About the job

Job summary

Do you want to work collaboratively in an agile development environment, designing modern IT architecture for some of the largest digital transformations in Europe?

Do you want to help support millions of our claimants designing user-friendly digital services?

If so, this role may be perfect for you.

The Hybrid Cloud Services (HCS) team design, build and run all DWP hosting infrastructure including Public Cloud and On-Premise hosting, and help product and service owners to transition to the Cloud.

The vision for HCS is to support the wider DWP vision of ‘Digital by Default’ by:

1. Providing an end-to-end ‘multi-cloud’ hosted service for DWP’s Product Development Units.
2. Providing a securely connected hosting service, removing DWP’s reliance on traditional hosting solutions and contracts.
3. Standardising, simplifying and automating delivery through a Target Operating Model (TOM) with underpinning processes, training and tools to accelerate PDU delivery.

This role in the HCS architecture team is ideally suited to a cloud infrastructure architect with significant experience of AWS. Additional experience of Azure, OCI and other Cloud Hyperscalers is preferred. 

Job description

• Provide the HCS team with skills in Public Cloud and on-premises computing services, with a focus on AWS and, ideally, Microsoft Azure, OCI and other Hyperscalers, design technical solutions (products and services) to meet user needs, and align with DWP technical strategy and standards.

• Provide a consistent set of solution views, that communicate and describe the construction of the solution to all stakeholders, support delivery teams, blending technical (public cloud development and architecture) and behavioural (leadership and communication) skills.

• Lead, deliver and support the infrastructure architecture design elements of DWP Digital projects / initiatives and create solution designs that meet user needs, working closely with engineers, in agile delivery teams.

• Own the product architecture, collaborate on product roadmaps and represent product designs at governance forums, providing clear communication of architecture design and decision making, in order to gain approval to proceed with designs.

• Advocate and support delivery of solutions that reduce both architectural complexity and technical debt.

• Provide expert advice to other Solution Architects to drive technology decisions and contribute to, and build capability in, the DWP Architecture community.

Person specification

When giving details in your CV you should highlight your experience in line with essential criteria below:

• Architecture design and modelling techniques, patterns, tools and standards.

• Public cloud technologies, cloud hosting, container, and networking design patterns, tools and best practices.

• Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), Serverless, and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) deployment technologies, design patterns, tools and best practices.

• Windows and Linux operating system technologies and deployment design patterns, tools and best practices.

• Agile / DevOps delivery methodologies and best practices.

• Experience with Cloud Container platforms (e.g. Kubernetes), CI/CD pipelines and PKI.

If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact Abs.ali@dwp.gov.uk.

Benefits

• An employer pension contribution of up to 28.97% For further information please click here.
• Annual leave rising up to 30 days, (based on your working pattern).
• Family friendly flexible working arrangements, such as hybrid working, job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
• Learning and development tailored to your role this could include industry recognised qualifications, coaching and mentoring. 
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join staff networks including: Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.

This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business need but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.

Salary Information

Pay for this role is from £52,412 to £63,517.

The maximum salary for the grade is £63,517, however a Digital Allowance of up to £6,483 per annum is available for exceptional candidates, based on our assessment of your skills and experience.

Our offer to successful candidates will be based on an assessment of your skills and experience as demonstrated at interview.

Existing Civil Servants who secure a new role on lateral transfer should maintain their current salary.

Existing Civil Servants who gain promotion may move to the bottom of the next grade pay scale or 10% increase in salary whichever would be the greater.

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.

Stage 1: Application

Applications must include:

1. A completed Personal Details application form.

2. A curriculum vitae including education, professional qualifications and full employment history, giving details of key achievements  in line with essential criteria listed in the Person Specification. 

When uploading your CV, do not include personal information or links to any webpages or profiles that identifies you. This means we can recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity. Take out references to your name/title, age, sex, email address, postal address, telephone number or nationality/immigration status.

When giving details of your redacted CV, you should therefore include details of the work and projects that you have been involved in, and your role therein.

For Hints and Tips on completing your application visit Applying for jobs at DWP Digital.

Important information

• Please attach your redacted CV as a separate additional document in either PDF or word format.
• If your CV contains any personal details your application may be withdrawn.

Stage 2: Interview

If you’re successful at sift stage you will be invited to a video interview via Microsoft Teams. There, you will be assessed against the following Behaviours and Technical Skills:

• Communicating and Influencing 
• Working Together 
• Technical Breadth 
• Turning business problems into technical designs 

You will be asked to do a 5-minute presentation on a Cloud Architecture design you have been involved in.

Interviews will take place from early-July 2024. Interview dates to be confirmed.

Further information:

Find out more about Working for DWP

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. 

Reserve list candidates will be posted in merit order by location. 

Reasonable Adjustment

At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: Contact Government Recruitment Service via DigitalRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” 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.

For further information on reasonable adjustments, terms and conditions and how we recruit visit the How we recruit page. 

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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.