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- Tasks: Lead the architectural roadmap for a major higher education client's digital workplace.
- Company: Join a purpose-driven organisation focused on empowering staff and students through technology.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible remote work options and professional development opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a meaningful impact in a collaborative environment that values innovation and inclusion.
- Qualifications: Experience in digital workplace architecture, especially with Microsoft 365 and EUC technologies.
- Other info: Mentorship opportunities available to foster continuous learning and technical capability.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 84000 £ per year.
Digital Workplace Architect – Outside IR35 – upto £425 pd
We are seeking a Digital Workplace Domain Architect to shape and lead the architectural roadmap and technical design for a major higher education client, ensuring future-ready digital roadmap for digital workplace and end user compute capabilities, including Microsoft 365, Power Platform, Intune, JAMF, and VDI technologies.
If you are passionate about designing scalable, user-centred, and secure digital environments that empower staff and students to collaborate and thrive, this role offers the opportunity to deliver meaningful change within a complex, multi-disciplinary environment.
This role requires 3 days per week on-site in Manchester, with flexibility for remote work on other days.
About the Role
Architectural Strategy and Roadmap Leadership
- Define, own, and evolve the architecture strategy and roadmap for the digital workplace and end user compute domains aligned with the organisation\’s digital transformation goals.
- Ensure technology decisions support user needs, sustainability goals, and long-term value delivery, incorporating industry best practices and modern architecture patterns.
- Track and evaluate emerging trends in Microsoft 365, Power Platform, device management, and VDI, ensuring the adoption of future-ready capabilities.
Leading Solution Design Across Delivery Workstreams
- Oversee architecture design and governance for multiple concurrent delivery workstreams, ensuring solutions are scalable, secure, and integrated within a complex systems landscape.
- Collaborate closely with product owners, engineering teams, and business stakeholders to translate business requirements into practical, aligned solutions.
- Maintain technical oversight throughout delivery, balancing technical guardrails with flexibility for teams to deliver effective outcomes.
Stakeholder Engagement and Influence
- Act as a trusted advisor, communicating complex architectural decisions clearly and effectively to senior stakeholders and non-technical audiences.
- Facilitate workshops and discussions with academic, administrative, and technical teams to ensure designs reflect real user needs while aligning with enterprise architecture standards.
- Engage with the architecture community, contributing to reusable patterns and best practices that can be leveraged across VE3\’s public sector portfolio.
- Build strong client and partner relationships to ensure alignment with technical roadmaps, licensing optimisation, and value-driven technology investments.
Mentoring and Capability Building
- Mentor subject matter experts within digital workplace and EUC domains, building technical capability and fostering a culture of continuous learning.
- Contribute to upskilling teams on new technology approaches, architecture best practices, and security-first design principles.
Documentation and Governance
- Produce high-quality design artefacts including solution blueprints, technical patterns, principles, and architecture decisions.
- Ensure architecture artefacts are aligned with governance requirements, supporting clarity for delivery teams and facilitating compliance and audit readiness.
What We\’re Looking For
Essential Experience and Skills
- Demonstrated experience in leading architecture for transformational digital workplace initiatives in complex organisations, ideally within regulated or public sector environments.
- Deep technical expertise in:
- Microsoft 365 (Teams, SharePoint Online, Exchange Online, OneDrive, security and compliance capabilities)
- Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate, Dataverse, governance frameworks)
- Device management and EUC technologies (Intune, Autopilot, JAMF, Cloud PC, Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, on-prem VDI)
About You
You are:
- User-centric, ensuring technology serves and empowers staff and students.
- Comfortable navigating complex, integrated systems environments with multiple stakeholders.
- Passionate about emerging technologies and practical in assessing their applicability in a higher education environment.
- Strategic yet pragmatic, capable of delivering incremental value while aligning to a broader architectural vision.
- Resilient and collaborative, thriving in environments where your influence and leadership can deliver long-term positive impact.
What This Role Offers
- An opportunity to shape the digital workplace environment in a complex, purpose-driven organisation within the higher education sector.
- A role at the intersection of technology, user experience, and strategy, with direct influence on how digital capabilities empower teaching, learning, and research.
- Engagement in a collaborative, supportive environment that values innovation, sustainability, and inclusion.
- Professional development opportunities, with the ability to contribute to architecture communities and emerging technology initiatives.
Digital Workplace Architect - Outside IR35 - upto £425pd employer: VE3
Contact Detail:
VE3 Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Digital Workplace Architect - Outside IR35 - upto £425pd
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the latest trends and technologies in Microsoft 365, Power Platform, and VDI. Being well-versed in these areas will not only boost your confidence but also demonstrate your commitment to staying current in a rapidly evolving field.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with professionals in the higher education sector, especially those involved in digital transformation initiatives. Engaging in conversations about their experiences can provide valuable insights and may even lead to referrals or recommendations.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss your previous experience in leading architecture for digital workplace initiatives. Be ready to share specific examples of how you’ve successfully navigated complex environments and influenced senior stakeholders.
✨Tip Number 4
Showcase your mentoring skills by thinking of ways you can contribute to upskilling teams. Highlighting your ability to foster a culture of continuous learning will resonate well with the hiring team, as they value capability building.
We think you need these skills to ace Digital Workplace Architect - Outside IR35 - upto £425pd
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in digital workplace architecture, particularly with Microsoft 365, Power Platform, and device management technologies. Use specific examples that demonstrate your ability to lead architectural strategies and deliver scalable solutions.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your passion for creating user-centred digital environments. Discuss how your skills align with the role's requirements and provide examples of past projects where you successfully influenced stakeholders and delivered meaningful change.
Showcase Technical Expertise: Clearly outline your technical expertise in your application. Mention your experience with tools like Intune, JAMF, and VDI technologies, and explain how you've applied secure cloud integration and zero trust principles in previous roles.
Highlight Stakeholder Engagement Skills: Emphasise your communication and stakeholder management skills. Provide examples of how you've effectively communicated complex architectural decisions to non-technical audiences and facilitated workshops to gather user needs.
How to prepare for a job interview at VE3
✨Showcase Your Technical Expertise
Be prepared to discuss your deep technical knowledge in Microsoft 365, Power Platform, and device management technologies. Highlight specific projects where you've successfully implemented these tools, demonstrating your ability to lead architectural initiatives.
✨Communicate Clearly with Stakeholders
Practice explaining complex architectural concepts in simple terms. Since the role involves engaging with non-technical audiences, being able to articulate your ideas clearly will showcase your communication skills and stakeholder management abilities.
✨Demonstrate User-Centric Design Thinking
Emphasise your commitment to user-centric design by sharing examples of how you've ensured technology solutions meet the needs of users. Discuss how you gather feedback from staff and students to inform your architectural decisions.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect scenario-based questions that assess your problem-solving skills in a complex environment. Think about past experiences where you balanced long-term architectural vision with immediate project needs, and be ready to share those insights.
