We are seeking an experienced Solution Architect to design, implement, and oversee cloud-based solutions within government commercial cloud environments. The successful candidate will lead the architectural design of scalable, secure, and compliant cloud infrastructure whilst ensuring alignment with government standards and regulatory requirements.
Key Responsibilities
- The Solution Architect will be responsible for developing comprehensive cloud architecture strategies that support government operations and digital transformation initiatives. This includes designing end-to-end solutions that leverage commercial cloud services whilst maintaining strict security and compliance standards required for government environments.
- A critical aspect of this role involves extensive engagement with diverse stakeholders across government departments, ranging from senior executives and policy makers to technical teams and end users. The architect must excel at translating complex technical concepts into business language for non-technical stakeholders whilst providing detailed technical guidance to development teams and infrastructure specialists.
- Working closely with stakeholders across various government departments, the architect will translate business requirements into technical solutions, ensuring optimal performance, cost-effectiveness, and adherence to government cloud policies. The role involves conducting architectural reviews, providing technical leadership to development teams, and establishing best practices for cloud adoption and DevOps implementation.
- The position requires ongoing collaboration with cloud service providers, security teams, and compliance officers to ensure all solutions meet government standards for data protection, privacy, and operational resilience. The architect will also be responsible for creating detailed technical documentation, conducting risk assessments, and providing guidance on cloud migration strategies whilst championing DevOps culture and practices across government teams.
Essential Requirements
- Candidates must possess a minimum of four years experience working specifically with government commercial cloud platforms, demonstrating deep understanding of public sector requirements and constraints.
- Strong expertise in major cloud platforms such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform is essential, along with relevant professional certifications.
- Deep experience in engaging with both technical and non-technical stakeholders is crucial, including the ability to facilitate workshops, present to executive leadership, conduct technical briefings, and build consensus across diverse government departments. Candidates must demonstrate proven success in managing complex stakeholder relationships and communicating architectural decisions effectively to audiences with varying technical backgrounds.
- Extensive DevOps experience is essential, including hands-on expertise with CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure as code (Terraform, CloudFormation, ARM templates), containerisation technologies (Docker, Kubernetes), configuration management tools, and automated testing frameworks. The candidate should have demonstrable experience implementing DevOps practices in government environments and driving cultural transformations towards collaborative development and operations practices.
- The role requires comprehensive knowledge of government security frameworks, compliance standards, and data sovereignty requirements. Experience with infrastructure as code, containerisation technologies, and DevOps practices is crucial, as is familiarity with government procurement processes and vendor management.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills are essential, along with exceptional communication and presentation abilities. The candidate should have experience leading cross-functional teams, facilitating technical discussions with diverse audiences, and managing multiple projects simultaneously whilst maintaining stakeholder alignment.
Preferred Qualifications
- Advanced certifications in cloud architecture from major providers would be advantageous, as would DevOps-related certifications and experience with specific government cloud initiatives or frameworks.
- Knowledge of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and edge computing within government contexts would be beneficial.
- Polytechnic diploma and/or Bachelors degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field with at least 4 years of experience in digital transformation projects, particularly involving legacy system modernisation and DevOps implementation across government agencies, would be preferred.
- Demonstrated success in stakeholder management at senior government levels and experience with change management in large organisations would be valuable.
