About the job

Job summary

Are you ready to shape how the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is designed and is operated, directly enabling the defence of the UK? The MOD is seeking an exceptional and experienced Principal Architect to lead the enterprise architecture for one of MOD’s top strategic priorities; Corporate Services Modernisation.

Corporate Services are critically important for the 250,000 people working across Defence to do their day-to-day jobs. For example, every time the department procures military equipment, personnel receive their monthly pay or request their vacation, they are using Corporate Services. As part of the wider government Shared Services Strategy, MOD has established the Corporate Services Modernisation (CSM) portfolio to drive Human Resources, Commercial and Finance policy, process, organisational, data and systems transformation.  (More information on the Shared Services agenda can be found through this link: A Shared Services Strategy for Government - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)).

Our ambition is to revolutionise MOD corporate services to:

• Improve the user experience by simplifying our policies and processes, ​; providing easier and better interfaces to systems and self-service and; making services more responsive and providing easy access to help.
• Deliver better data driven decision making by introducing and fully exploiting the latest Oracle Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Human Capital Management (HCM) technology​; improving visibility, accuracy and accessibility of management information across defence​; and, using integrated data analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to inform decision making​.
• Improve Productivity and Efficiency by automating transactional processes ​; expanding and improving MOD’s shared service centre operations; and, reducing MOD’s overall corporate services spend to maximise our reinvestment into the front-line.

This post is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

The CSM Principal Enterprise Architect is a critical role within the MOD Head Office CSM portfolio team.  A principal enterprise architect leads at the highest level and is responsible for ensuring strategy is developed, agreed and followed (further information available here: https://ddat-capability-framework.service.gov.uk/enterprise-architect.html).

This role would lead, define and manage MOD’s Corporate Services enterprise architecture (across initially HR, Finance and Commercial).  The post holder will directly support the Portfolio’s Senior Responsible Officer and the CSM Director, and work across multiple CSM Programmes. Key responsibilities would include: 

• Lead Corporate Service business design and ensure technical solutions support the business architecture. This will involve working closely with a virtual/federated team of business and technical leads across functions, our Shared Services centre (Defence Business Services), Defence Digital and with a CSM Delivery Partner to deliver key enterprise artefacts for example: cross-cutting scope and requirements, capability gap analyses, functional reference model and business process design
• Own MOD’s overarching and integrated CSM enterprise architecture and acting as the primary point of contact for MOD’s senior leaders, the portfolio and programme teams.
• Lead the Design Authority governance to drive cross functional decision making, ensuring the needs of all functions, wider defence and government are fully understood and actioned as appropriate. This would include setting the agenda, bringing in subject matter experts, engaging senior leaders to guide decision making; working in close collaboration with CSM’s Technical Design Authority governance.
• Capture and analyse stakeholder perspectives and management information to agree enterprise level goals and requirements, identifying any coherence problems / opportunities and ensuring alignment with CSM portfolio and MOD strategic outcomes.
• Set the standards for defining architecture, including goals, requirements, and processes to the required levels of detail (aligned and compliant with MOD and cross-government standards, informed by industry best practice)
• Lead engagement across the CSM Enterprise Architecture community. This would involve collaborating with Functional design leads to ensure CSM capability scope includes all relevant current business ways of working and enhancements required to meet portfolio goals.
• Influence how business change is designed and delivered to ensure architecture is embedded successfully and CSM benefits are fully realised.

Person specification

The successful candidate will require:

• A proven track record of leading and delivering large-scale end-to-end architectural projects, including the development and implementation of enterprise-wise strategies.
• Experience leading a team of Enterprise Architects, with an understanding of how to create a collaborative and innovative culture that drives high performance and continuous improvement.
• Comprehensive knowledge of Corporate/Shared Services and Enterprise Resource Planning
• Proficiency in tools, methodologies and frameworks to support architectural design, governance, strategic development and stakeholder communication. 
• Excellent communication skills (written, verbal and presentational), including the ability to articulate complex architectural concepts clearly to technical and non-technical users, adapting communication style, language and format to fit the needs of the audience.
• Strong collaboration skills, and proficiency in building positive relationships across diverse stakeholder groups; able to understand and manage multiple perspectives, build consensus and influence stakeholders at all levels, encouraging them to make decisions that align with the strategy, policies, principles and best interests of the enterprise.
• A flexible approach, capable of managing uncertainty, adapting to changing priorities and providing direction to others to overcome ambiguity in a complex and fast moving environment.
• It is desirable, but not essential, to have a BCS certificate in Enterprise and Solution Architecture and previous experience of working in Defence or Other Government Departments.

The post holder will need to evidence their experience with Digital and Data (DDAT) profession Principal enterprise architect role level technical competencies, including ‘Expert’ level skills what cover the following:

1. Enterprise and business architecture
2. Making and guiding decisions
3. Problem definition and shaping
4. Strategic design and business change

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £67,820, Ministry of Defence contributes £18,311 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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience, and seek evidence of Digital and Data (DDAT) profession Principal enterprise architect role level technical competencies (https://ddat-capability-framework.service.gov.uk/enterprise-architect.html).  

The essential criteria that will be assessed in appointing this role include: 

Core technical skills:

1. Enterprise and business architecture
2. Making and guiding decisions
3. Problem definition and shaping
4. Strategic design and business change

Key knowledge & experience:

1. Corporate and shared services (including HR, Finance and Commercial)

Key behaviours

1. Leadership
2. Communicating and influencing

How to apply 

To apply, candidates will be required to provide:

1. A CV detailing their job history; qualification details and skills and experience; AND
2. A statement of suitability. (Maximum word count: 1000).

Applicants’ CVs and statements of suitability will initially be assessed against the essential criteria, with successful candidates progressing from sift to interview.
In the event of a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted based on the lead technical skill: Enterprise and business architecture.

At interview, candidates will be assessed against all essential criteria.  This may involve a scored assessment (with further details to be provided prior to interview).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact the recruitment team.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical.
The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk 

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. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.