innovative workforce at an exciting and challenging time.
As a key member of our Digital Services & Technology Team, you’ll work alongside engineers and product specialists. As a team, you’ll develop innovative products that are part of end-to-end services across the department.
You’ll provide technical and architecture expertise to support designing solutions our users really need and want. You’ll test the art of the possible by designing proofs of concept to test solutions for future services, working with internal groups, third parties and external suppliers.
You’ll be leading development of our digital services, with user needs at the heart of everything, helping us transform VCA for the future. Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team, you’ll be helping define how we do what we do and making sure that our systems are built to adapt rapidly.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

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

• Making architectural decisions (Skill level: working).
• Strategy Design (Skill Level: working).
• Technical design throughout the life cycle (Skill Level: working).

Benefits
Your wellbeing is important to us, which is why we’re pleased to offer a wide range of benefits to all our colleagues, inside and outside of work.
For more information on the ways you can benefit please see the attached candidate pack.
Things you need to know

STAGE 1: INITIAL EXPERIENCE-BASED SIFT

In this stage, we carefully review all applicants CV & personal statement to shortlist candidates who meet the experience indicators and possess the necessary qualifications.

NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

TYPE OF ROLE

Architecture and Data
Digital
Information Technology

YOUR DUTIES WILL INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

• Accountable, and provide assurance, to the CDIO on the technical and security products and solution designs produced by VCA and 3rd-party suppliers.
• Produce technical and solutions architecture that are complaint with the digital strategy, roadmap, principles, systems and service levels. Consider wider government strategy and principles within the VCA architecture and solutions.
• Define & prioritise non-functional requirements and ensure that solutions are assessed against them.
• Understand business requirements and support business analysts in assessing how different solutions meet or do not meet requirements.
• Provide options analysis and recommendations to support the selection of new technology and solutions.
• Identify technical and security risks and issues and ensure these are formally documented. Identify and implement appropriate mitigations to reduce risk.
• Liaise and communicate with both technical and non-technical stakeholders to ensure the successful translation of technical designs into business solutions.
• Be responsible for leading the technical design of systems and services, and you will justify and communicate design decisions.
• Provide mentoring and develop the architect profession within the Digital Services team at VCA.
• Develop, document and establish architectural principles, policies, standards and reference architectures.
• Design and maintain the enterprise architecture roadmap.
  For more information, please see the role profile attached.