At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the transformation of public websites to Drupal, focusing on requirements and solution design.
- Company: Higher education organisation committed to modernising their digital presence.
- Benefits: Competitive daily rate, flexible working arrangements, and a chance to shape impactful projects.
- Other info: Opportunity to work in a dynamic environment with potential for long-term collaboration.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of a major website transformation and influence the future of digital education.
- Qualifications: Experience in Drupal architecture and strong stakeholder engagement skills.
Outside IR35
£525.00 until end of July initially
Website Transformation within a higher education organisation.
The role involves supporting the discovery phase of a large-scale public website transformation, moving multiple public-facing websites from a legacy CMS to Drupal. It requires senior architectural input to gather, rationalise, and harmonise requirements across distinct product groups.
This role works under the Head of Web and alongside an existing Solutions Architect and internal Business Analyst. The focus is on requirements, solution design, and reuse strategy, not build or delivery.
Programme Context:
The organisation currently operates multiple legacy CMS sites serving different audiences and product areas, including international and UK-focused content and assessment-related material. These will be migrated to separate Drupal instances per product group, aligned through a shared design and reuse approach. Most capability is expected to be common across sites, with some product-specific bespoke requirements. The immediate aim is to step away from legacy platforms and establish a clear, reusable Drupal blueprint that can be taken to market through a formal RFP for delivery partners.
The Assignment:
The initial discovery phase is already underway. This contract strengthens the architecture and design capability by adding a business-facing Drupal technical architect who can:
- Work with stakeholders to understand what they need
- Assess how Drupal can fulfil those needs
- Harmonise overlapping requirements across product groups
- Shape high-level designs that balance reuse with necessary variation
The outputs from this engagement will form the baseline set of requirements and designs used across all product groups ahead of vendor procurement.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead and support requirements discovery workshops with business and product stakeholders
- Consolidate, de-duplicate, and harmonise requirements across multiple product groups
- Work alongside the Drupal Solutions Architect to define high-level solution options
- Translate agreed approaches into High-Level Technical Designs (HLDs), covering:
- Content models
- Component and pattern choices
- Reuse versus bespoke decisions
- Integration considerations where relevant
Drupal Architect in Portsmouth employer: Harvey Nash
Contact Detail:
Harvey Nash Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Drupal Architect in Portsmouth
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the higher education sector or Drupal community. Attend meetups, webinars, or conferences to meet potential employers and showcase your expertise.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your knowledge of Drupal architecture and the specific needs of higher education organisations. Be ready to discuss how you can help them transition from legacy systems to a streamlined Drupal solution.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your past projects! Create a portfolio that highlights your experience with similar transformations. Use case studies to demonstrate how you've harmonised requirements and designed reusable solutions in previous roles.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! We’re always on the lookout for talented individuals like you. Keep an eye on our job listings and make sure your application stands out by tailoring it to the role.
We think you need these skills to ace Drupal Architect in Portsmouth
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Drupal Architect role. Highlight your experience with Drupal, especially in architectural design and requirements gathering. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're the perfect fit for this role. Share specific examples of your past work that relate to the job description, and don’t forget to show your enthusiasm for the project.
Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills: In your application, highlight instances where you've successfully harmonised requirements or designed solutions. We love seeing how you tackle challenges, especially in complex environments like higher education.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother process. It helps us keep track of applications and ensures you get all the updates directly from us. Plus, it’s super easy!
How to prepare for a job interview at Harvey Nash
✨Know Your Drupal Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your Drupal knowledge before the interview. Understand its architecture, common patterns, and how it can be tailored to meet specific needs. Be ready to discuss how you've used Drupal in past projects, especially in terms of requirements gathering and solution design.
✨Understand the Higher Education Sector
Familiarise yourself with the unique challenges and requirements of the higher education sector. Research how different institutions manage their web presence and what specific needs they have. This will help you demonstrate that you can align your architectural strategies with their goals.
✨Prepare for Stakeholder Engagement Scenarios
Since this role involves working closely with stakeholders, think about how you would lead a requirements discovery workshop. Prepare examples of how you've successfully engaged with stakeholders in the past, focusing on how you harmonised overlapping requirements and shaped high-level designs.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Be ready to discuss specific challenges you've faced in previous roles and how you overcame them. Highlight your ability to assess requirements against reusable assets and make decisions that balance reuse with bespoke needs. This will show that you can think critically and strategically about architectural solutions.