Cloud Solution Architect

Job summary

We are currently recruiting for an accomplished Cloud Solution Architect (Data Platforms) to work on a hybrid basis with two to three days per week from our HQ in Coventry and the remainder working remotely, Monday to Friday. Occasional travel to meetings and conferences across the UK may be required.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a leading role in AHDB's digital and data transformation. You'll help shape the future of our cloud and data platforms, providing technical leadership and architectural direction across a portfolio of high-profile digital and data initiatives.

Working closely with business stakeholders, delivery teams and external partners, you'll design secure, scalable and interoperable solutions that modernise our technology estate, improve data accessibility and governance and support AHDB's strategic priorities. As a senior technical leader, you'll influence key technology decisions, establish architecture standards and help embed a culture of collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement.

About AHDB

We are the independent, impartial public body that unlocks success in British agriculture. Funded by a levy from over 100,000 British producers in the beef, lamb, pork, dairy and cereals sectors, we support and champion farmers, growers and processors, often where no one else can or will.

We share the expert, evidence-based research and reports that inform on-farm decision making. We promote British produce to the UK public through domestic marketing campaigns, and we identify and open new global export opportunities to help farm businesses grow.

We help levy payers learn more, sell more and export more to remain sustainable and profitable. Together, we deliver the insights, the influence and the impact that farmers need.

Job description

• Lead the design and assurance of secure, scalable cloud and data platform solutions aligned to AHDB's digital strategy
• Develop target architectures, standards and reusable design patterns that support business and technical objectives
• Work with delivery teams and stakeholders to translate requirements into robust technical solutions
• Provide architectural governance through technical reviews, design authority forums and decision-making processes
• Lead workshops with business and technical stakeholders to shape solution approaches and drive alignment
• Support the modernisation of legacy systems, improving interoperability, automation and data accessibility
• Build strong relationships with internal teams, technology partners and industry stakeholders to support successful delivery
• Provide technical leadership and guidance to engineering, analyst and project teams, promoting collaboration and best practice

Person specification

• Proven experience leading solution architecture and cloud transformation initiatives within complex organisations. Knowledge of the agricultural, food or related sectors would be an advantage but is not essential
• Strong expertise in Microsoft Azure, cloud-native architecture and modern integration approaches, with relevant Azure certifications being advantageous
• Experience designing scalable data platforms, data integration solutions and governance frameworks, with a strong understanding of data security, interoperability and modern data architectures
• Demonstrable experience taking complex technology solutions from discovery and design through to implementation and live service, including the modernisation and integration of legacy systems
• Strong stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage both technical and non-technical audiences
• Experience establishing architecture standards, governance processes and technical best practice across multiple teams; ideally supported by TOGAF, multi-cloud architecture or identity and access management (IAM) experience
• Experience in data ingestion, data modelling, and interoperability, with a strong understanding of both centralised and decentralised data architectures, and experience designing and implementing Infrastructure as Code (IaC) deployments and automation solutions

Benefits

• 35 hours per week, Monday - Friday, to include hybrid working
• 33 days of annual leave plus one privilege day (inclusive of bank holidays)
• Life assurance cover (4x salary)
• A market-leading defined contribution pension scheme with Legal & General
• Enhanced pay of 20 weeks for maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave, subject to length of service
• A paid day each year to volunteer and make a difference in your community
• Comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
• Excellent training and development opportunities and an agreed development plan
• Recognition awards throughout the year
• Reward Gateway membership - this gives you a huge number of online discounts and savings

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

To apply, simply upload your CV and Cover Letter via our careers portal by clicking the ‘Apply’ button on this page. Our hiring managers will review your application, and we’ll be in touch with the outcome shortly after the closing date.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an initial interview via MS Teams. If successful, a second-stage face-to-face interview will be held at our HQ in Coventry, Warwickshire, following our competency-based framework.

Please note that we reserve the right to close the vacancy early should we receive a significant number of suitable applications.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in