Technical Architect

Methods Business and Digital Technology Limited

Methods is a £100M+ IT Services Consultancy who has partnered with a range of central government departments and agencies to transform the way the public sector operates in the UK. Established over 30 years ago and UK-based, we apply our skills in transformation, digital delivery, and collaboration from across the Methods Group, to create end-to-end business and technical solutions that are people-centred, safe, and designed for the future.

Our human touch sets us apart from other consultancies, system integrators and software houses - with people, technology, and data at the heart of who we are, we believe in creating value and sustainability through everything we do for our clients, staff, communities, and the planet.

We support our clients in the success of their projects while working collaboratively to share skill sets and solve problems. At Methods we have fun while working hard; we are not afraid of making mistakes and learning from them.

Predominantly focused on the public-sector, Methods is now building a significant private sector client portfolio. Methods was acquired by the Alten Group in early 2022.

Role Description

Methods Technical Delivery and Software Engineering portfolio has achieved significant growth year-on-year. Our mission is to make Methods a ‘go-to’ for technical delivery across Government. We’re building our delivery capacity and capability by recruiting more permanent staff as the foundation for delivering sustained, profitable growth. We work in-line with Government and industry standards, and are platform-agnostic in our approach, working with our Clients’ adopted technologies, and recommending the best tools to meet business and user needs.

As a Technical Architect, you’ll be involved in projects during all parts of the lifecycle from initial reports or proposals (including pre-sales support) through to transition (where we take-on projects from others), design, delivery, and knowledge transfer; defining technical and solution approaches for digital services, and engaging with stakeholders. 

Your responsibilities will encompass both technical areas (design, delivery, assurance etc.) and non-technical (e.g. stakeholder and client expectation management, line management, innovation etc). From the technical perspective, you will be responsible for the architecture across many domains and engineering outcomes across the full service and project lifecycle from design/inception through to BAU and Service Management across a portfolio of work.  This is expected to make up 80% of your time; and the remainder includes growing and improving our architecture and engineering capability (supporting recruitment, assurance and general management), participating in our communities of practice (thought leadership and mentoring), and contributing to pre-sales (solution approach/estimates for bids, and presentation support). 

Requirements

•         You will define, lead and assure the delivery of architectural artefacts on client projects, including technology roadmaps, vision statements, applying policies to high-level solution designs (HLSD), low-level designs (LLD), estimations (capability, capacity and time) and solution options reports (SOR), across multiple views (conceptual, logical, physical, etc) across several domains and aligned to the appropriate sector and industry frameworks e.g. NCSC, Technology Code of Practice, Well Architected/Cloud Adoption Frameworks, TOGAF, etc.

•        You will be a hands-on leader, taking accountability for the assurance and validation of technical deliverables across the architecture and engineering space.  This means knowledge and experience with modern public cloud platforms and software engineering techniques essential

•        You will be responsible for owning and producing designs/documentation to help drive key business decisions, and presenting them to clients, resulting in positive outcomes

•        You will have experience in some notation such as C4, ArchiMate, UML, BPMN, etc.

•         You should be able to demonstrate experience of facilitating and managing Solution Architecture Board (SAB) or similar governance architectural review boards to govern solution designs and other architecture artefacts, ensuring alignment to strategies.

•         You should be able to demonstrate experience of undertaking architecture and design review of lower-level design architectures, supplier proposals and other delivery team artefacts

•         You can evolve and define the governance landscape within a project, client and internal environment obtaining both technical and business approval at the appropriate stage to support delivery of the outcomes e.g. TDA, DDA, EAB etc

•         You can build and sustain strong working relationships with senior technical and delivery individuals within our customer organisations, building trust and advocacy for our services, helping promote us as a ‘go-to’ vendor for technical delivery

•         You can influence how teams’ work in-line with the delivery methodology, coach and mentor more junior colleagues and customer staff whilst providing technical leadership and assurance

•         You can define and promote opportunities to reuse components and common service patterns, understanding the patterns and interactions on a larger scale across portfolios, programmes and wider government context and how it will impact our portfolio of work.

•         You promote technology and vendor agnosticism, whilst making evidence-based decisions when required and thereafter explain those decisions to all levels of both technical and non-technical stakeholders

•         You can make decisions characterised by high levels of risk and complexity. You can recommend mitigations and changes, as risk and complexity increase

•         You can carry out technical knowledge transfer outcomes (e.g. handover to clients, mentoring client staff)

•         You can assure your current projects (ensuring we operate efficiently, innovate appropriately, and build a reputation for engineering excellence).

•         You can support pre-sales activity by developing compelling solution approach summaries, high level designs, estimates, presentations, product demonstrations and discussions

•         You will actively participate in and help lead our Communities of Practice (with emphasis on Cloud and Technical Architecture), including mentoring more junior colleagues

•         You will actively support recruitment and general management, including interviewing, leading, and mentoring more junior colleagues

This role will require you to have or be willing to go through Security Clearance. As part of the onboarding process candidates will be asked to complete a Baseline Personnel Security Standard; details of the evidence required to apply may be found on the government website Gov.UK. If you are unable to meet this and any associated criteria, then your employment may be delayed, or rejected . Details of this will be discussed with you at interview.

Benefits

Methods is passionate about its people; we want our colleagues to develop the things they are good at and enjoy.

By joining us you can expect

• Autonomy to develop and grow your skills and experience
• Be part of exciting project work that is making a difference in society
• Strong, inspiring and thought-provoking leadership
• A supportive and collaborative environment

Development – access to LinkedIn Learning, a management development programme, and training

Wellness – 24/7 confidential employee assistance programme

Flexible Working – including home working and part time

Social – office parties, breakfast Tuesdays, monthly pizza Thursdays, Thirsty Thursdays, and commitment to charitable causes

Time Off – 25 days of annual leave a year, plus bank holidays, with the option to buy 5 extra days each year

Volunteering – 2 paid days per year to volunteer in our local communities or within a charity organisation

Pension – Salary Exchange Scheme with 4% employer contribution and 5% employee contribution

Discretionary Company Bonus – based on company and individual performance

Life Assurance – of 4 times base salary

Private Medical Insurance – which is non-contributory (spouse and dependents included)

Worldwide Travel Insurance – which is non-contributory (spouse and dependents included)

Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay

Travel – season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme

For a full list of benefits please visit our website (www.methods.co.uk/careers/benefits)