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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Design innovative technical solutions for the University of Cambridge's digital future.
- Company: Join the University of Cambridge, a world-leading institution with a collaborative culture.
- Benefits: Flexible working arrangements, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Shape technology direction and make a real impact in higher education.
- Qualifications: Experience in technical architecture and strong communication skills required.
- Other info: Diverse and inclusive environment with excellent career advancement opportunities.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
We are looking for a talented Technical Architect to help shape the University of Cambridge's digital future. As part of the Enterprise Architecture Team within University Information Services (UIS), you will turn strategy into secure, operable and cost-effective technical designs used across one of the world's leading universities. If you enjoy solving complex architectural challenges, influencing technology direction, and helping delivery teams succeed, we would love to hear from you.
University Information Services (UIS) provides the services, platforms, networks and enterprise applications that support the University's teaching, research and administration. Our systems are used daily by tens of thousands of students, academics and staff. We operate at scale and complexity, with a federated environment that makes architectural clarity essential.
Responsibilities
- Design and assure end-to-end technical solutions that support the University's strategy and improve coherence across our technology estate.
- Define reusable patterns for APIs, integrations and event-driven architectures, helping to reduce duplication and integration complexity across departments.
- Embed security, operability, privacy and cost into designs from the outset, including NFRs, SLOs, threat models, observability and right-sizing.
- Influence strategic decisions, creating clear architectural narratives (C4 models, capability maps, roadmaps, ADRs) that enable senior leaders to make informed choices.
- Lead early technical discovery, including spikes and proofs-of-concept, without becoming a hands-on coder.
- Support modernisation through rationalisation (retire/replace/refactor), cloud migration and the evolution of reference architectures and guardrails.
- Provide matrix leadership for specialists and contractors as needed, helping ensure quality and alignment across initiatives.
- Collaborate widely, working with delivery teams, service owners, infrastructure leads, security specialists and colleagues across the wider University.
Essential Experience
- Technical or solution architecture across complex, multi-system estates.
- Designing API-led and event-driven integrations.
- Broad understanding across infrastructure, software, data, integration and security.
- Translating business needs into architectural options and executable designs.
- Guiding teams through design decisions, balancing short-term pragmatism with long-term strategy.
- Working knowledge of cloud service models (SaaS, PaaS) and enterprise applications.
Cloud / Platform Depth
- Experience in design/assurance with Azure, GCP or AWS, including:
- Container orchestration (AKS / GKE / EKS)
- API management and streaming (REST, GraphQL, Kafka/Event Hubs, Pub/Sub)
- Identity and access (OIDC, OAuth2, SSO, SCIM)
- Network/security architecture
- Observability (logging, tracing, metrics)
- IaC/DevOps (Terraform, Bicep, CI/CD)
Skills And Experience
- Exceptional communication and facilitation skills.
- Ability to influence senior stakeholders with clear, option-based narratives.
- Analytical clarity and sound judgement.
- A collaborative, team-first mindset.
- Working in higher education, public-sector or other federated environments.
- FinOps practices and cloud cost optimisation.
- SRE/operability principles, DR/BCP design.
- Familiarity with GDS standards.
- Professional certification in architecture, cloud or systems design.
We welcome applications from individuals who wish to be considered for part-time working or other flexible working arrangements. We particularly welcome applications from women and/or candidates from a BME background for this vacancy as they are currently under-represented at this level in our department.
If you are interested in this opportunity and would like to know more, please contact Dr Jamie Thorogood, Chief Architect, at jamie.thorogood@uis.cam.ac.uk. Please quote reference VC48577 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.
The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society. The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.
Technical Architect in Cambridge employer: University of Cambridge Vet School
Contact Detail:
University of Cambridge Vet School Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Technical Architect in Cambridge
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to current employees at the University of Cambridge on LinkedIn or other platforms. Ask them about their experiences and any tips they might have for your application process.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews by brushing up on your technical knowledge and architectural principles. We recommend practising common interview questions related to API design and cloud services to show you’re the right fit for the role.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your collaborative spirit! Be ready to discuss how you've worked with diverse teams in the past. Highlighting your ability to influence stakeholders and lead projects will definitely catch their attention.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining the team at UIS and shaping the digital future of the University.
We think you need these skills to ace Technical Architect in Cambridge
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in technical architecture, especially in complex environments. We want to see how your skills align with the role and the University’s needs.
Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills: In your application, share examples of how you've tackled architectural challenges in the past. We love seeing candidates who can think critically and creatively about technology solutions.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it straightforward. Use clear language to describe your experiences and achievements. We appreciate applicants who can communicate effectively, just like we do in our team!
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to hit that 'Apply' button on our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity at the University of Cambridge.
How to prepare for a job interview at University of Cambridge Vet School
✨Know Your Architecture Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the principles of technical architecture, especially in relation to complex, multi-system estates. Brush up on your knowledge of API-led and event-driven integrations, as well as cloud service models like SaaS and PaaS. This will help you articulate your experience and how it aligns with the University’s needs.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that ask you to solve architectural challenges or design solutions on the spot. Practise explaining your thought process clearly and concisely. Use examples from your past experiences to demonstrate how you’ve tackled similar issues, focusing on your analytical clarity and sound judgement.
✨Showcase Your Collaborative Spirit
The role requires working closely with various teams and stakeholders. Be ready to discuss how you’ve successfully collaborated in previous roles. Highlight your exceptional communication skills and how you’ve influenced decisions through clear, option-based narratives. This will show that you can work effectively in a team-first environment.
✨Understand the University’s Digital Strategy
Familiarise yourself with the University of Cambridge’s digital initiatives and how they align with their overall strategy. This will not only help you answer questions more effectively but also allow you to ask insightful questions about their current projects and future direction, demonstrating your genuine interest in the role.
