About the job

Job summary

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.

Job description

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.

Person specification

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 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.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £91,656, Scottish Government contributes £24,747 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Applications should be submitted no later than 23.55 on Wednesday 20th December 2023.

Please consult the Candidate Pack and Further Information Pack when preparing your application.

To apply, you will need to submit an online registration form via the Applicant Tracking System (iCIMS), and supply the following supporting documents, again through iCIMS:

• A CV including your contact details; relevant and recent employment history; qualifications that are relevant to your application; and skills and interests (these can be used to describe any additional training or abilities relevant to your application).
• A Supporting Statement (no longer than 1500 words) which relates your personal skills, qualities and experience to the requirements of the role, and the essential criteria, as described in the Candidate Pack.

The system will acknowledge your application.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

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)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

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). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.