HMRC is building a modern, digital tax administration and runs the biggest digital operation in Government, providing digital services for 45 million individuals and 4.9 million business customers. Our digital programme is multi-award winning and the envy of other government organisations.

This is an exciting time to join an organisation that probably doesn’t work how you’d imagine a government organisation would. Our blog tells you a bit more about what we do and how we do it. here

We are undergoing a major transformation programme, which includes a major investment in digitisation. This means customers can do more for themselves online, in real time, on computers, tablets and smartphones therefore we are building a team of outstanding people who will create and run these new and improved technology services.

This role is initially working in Customs and Borders and supporting the work in our EUTU portfolio. We are investing c.£1.3 billion to transform HMRC into one of the most digitally advanced tax administrations in the world. As a Lead Programme Architect, you will be working across one of the biggest IT estates in Europe, supporting large scale transformations that have profound impact on HMRC customers, other government agencies and HMRC staff members.

This unique opportunity is for an experienced Architect to lead across multiple projects within some of the most ambitious transformation programmes at a time of significant change across a hugely sophisticated IT landscape in HMRC. This position will play a key role in planning, designing, delivering and ever greening systems, solutions and platforms, setting medium to long term directions and governing against these directions. In this role, you get the opportunity to bring together, develop and lead a team of Senior Solution Architects working across a multi-billion-pound portfolio of business transformation projects, including cross-government projects within HMRC.

A Lead Programme Architect works across HMRC at a multi programme strategic level to translate business strategy into successful transformations of the estate. This role will be responsible for:

Assuring that the technology decisions are aligned to Enterprise Architecture (EA) strategy;

Ownership of EUTU strategy and roadmaps from a business and technology perspective, including ‘as-is’, ‘to-be’ and transitional states;

Understanding the organisation’s ecosystem and its inter-dependencies;

Taking strategic as well as practical views across all architectural domains, portfolios and programmes within EUTU scope;

Guiding the correct technology decisions, promoting reuse, sustainability and scalability to achieve value for money;

Developing the architecture community within EUTU and across government where appropriate;

Architecture and Technology thought leadership, horizon scanning across industry, identifying emerging trends and their potential impacts on HMRC’s estate

We are looking for a passionate individual who is well experienced with large scale transformations, leading a team of Senior Solution Architects responsible for working across EUTU transformation programmes. You will be defining and promoting the agenda in line with HMRC’s Enterprise Architecture Strategy, socialising with a variety of business partners. Additionally, you will provide active internal consultancy, driving adoption of HMRC’s Architecture vision, strategies and directions.

As part of the Architecture leadership team, this role will engage at a programme strategic level, influencing policy, and setting direction for technical and business change. The Lead Programme Architect ensures that HMRC develops and maintains a strong EUTU Architecture capability through coaching, mentoring and trainings.

The applicants need to demonstrate in the application the following essential criteria:

Broad IT and Enterprise Architecture background with experience in architecting enterprise scale platforms or have experience of large, enterprise scale application developments.

Focused approach to strategic alignment of digital design and integration to meet business growth and direction.

Experience in providing internal consultancy on potential uses and appropriateness of emerging technologies and driving benefits from these technologies.

Breadth of understanding large scale application development methodologies, with specific specialism in one or more of the following areas:

Cloud platforms – iPaaS, PaaS, SaaS and IaaS, Security Controls, Management Processes and Tools, and experience with AWS and/or Azure platforms and cloud-based customer platforms such as Microsoft, Salesforce, Pega, etc.

Authorisation & Identity - including Single Sign On, SAML, OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, Role Based Access Control, and Federation technologies.

Application development and integration standards and tools – open source and market standard

Experience in designing a high-level solution from scratch

Ability to work under broad direction in challenging environments, playing a key role in influencing strategic decision making and understand strategic consequences of IT decisions.

Experience of engaging at a strategic level and playing a key role in influencing, building and maintaining strong working relationships with partners at a senior level in order to achieve successful business outcomes.

Capability to articulate technical solutions to technical and non-technical people alike.

Able to work effectively in pressurised situations and can be relied upon to deliver, irrespective of the circumstances.

The successful applicant for this role will need to be eligible for and willing to undergo SC clearance following appointment in to the post.

TOGAF and / or BCS certification.

Experience of leading and managing teams

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Broad IT and Enterprise Architecture background with experience in architecting enterprise scale platforms or have experience of large, enterprise scale application developments.
• Experience in providing internal consultancy on potential uses and appropriateness of emerging technologies and driving benefits from these technologies.
• Breadth of understanding large scale application development methodologies
• Experience in designing a high-level solution from scratch