Corporate Operations Directorate, part of the DG Corporate family, leads efforts to enable Scottish Government to operate more effectively and efficiently, supporting both internal teams and shared service customers. Our critical technologies and services underpin operations across government, with a focus on digital transformation, automation and shared services. We bring structure and governance to the setting of priorities, and are responsible for delivering projects and programmes from a varied portfolio of transformational change.
Within the Directorate, the function of Corporate Architecture was formed to take ownership for a mission to make a material positive impact on the performance of the Scottish Government with a coherent, professional Architecture Operation. We are agents of change who support the organisation in making informed, people-centred decisions that align with our shared mission: In the Service of Scotland.
Our team brings together expertise in analysis, strategy and storytelling to help shape the future of the organisation. We act as a trusted partner - connecting people, ideas and evidence - to ensure the right voices are heard and the right decisions are made. Our architecture remit is the corporate space. We define that as business processes, applications, data and technology where staff and the business people we work with are affected, and the concern is shared across multiple lines of business.
Responsibilities
Main Duties
Presenting recommendations for technologies or improvements to enhance systems to support project goals clearly to senior management, based on knowledge of IT and analysis of systems’ needs.
Evaluating the success of a project, once the solution has been integrated, identifying best practices and lessons learned.
Providing feedback to leadership and incorporating best practices and lessons learned into future integration plans.
Act as a key contributor to architecture governance activities ensuring the adoption of good working methods and best practice in the application of technology architecture standards.
Leading the design and review processes for new solution and services, evidencing the inclusion of ‘Secure by Design” in the technical designs you produce, oversee and approve.
Managing, coaching and mentoring more junior Technical Architects.
Contributing to the overall technical strategy and road map for the department in your area of expertise.
Creating optimal technical designs through an iterative process, aligning such factors as the user need within the system requirements, security and organisational objectives.
Developing and documenting the proposed technical design for the integration and implementation of any solution, working with and across other areas of the Government Data and Digital Profession (GDD) and the business.
Ensure designs meet security and operational requirements.
Be seen across the department or division as a Subject Matter expert, contributing to the development of architectural practice, ensuring a coherent and consistent strategy across cybersecurity, cloud, data centre, storage, network, mobile and the user experience of infrastructure
Qualifications
Success Profile
Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on.
Experience
- You demonstrate an understanding of the complex landscapes of technologies and the required collaboration with 3rd party suppliers, internal and cross-government teams across multiple projects to deliver successful outcomes in line with business and technical requirements.
- You have managed Human Resource activities, including interviewing, selection / hiring, and conducting performance assessments.
- You have the experience, skills and personal qualities that allow you to be effective whilst working unsupervised in a dynamic environment with fluid priorities and high levels of uncertainty.
- You can balance potentially conflicting requirements and interests, negotiate a consensus and justify your architectural design decisions.
- Changing and improving - Level 4
- Delivering at pace - Level 4
Technical
This role is aligned to the Technical architect role within the Architecture job family. You can find out more about the skills required: Technical architect - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework
These skills are assessed by technical assessment, designed to represent the role. Candidates reaching this stage will receive a Technical Assessment Candidate Pack which outlines the specific skills to be assessed, plus the method of assessment.
If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and GDD technical assessment where the experiences, behaviours and technical skills outlined in the Success Profile will be assessed.
Assessments are scheduled for w/c 03/08/2026 however this may be subject to change.
This post is part of the Government Digital and Data (GDD) profession and currently attracts a £4,000 annual GDD pay supplement, which is paid monthly - pay supplements are reviewed regularly.
Skilled Worker sponsorship is not available for this role. As a result, we are unable to appoint candidates who require Skilled Worker sponsorship now or in the future. Applicants must have an existing and ongoing right to work in the UK.
