About the job

Job summary

We have an exciting opportunity for two Senior Solution Architects in our Digital and Technology group.

This is a full- time opportunity, on a permanent basis. The role will be based in 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf London, E14 4PU/South Mimms, Hertfordshire/or Remote Working**.

 

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas. We are currently operating a hybrid way of working, with a minimum of 40% of contracted hours working on site to enable the collaboration and contact with partners and stakeholders needed to deliver MHRA business. This may rise to 60% during the year.  Attendance on site is driven by business needs so depending on the nature of the role, some roles will need to be on site more regularly.

Other working patterns may be available. Please discuss this with the recruiting manager before accepting an appointment.

 

* The salary range for this role is £52,603 to £56,353. A Digital Allowance of up to £15,000 per annum may be available for exceptional candidates based on our assessment of your skills and experience. This allowance is non-pensionable and may chance on an annual basis.

 

** Remote working is also available for this role, with occasional travel to our London or South Mimms Office. Please discuss this with the recruiting manager before accepting an appointment. Salary arrangements depend on home location with London-based employees receiving the London rate of £56,353.

Who are we? 

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency enhance and improve the health of millions of people every day through the effective regulation of medicines and medical devices, underpinned by science and research.  

Job description

The Digital and Technology Group (D&T) lies at the heart of the Agency and is responsible for making sure that our scientists, inspectors, and all of our staff have the tools and data they need to deliver the very best services they can to improve outcomes for patients and the general public. The Group was essential in the race to approve COIVD vaccines in 2020 and in supporting the UK to set up its own medicines and devices approvals systems after BREXIT. The work we do matters!

The Strategy & Architecture team is responsible for ensuring that D&T service provision supports the delivery of the Agency's strategy by providing digital, data and technology design assurance to ensure proposed solutions are compliant with legislation, standards and Government policy. It is also responsible for ensuring the effective running of the Division, including budget and performance management.

What’s the role?

The post holders will champion Solution Architecture within our Strategy & Architecture team and will work with multiple projects and teams on problems that require broad architectural thinking and alignment to deliver desirable, feasible and sustainable digital, data and technology solutions.

You will play a critical role in ensuring that we develop and maintain a strong Architecture capability through coaching, mentoring, and training, and ensuring that the architects in agency have stretching and rewarding workloads to support their personal development.

You will be a key member of the Technical Design Authority, and a wider community of practice of Architects that embraces fast-cycle Agile, service design principles, whilst driving coherence across common foundation services, minimising technical debt and legacy technology risk. This is a critical role for an experienced lead Architect who can work with delivery and operational teams, to support the design, development, and sustainability of MHRA products and services.

Person specification

Who are we looking for?

• The successful candidates will have experience of delivering technological change at pace against a background of organisational transformation, working across organisational boundaries with changing and challenging priorities. 
• You will have a track record of working with technology teams and multi-disciplinary stakeholders and user research-based insights to define solutions that best support the business and user needs.
• You will be experienced in working in a technically complex and transformational environment, making and justifying decisions characterised by high levels of risk, impact and complexity.
• You will have working experience of a broad range of technologies and understanding, including cloud technologies, web application development, micro-services, integration and databases.
• You will be a confident communicator with a track record of listening to the needs of technical and business stakeholders and turning those into practical and effective business solutions.

 

If you would like to find out more about this fantastic opportunity, please read our Job Description and Person Specification! 

 

Please note: The job description may not open in some internet browsers. Please use Chrome or Microsoft Edge. If you have any issue viewing the job description, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £52,603, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency contributes £14,202 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

The selection process

We use the Civil Service Success Profiles to assess our candidates, find out more here.

• Online application form, including questions based on the Behaviour, Experience and Technical Success Profiles. Please ensure all application questions are completed in full; your application may not be considered if any responses are left blank. Our applications are CV blind, and our Hiring Managers will not be able to access your CV when reviewing your application. Please complete the ‘Work Experience’ section of the application fully, providing details of your previous roles, clearly describing your achievements and key responsibilities.
• Presentation, shortlisted candidates will be asked to prepare a short presentation for the interview aligned to the criteria marked with ‘P’ in the person specification. More information to be given if you reach this stage
• Interview, which can include questions based on the Behaviour, Experience, Technical and Strengths criteria, marked with ‘I’ in the person specification

Applicants are assessed on whether they meet any mandatory requirements as well as the necessary skills and experience for the role. Applications are scored based on the answers provided - ensure you have read these thoroughly and allow sufficient time. You can view the criteria for this role in the job description. 

Use of AI in Applications

Applicants must ensure that anything submitted is factually accurate and truthful. Plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.

 

If you require any disability related adjustments at any point during the process, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk as soon as possible. 

  

Closing date: 28 April 2024

Shortlisting date: 29 – 30 April 2024

Interview date: 6 – 10 May 2024

 

Candidates will be contacted within a week of the sift and the interviews completed to inform them of the outcome.

Candidates will be subject to UK immigration requirements as well as Civil Service nationality rules. Further information on whether you are able to apply is available here. 

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check as well as animal rights and pro-life activism checks. People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Any move to the MHRA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility here.

Successful candidates may be subject to annual Occupational Health reviews dependent on role requirements. If you have any queries, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk.

In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment on the basis of merit by a fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should firstly contact careers@mhra.gov.uk.

 

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk 

 

info@csc.gov.uk 

Civil Service Commission 

Room G/8 

1 Horse Guards Road 

London 

SW1A 2HQ 

 

 

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.