Principle Applications Architect

Job Description

Prospective officers and staff must be held to a higher standard of behaviour and accountability than members of the public, and that therefore their right to privacy can be fettered in certain circumstances. This is to ensure that members of the police are fully aware and accountable for the unique powers entrusted to them and the standards of professional behaviour they swear to uphold.

West Midlands Police have completed a large-scale digital transformation programme, and therefore technologies such as Cloud, Artificial Intelligence, Automation and Mobility are no longer visionary - they underpin policing today. The next stage in our technology ambition is focused around the concept of Synergy and delivering amazing User Experiences. This role will help focus and shape our path in the Synergy strategy - and thus drive real world impact on policing technology, therefore allowing us to excel at our vision; to prevent crime, protect the public and help those in need.

Principal Application Architect, you sit within the Architecture Management function of the IT & Digital department. Your team will lead on the design and modelling of strategic and tactical architectures for delivery, development and support of projects. You will also work closely with the User Experience team and function (a new entity) within the department - which will identify Synergy Opportunities for improving User Experiences across our organisation.

Alongside creating standards and guidelines in architecture, you will also be responsible for the quality of designs created, that are submitted to technical governance boards for successful adoption. You will have a big influence on technology choices, and our technology architecture - which underpins all areas of policing.

Leading a team of supporting senior architects, you will be a principled expert in application technology, and will be comfortable providing a clear path on this technology moving forward. The role will manage the workload across the architecture team, ensuring technology solutions are designed against our end state blueprints and requirements.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the design and modelling of strategic and tactical architectures for delivery, development, and support of projects.
• Build the long term strategic roadmap for application architecture. Therefore, prioritising the removal of our Technical Debt.
• Lead a team to develop End to End Solution Designs to meet business objectives and great customer outcomes. Ensuring they adhere to all architectural, security and quality standards.
• Work alongside the User Experience team, to identify ways we can improve on existing solutions/systems/processes for the benefit of the organisation and the public we serve.
• Engagement with business stakeholders when ideas are conceived; and lead in shaping them into deliverable outcomes.
• Develop and maintain policies, standards, and guidelines to ensure that a consistent framework is applied across the organisation.
• Lead on architecture for applications and security, including the capture of existing as is architecture state, and the evolution/transition states required to achieve the to be future state.
• Be accountable for the design/architecture deliverables created by the team - Thus ensuring that design deliverables are fit for purpose in scheduled governance meetings. Also ensuring they meet our high quality standards and align to our end state blueprints.
• Manage the Architecture Repository, ensuring that roadmaps for as is, and to be states are created/maintained/reportable/measurable.
• Ensure that design deliverables are tracked throughout the lifecycle of the department.
• Work alongside the User Experience team within IT&D to ensure Synergy opportunities are identified and prioritised for implementation.
• Ensuring that Architecture Governance is followed as designs progress through the departmental pipeline of Design > Build > Run operating model.
• Managing and mentoring a team of application architects and supporting staff, including the management of workload, demand and performance measurement/reporting.
• Management of the Application Portfolio and its continual evolution.
• Leading on the creation and review cycle of standards/blueprint documents, and responsibility for all associated architecture templates.
• Management and Oversight of the "Front Door" for new technology requests and associated staff within the department (Our Business Link function).
• Ensuring evolution of our Vendor & Marketplace engagement activity.
• Leading on the pipeline of new application architecture work within the department.
• Keeping up to date with regards to new technology as it relates to application architecture and design.
• Promote and champion the Force's diversity agenda;
• Provide an escalation route for issues;
• Negotiate with partner agencies, suppliers and contractors in order to achieve desirable outcomes;
• Plan and organise individual or team activity with an appreciation of longer term issues;
• Provide specialist information and/or advice to assist and influence senior colleagues/customers to make decisions relating to significant business issues;
• Assist the Head of Architecture in formulating strategic direction for the team and unit;
• Provide reports and comprehensive working papers including making recommendations for improvements or amendments to architecture and designs.
• Ensure the team continually promote the department through engaging with operational staff wherever possible;
• Deputise for the Head of Architecture as needed to promote architecture and design standards at a national level.

Essential Skills:

• Must hold a valid application technology certification (Exam(s) passed and in date) from either AWS or Azure.
• Experience building application architecture roadmaps.
• Ability to establish, implement, and enforce appropriate IT standards to meet business requirements
• Comprehensive knowledge of hardware, software, application, and systems engineering as it relates to applications in cloud and on premises.
• Experience designing, integrating, and managing complex solutions
• Ability to "think big" and challenge conventional wisdom regarding technology refresh and hype
• Strong leadership and negotiation skills with business and technical groups
• Demonstrated ability to build consensus among many stakeholders
• Direct line management experience across a range of disciplines and levels - including recruitment, development, appraisals, and objectives;
• Demonstrable experience to lead and manage an architecture team with technically skilled individuals;
• Demonstrable experience in reviewing and challenging technical designs and architecture.
• Demonstrate high level technical experience and expertise in the domains of Applications, architecture.
• Demonstrable experience of directly communicating with senior managers from a professional perspective using written and oral methods;
• Participate in, and chair, meetings;
• Promote equality, diversity and Human Rights in working practices;
• Maintain standards for security of information.
• Experience of presenting designs and subsequent choices to a range of stakeholders.
• An IT and/or management related qualification with a minimum requirement that it be Degree level, or demonstrable specialist skills in management;
• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills with the ability to communicate effectively at very senior levels.
• Experience of leading fellow technical professionals, especially coaching and mentoring of colleagues to achieve delivery outcomes.
• Experience of working on end to end technical solutions that encompass many systems and teams, drawing out the Key Design Decisions and their implications and resolving them.
• End to end project experience, with strong consulting skills.
• A broad technical background with depth in application architecture discipline plus an ability to pick up new technologies quickly.
• Proven ability to shape business requirements and design solutions based on those requirements.
• First class design skills including the ability to draw up extremely accurate specifications that could be effectively utilised by development team.
• Excellent presentation and organisational skills, having an ability to work under pressure and be capable of balancing competing demands and priorities.
• Ability to negotiate and influence with suppliers regarding technical solutions and proposals.

Desirable skills:

• An architecture certification (Ideally TOGAF) is desirable but not essential.
• Experience in formal board participation and governance.
• ITIL Foundation certificate or demonstrable skills that the ITIL principles are understood in the context of the role.
• Flexibility to use a variety of supporting technologies and to be innovative.
• An understanding of the ITIL processes as they apply to the team and to the department as a whole.

Benefit Statement:

• Fair remuneration with progression opportunities and access to a very competitive pension scheme.
• Enhanced annual leave in addition to public holiday entitlements.
• Discounts across travel, parking, daily costs of living and leisure activities.
• A comprehensive wellbeing package including 24/7 support, free eye tests and flu jabs.
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