About the job

Job summary

Keeping people safe and healthy matters and that’s what we do at the Health and Safety Executive. Every day, everyone on the team contributes to protecting lives and we apply our expertise to help influence change in mindsets about health and safety throughout industry. We undertake world-class science to build our knowledge about safe working practices, and then apply that understanding to the workplace, guiding every part of the economy to function safely. And when accidents happen, we investigate and hold those at fault to account whilst ensuring that lessons are learnt across industries. We are a modern, independent, data drive Regulator and we are proud to have made Great Britain one of the safest places to work in the world.

Technology, data, and digital services underpins everything that HSE does. We are a knowledge organisation, with a wealth of experience in keeping people safe. It is the responsibility of the Information, Technology and Services (ITS) Division to ensure that everyone in the organisation can access our data and information, to share it and to use it to make effective decisions. We support over 3000 colleagues working in a hybrid style at home and in 26 offices across Great Britain. Our services keep inspectors functioning effectively and efficiently on industrial sites nationwide, from oil platforms in the North Sea to our deepest mines and quarries.

We strive to constantly improve the technologies and services supporting the organisation. Our end user computing devices are leading edge, and we are making significant progress in delivering new cloud-based services. Our service management and information management services are very highly regarded within the organisation and pride themselves on excellent customer service. Our commercial team has built strong relationships with suppliers and our project management team is embedded in our corporate change programme, transforming the older legacy systems that have underpinned the organisation for a long time.

Job description

HSE’s Information, Technology and Services includes an Enterprise Architecture Team. This team is primarily responsible the development of an Enterprise Architecture (including Business, Data, Applications and Technology domains), defining and executing technology strategy, and also for directing and assuring the delivery of new IT Solutions.

This Solution Architect role is to lead on the Applications Architecture domain, and direct and govern the design and delivery of new application components, and the end-to-end design that uses those components to deliver new digital IT solutions.

You will have a key role in developing application roadmaps, target architectures, and reusable application components, and determining how we best transition from legacy solutions to modern services that help HSE to meet its business objectives.

This is a very exciting time to join HSE. A series of new change programmes are now mobilised to deliver new Digital IT solutions that will replace legacy systems and improve processes. Each programme supports a specific operational area within HSE, but there will be commonality across the solution building blocks that require designing and integrating. There will be a blend of internal and 3rd party resources to deliver these programmes.

You will be working as part of a predominantly Bootle based team and it should be assumed that you will be required to attend our Bootle HQ for team meetings and workshops on an occasional basis. 

At HSE, we are proud to be able to offer our people the opportunity to work in a hybrid way which combines working from home and the office. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your allocated office will be your contractual place of work. There will be a requirement to travel to the office for various activities e.g., collaborative working, supporting and training colleagues.
If hybrid working is suitable for you and your role, the arrangements will be determined primarily by business need, but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. Therefore, we would encourage candidates to consider if the commute from home to the office is a feasible distance to travel before making an application. Please note that if you are successful, hybrid working will be discussed prior to taking up the post. 

Person specification

Responsibilities

Your role as Solution Architect will include:

• Leading the Application/Solution Architecture domain within the Enterprise Architecture team
• Developing Target Application Architecture(s) and Roadmaps
• Assuring that any 3rd party supplier proposals are fit for purpose
• Leadership in ensuring HSE can maximise development of reusable services, through consistency and standardisation, that span different business areas
• Engagement with stakeholders (at all levels, including Director level) to better understand business objectives and technology challenges – to help ensure requirements are met in the design
• Recommending technology opportunities and innovations
• Applying strong communication and influencing skills to both technical and business stakeholders
• Building strong links for collaboration across other government departments to share best practice and insights
• Applying strong governance throughout the delivery, championing reuse, alignment to industry best practise, and HSE Architecture standards and principles.
• Recognising common requirements, across programmes, to standardise and deliver common services/enterprise components wherever possible

Essential Skills and Criteria

• An experienced Solution Architect, with a track record of designing Solution Architectures that deliver new Business Services/Applications.
• Architecting Cloud based solutions. Ideally (but not essential) using Azure services.
• Experience in supporting IT Strategy and developing Technology Roadmaps

Desirable Skills and Criteria

• Application components such as Case Management, Document/Evidence Management, Identity Management – and the leading technologies that deliver these components
• Designing in compliance with Security Standards
• Experience of using Architecture Frameworks and Standards (e.g. TOGAF, Archimate) and associated Tools
• Leading on business problem definition, analysis & solution design activities
• Experience of working effectively within a professional IT programme/project management environment and working collaboratively with suppliers, government partners and end users

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,866, Health and Safety Executive contributes £15,623 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 and Experience.

Application information

As part of your application, you will be asked to complete an anonymised CV.  Please ensure you complete your career history, your experience and qualifications. 

You will also be asked to complete a personal statement, of no more than 750 words, which should evidence how your skills and experience align with the essential skills and criteria listed in the Person Specification.

Application Guidance

Please access the following link for guidance on how to apply and how to complete a Personal Statement https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/how-to-apply/

Sift Information

A sift will take place during week commencing 15th July 2024 when you will be assessed on your CV and personal statement.

Interview information

Candidates who pass the sift will be invited for an interview during the week commencing 29th July 2024. At Interview, you will be assessed on the advertised behaviours and your experience.

As part of your interview, you will also be required to deliver a short presentation. Further details of this will be sent out with your interview invitation

Interviews will take place via Microsoft Teams and further information will be sent to candidates who are successful at sift.

Please note that dependent on numbers of applications received these dates could be subject to change.

AI Tools & Platforms

During the application process candidates are allowed to utilise AI (artificial intelligence) platforms and Tools to support them in writing their Behaviours, CV’s and Personal Statements. However, all information submitted must be factually accurate. This includes presenting the ideas and experience of others, or those generated by artificial intelligence, as your own. All presented information will be assessed at the Interview Stage.

Further Information

Please note that a Reserve List will be held for the period of up to 12 months.

Due to the nature of security checks undertaken, applicants must have 3 years continuous residency in the UK up to the date of the application and, Home Office approval for indefinite leave to remain within the UK.

Sponsorship

This role is not open to application from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system. Should you apply for this role and require sponsorship your application will be rejected, and any provisional offers of employment will be withdrawn.

It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful in their application. For a summary of HSE terms and conditions as part of Civil Service Reform, please see the attached HSE Terms and Conditions document.

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

HSE is proud to be a part of the Disability Confidence Scheme (DCS). As a Disability Confident employer, we positively welcome applications from disabled people. We are committed to making workplace adjustments to ensure anyone can participate in the recruitment and selection process.

We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all disabled applicants who provide evidence of meeting the minimum requirements necessary for the post.

If, during the application or interview process, you require any assistance due to a disability or a medical condition, please contact us at the email address below to discuss how we can support you. For example if you have a disability, and you need an application form in an alternative format or you would like to know more about our recruitment process, please contact: hr.resourcing-team@hse.gov.uk

If successful in securing your role, HSE can provide suitable workplace adjustments to support you throughout your career with HSE.

Any move to HSE 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 at here

Please note, if you are a current civil servant and you are currently undergoing any of the following formal actions your application will not be progressed any further; Formal discipline action, any formal action regarding attendance, poor performance or any restriction of duties as a result of disciplinary action. 

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.