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 its 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.
A Drupal Architect is needed to support the discovery phase of a large-scale public website transformation within a higher education organisation. The programme involves migrating multiple public-facing websites from a legacy CMS to Drupal, requiring 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.
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 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 their needs
- 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 Swindon employer: Harvey Nash
Contact Detail:
Harvey Nash Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Drupal Architect in Swindon
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the higher education sector and let them know you're on the lookout for opportunities. You never know who might have the inside scoop on a Drupal Architect role or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your expertise! Prepare a portfolio showcasing your previous work with Drupal, especially any projects involving website transformations. This will help you stand out during interviews and demonstrate your ability to harmonise requirements across product groups.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Get ready for those interviews by rehearsing answers to common questions about solution design and reuse strategies. We recommend doing mock interviews with friends or colleagues to build your confidence.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! We make it super easy for you to submit your application directly. Plus, it shows you're serious about joining our team and helps us keep track of your application more efficiently.
We think you need these skills to ace Drupal Architect in Swindon
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV speaks directly to the role of Drupal Architect. 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 website transformation and stakeholder engagement.
Showcase Your Technical Skills: Don’t forget to mention your technical expertise! Detail your experience with CMS migrations, particularly from legacy systems to Drupal. We’re keen to see how you can contribute to our project right from the start.
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 don’t miss out on any important updates. Let’s get your application in!
How to prepare for a job interview at Harvey Nash
✨Know Your Drupal Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in Drupal architecture and its capabilities. Brush up on your knowledge of content models, component choices, and how to assess requirements against reusable assets. Being able to discuss these topics confidently will show that you’re the right fit for the role.
✨Understand the Organisation's Needs
Research the higher education organisation and their current CMS challenges. Familiarise yourself with their audience and product areas. This will help you tailor your responses to demonstrate how you can harmonise overlapping requirements and shape high-level designs that meet their specific needs.
✨Prepare for Requirements Discovery Workshops
Think about how you would lead and support workshops with stakeholders. Be ready to discuss techniques for consolidating and de-duplicating requirements across product groups. Showing that you have a strategy for engaging with stakeholders will set you apart from other candidates.
✨Showcase Your Collaborative Spirit
This role involves working closely with a Solutions Architect and Business Analyst, so be prepared to discuss your experience in collaborative environments. Share examples of how you’ve successfully worked with others to define solution options and translate approaches into technical designs.