At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and evolve cloud-hosted platforms, ensuring security and scalability.
- Company: Join Social Security Scotland, a forward-thinking agency making a difference.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, competitive pay, and a supportive environment.
- Other info: Collaborate with diverse teams and drive impactful change.
- Why this job: Shape the future of public services with innovative cloud solutions.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in AWS architecture and technical leadership.
Social Security Scotland is seeking a Senior Technical (Cloud) Architect to join our Cloud Architecture team and play a key role in designing, delivering and evolving our cloud-hosted platforms. Working within a cloud-first environment, primarily on AWS, you will provide architectural leadership to ensure services are secure, resilient, scalable and cost-effective for both internal users and citizens across Scotland.
This is an exciting opportunity to influence a modern, cloud-native platform from an early stage, working closely with technical specialists and delivery teams to shape greenfield solutions, drive continuous improvement, and support the future growth of critical public services.
You will be responsible for defining and assuring cloud infrastructure architectures across AWS, including containerised platforms running on Amazon EKS. Providing technical leadership and design assurance, you will ensure solutions align with organisational standards and best practice, while supporting strategic technology roadmaps, cloud security, resilience and platform engineering initiatives.
As a Senior Technical (Cloud) Architect, you will design and assure digital solutions, translating complex business and technical requirements into effective, governed architectures. You will provide technical leadership, design guidance and reusable patterns, identifying opportunities to leverage common platforms, components and services.
Working across a range of architecture domains and technologies, you will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders. You will also work closely with specialist architecture domains, engineering, cyber security and delivery managers to ensure solutions are secure, scalable, resilient and aligned to organisational standards and strategic objectives.
Responsibilities
- Present recommendations for technologies and improvements that support business and project objectives, based on analysis of requirements and system needs.
- Evaluate implemented solutions, identifying lessons learned, best practice and opportunities for continuous improvement.
- Contribute to architecture governance activities, promoting the adoption of architectural standards, best practice and effective ways of working.
- Contribute to the development of technical strategy and roadmaps within your area of expertise.
- Lead and assure AWS cloud architectures, including container-based platforms hosted on Amazon EKS, ensuring alignment with security, resilience, performance and cost optimisation requirements.
- Own and evolve the technical roadmap for services within a defined domain.
- Develop and maintain technical designs for the integration and implementation of technology solutions, working collaboratively across Government Digital and Data (GDD) and business teams.
- Ensure designs meet security, operational, resilience and performance requirements.
- Act as a Subject Matter Expert, understanding wider departmental, organisational and cross-government strategies to ensure recommendations and designs are aligned.
- Own one or more digital components, ensuring solutions align with broader architectural designs and strategic direction.
- Define cloud integration approaches, including APIs, event-driven services, identity integration and secure connectivity between cloud and enterprise platforms.
Qualifications
Demonstrable technical leadership experience, providing architectural direction and expertise on large-scale projects or complex programmes, fostering technical excellence, innovation and effective decision-making.
Experience designing complex cloud-based solutions, balancing business requirements, security, performance, resilience, cost and delivery constraints to achieve successful outcomes.
Strong technical expertise in AWS cloud infrastructure and platforms, including the design, implementation and management of AWS services, Amazon EKS and associated infrastructure technologies.
Behaviours
Communicating and Influencing (Level 4)
This role is aligned to Senior Technical Architect within the Government Digital and Data Profession. These skills will be tested during the Technical Assessment if you are successful at sift stage.
How to Apply
Apply online, you must provide a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 750 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the Experience and Behaviours listed in the Success Profiles above.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified, applications will be withdrawn.
We aim to provide feedback on request. However, where a large number of applications are received, it may not be possible to give feedback to candidates who are not invited to interview or assessment. Feedback will be available on request to all candidates who attend an interview or assessment.
Expected Timeline (subject to change)
Sift - w/c 7th September
Interview – w/c 28th September
Location - In Person in either Dundee or Glasgow
About Us
Social Security Scotland is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government. Our benefits help people from all walks of life in Scotland. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles. We are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce that is representative of the clients we serve.
We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits.
Working Pattern
Our standard hours are 35 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options, depending on the needs of the role. We embrace a hybrid working style where all colleagues will spend time in either our Glasgow or Dundee offices.
Security Checks
Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed.
Equality Statement
Social Security Scotland are committed to equality and inclusion, and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.
Right to Work in the UK
Social Security Scotland is an approved sponsor under the UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker route.
Further Information
Social Security Scotland’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the recruitment principles of the Civil Service Commissioner, which outline that selection for appointment be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition.
Senior Technical (Cloud) Architect in Glasgow employer: Scottish Government
Social Security Scotland is an exceptional employer, offering a supportive and inclusive work environment that prioritises employee well-being and professional growth. With flexible working options and a commitment to diversity, employees can thrive while contributing to meaningful public services across Scotland. The opportunity to influence cloud-native platforms in a collaborative setting, combined with competitive benefits such as a GDD pay supplement, makes this role particularly rewarding for those passionate about technology and public service.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Technical (Cloud) Architect in Glasgow
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Scottish Government or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Scottish Government.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Scottish Government.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Scottish Government that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Technical (Cloud) Architect in Glasgow
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Scottish Government.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Scottish Government and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Scottish Government
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Scottish Government uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
