Lead Technical Architect
Home Office
Apply before 11:55 pm on Wednesday 2nd October 2024
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About the job
Job summary
The Home Office works to build a safe, fair, and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counterterrorism, policing, fire, crime, drugs policy, immigration, and passports.
The Public Safety Group’s role is to keep the public safe by cutting crime, disrupting the highest harm criminals, protecting the vulnerable and ensuring that our police, fire, and rescue services are as efficient and effective as they can be in delivering front line public services. We work with our partners in other government departments, local government, and the voluntary sector to develop and implement policy, provide funding, and deliver legislation.
The emergency services mobile communications programme (ESMCP) is a cross departmental, multi-agency programme. It’s one of the UK government’s largest programmes and attracts significant attention both within the UK and from other countries. Its central purpose is to deliver the emergency services network (ESN), which will provide critical mobile broadband voice and data communications services to the police, fire, and ambulance services (and other public safety bodies) across England, Scotland, and Wales.
This position offers opportunities to:
• Be a part of defining the future strategy for one of the largest Government programmes.
• Work with telecoms industry leaders.
• Play a key role in the delivery of a sophisticated, world-leading system based on a novel technological approach.
• Work with colleagues from across the government on critical communications and future communications technologies.
• Develop new technical skills and learn from industry experts.
• Work with a range of emergency services users to deliver technology that supports and enhances their work in keeping the public safe.
Job description
The Lead Technical Architect role sits within the Design Assurance team, which is responsible to verify that supplier designs are aligned with the Enterprise Architecture and validate that the end-to-end ESN solution is technically viable and will meet the needs of our Emergency Services Users.
What you will do:
- Work as one-team with the technical Strategy and Architecture team; contributing to the development of the end-to-end ESN technical architecture and playing a key role in the technical assurance of the solution that aligns to Users’ requirements.
- Supporting procurements; crafting technical requirements, technical design and evaluation.
- Assure user-facing elements of ESN, and the required ESN functionality; security, availability and performance has been delivered.
- Advise on technical contract changes proposed by the project teams during the implementation of ESN, its end-to-end services and planned in-service upgrades to capability.
- Facilitate the prioritisation and resolution of defects found during technical testing, user testing, operational evaluation and live service and ensuring that the status of products/releases are accurately communicated.
- Communicate ESN designs to the wider programme team, users, and external audiences.
- Ensure that components of the ESN technical architecture can be partitioned using open standards, and therefore can be effectively re-competed at the end of the contract terms.
We are looking for an experienced telecoms professional with good exposure to solution architecture and enterprise architecture along with good interpersonal skills.
The London office is currently based at Clive House (SW1H Zone 1). However, the office will be relocating to Stratford (Zone 2/3) with expected relocation by the end of 2024.
Working Patterns:
This role is suitable for part-time working hours, with a minimum requirement to work three days per week.
Applications from job share candidates are welcome, but any job offer is conditional upon a viable job-sharing arrangement being.
Person specification
Essential criteria:
- Technical knowledge in relation to the mobile communications sector, related to Systems Engineering, standards and innovations in architecture and services.
- A track record of building the confidence of stakeholders through drafting technical documents, design reviews, tests, trials and pilot events.
- A track record of seeking out opportunities for innovation and driving and delivering a culture that emphasises continuous improvement, efficiency, and value for money.
Desirable criteria:
- Experience of working with or delivering for the Emergency Services through public safety technologies.
- Domain experience, for example, Aircraft Communications Systems, Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA), and 4g and 5g telecommunications network technologies.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Changing and Improving
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Enterprise and Business Architecture (STPL) - Level 3
- Innovation (INOV) - Level 3
- Solution Architecture (ARCH) - Level 5
- Specialist Advice (TECH) - Level 4
- Strategic Planning ITSP - Level 3
Benefits
In addition to your salary, a career with the Home Office offers a range of benefits, including:
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
- In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
- 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service to 30 days.
- Eight days of public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
- Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office.
Recruitment and Retention Allowance (RRA)
- This post is eligible for a Reward and Retention Allowance (RRA). Eligibility for this allowance will be reviewed annually in line with departmental policy.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.
We will endeavour to conduct the selection process in line with the dates indicated below, but cannot guarantee that these will not, where necessary, be revised.
1. Application – by the 02nd of October 2024.
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:
- CV detailing job history/qualifications/skills.
- Personal Statement (maximum 750 words).
The Personal Statement should be aligned to and demonstrate how you meet the skills and experience set out in the essential criteria, detailed in the job description.
For guidance and information on what to expect and how to prepare for an interview, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers website.
2. Sift:
Sift – will take place from the 07th of October 2024.
The sift will be held on the Personal Statement and CV.
3. Interview:
Interview – will take place from the 04th of November 2024.
If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview that will be:
- Behaviours and Technical Skills based questions.
For guidance on the technical skills, please refer to the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) Framework (Click here)
In addition, candidates will be asked to prepare a presentation that will be delivered at interview. The presentation will be assessed against the SFIA Framework and will be assessed against the Technical Skills as listed in the job advertisement. The presentation question/scenario will be disclosed closer to the interviews
Interviews will take place remotely. Further details and instructions will be provided closer to the scheduled interview.
For guidance and information on what to expect and how to prepare for an interview, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers.
Location Preference:
You can select up to two locations in order of preference. Please ensure that these are locations you are prepared to travel to. If you are offered a role at one of your preferred locations and you decline, your application will be withdrawn.
Reserve List:
A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. There is no guarantee that being held on a reserve list will lead to a job offer. Further information can be found on our website.
Reserve lists will be held for each locations. Candidates will be appointed in merit order by locations.
Candidates judged to be a near miss at interview may be offered a post at the grade below the one advertised without the need to go through a further selection process, providing the role has the same Success Profiles elements and essential skills. There is no guarantee that further such vacancies will arise.
Additional Security Checks:
As well as successfully obtaining UK Security Vetting clearance, candidates will be subject to a range of additional checks. The range of checks carried out will depend on whether you are a current Home Office employee, existing civil servant or an external new entrant as well as the role requirements. Further details are included in the Notes to Candidates.
Problems during the application process:
If you experience problems accessing this advert, or you think you’ve made a mistake on an initial application, please contact hocandidates.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, including the vacancy reference, at least two working days before the vacancy closes. Further information can be found on our website.
Further Information
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct.
If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
If you are invited to an interview, you will be required to bring documentation for the purposes of establishing your identity.
You will need to meet the nationality requirements for this role and obtain the necessary security clearance to take it up. For meaningful security checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. Learn more on our website. Security Checks - Home Office Careers
Visa sponsorship
We do not sponsor individuals via Skilled Worker Sponsorship / Tier 2 (General) work visas.
Reasonable Adjustments
If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
- Contact Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
- Complete the “Assistance Required” section in the “Additional Requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you're deaf, a language service professional
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.
Feedback
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
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Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : HORC Campaign Team (HSG, PSG & MBG)
- Email : HORCCampaignTeamHSGPSGandMBG@homeoffice.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
