Head of Platform Engineering (Senior Technical Architect)

Job summary

The Government Property Agency is the largest property holder in government, with more than £2.1 billion in property assets and over 55% of the government’s office estate.

We are transforming the way the Civil Service works by creating great places to work, leading the largest commercial office programme in the UK, working towards halving carbon emissions from government offices, and achieving greater value for taxpayers. And we are looking for innovative, solutions-focused people to join our team.

Representing the best covenant in the UK – His Majesty’s Government – we are leading significant transformational programmes such as the Government Hubs Programme, Whitehall Campus Programme and Net Zero Programme. We are also delivering cost-effective property services such as asset management, lifecycle replacement and workplace services.

Innovation and progress underpin our behaviours. We foster a culture of lifelong learning, where curiosity and self-improvement are encouraged. Our four core values are at the heart of everything we do. They shape our culture and guide how we work, lead and grow together:

• Striving for excellence- We always aim to deliver great results
• Empowering through respect- We insist on fair treatment for all, always
• Acting with integrity- We consistently do the right thing
• Succeeding together- We rely on each other to achieve success

We are committed to representing the communities we serve by making Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) part of everything we do. Our strong emphasis on EDI is not just about driving inclusion across our organisation, it is also about ensuring our services meet the needs of government departments and the civil servants who use our spaces. To ensure that we are always recruiting and retaining a diverse mix of talent, we are particularly inviting applications from candidates who are disabled, ethnically or gender diverse, and people who identify as being part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Join our dynamic and diverse team that leads with purpose, improving sustainability, nurturing social value, driving inclusivity and flexibility, and kickstarting economic growth. We are driven by purpose, and you can be part of it too: where you make a meaningful impact; where you influence; where your voice really matters; where you help to shape our future direction.

Job description

• As Head of Platform Engineering (Senior Technical Architect), you will​ ​coordinate and demonstrate the business value of the technical architecture as an enabler of strategy formulation, business change and technology innovation.
• You will collaboratively develop business capability models and roadmaps to facilitate discussion and decision making to enable the GPA to design, build and deliver GPA owned services that enhance the Government estate.
• You will work directly to the Head of Technology and lead on the establishment and alignment of a platform engineering capability that can support the CTO, CDIO and CSO functions within the GPA. This important capability will improve alignment and efficient use of resources across the GPA, build cloud platform engineering capability, improve automation and support wider technical professions.
• You will be working with multi-disciplinary teams who deliver user-centred digital services for all of our users across government and internally to the GPA, including enterprise services such as GovPass, GovWifi and GovPrint.
• Initial work will focus on leading analysis of the GPA’s future-state capabilities and current / future IT environment, to detect critical deficiencies and recommend solutions for improvement, driving the organisation forward. To do this, you will have​ ​a​ ​good​ ​understanding​ ​of​ ​a​ ​broad​ ​range​ ​of​ ​technologies and​ ​the ability​ ​to​ ​take​ ​a​ ​balanced​ ​approach​ ​to​ ​technology​ ​selection. You'll be able​ ​to​ ​converse​ ​easily​ ​with​ ​and​ ​translate​ ​between​ ​non-technical​ ​stakeholders and​ ​technical​ ​practitioners. ​ ​You'll be able to​ ​switch​ ​between​ ​different​ ​problems​ ​and responsibilities​ ​and​ ​be directly​ ​involved​ ​in​ ​service​ ​delivery.
• You could be working on anything from transforming core technology services to architecting substantial digital services. O​ur​​ services​ ​are​ ​​developed​ ​by​ ​multi-disciplinary​ ​teams​ ​using ​a​ ​variety of​ technologies​ - ​​you​ ​would​ ​ideally​ ​have​ ​experience​ ​across multiple platforms, technologies and delivery methodologies.
• You'll​ ​undertake​ ​structured​ ​analysis​ ​of​ ​technical​ ​issues,​ ​translating​ ​this​ ​analysis​ ​into ​designs​ ​that​ ​describe​ ​a​ ​solution. ​You​ ​can​ ​be​ ​consulted​ ​on​ ​design​ ​and​ ​are capable​ ​of​ ​providing​ ​design​ ​patterns. ​ ​You​ ​can​ ​identify​ ​the​ ​deeper​ ​issues​ ​that​ ​need fixing​ ​and​ ​look​ ​for​ ​opportunities​ ​to​ ​collaborate​ ​and​ ​reuse​ ​components,​ ​communicating with​ ​both​ ​technical​ ​and​ ​non-technical​ ​stakeholders.
• You will have oversight of the platform engineering capability, working with the architecture community members on projects, programmes and business as usual activities, ensuring delivery is of an appropriate standard. You should lead by example and positively resolve issues collaboratively.
• There will be opportunities to contribute to the development of the pan-government community and wider technology leadership across government.

Your main responsibilities will include:

• Work closely with the Head of Technology to build a structured platform engineering capability for the GPA with strategic guidance from the CTO, CDIO and CSO where necessary, leveraging existing expertise to shape this approach.
• Align a workforce plan for the Platform Engineering team to appropriately reduce technical reliance on supply chain and partners, ensuring the capability supports future cloud, infrastructure and security engineering requirements of the GPA.
• Building ​and​ ​maintaining​ ​technical​ ​roadmaps, ​looking​ ​ahead​ ​for​ ​future​ ​opportunities​ or blockers,​ ​and​ ​ensuring​ ​decisions​ ​by​ ​service​ ​teams​ ​align​ ​with​ ​the​ ​strategy.
• Advising​ ​on​ ​optimal​ ​architectures​ ​and​ ​ensure​ ​projects​ ​are​ ​run​ ​using appropriate assurance​ ​activities,​ ​best​ ​practice​ ​guidelines​ ​and​ ​appropriate ​methodologies.
• Anticipating​ ​and​ ​mitigating​ ​against​ architecture challenges​ ​or​ ​risks within projects.
• Defining​ ​and​ ​managing​ ​technical​ ​procurement​ ​requirements.
• Involvement ​ ​in​ ​the​ ​wider​ ​development​ ​community,​ ​identifying​ ​good​ ​practices​ ​to adopt​ ​and​ ​share​ ​your​ ​experiences,​ ​e.g.​ ​through community meet-ups, blog posts and other collaboration channels
• Advising ​Service Owners​ ​and their teams on​ ​the​ ​estimated​ ​effort​ ​and​ ​technical​ ​implications​ ​of current​ ​user​ ​stories, ​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​those​ ​in​ ​the​ ​backlog.
• Helping to ​enable​ ​the​ ​reuse​ ​of​ ​patterns,​ ​tools,​ ​and​ ​components​ ​across​ ​the​ whole government​ ​service​ ​landscape.
• Helping to mature architecture practice and profession to ensure what we deliver is strategically aligned and provides best value. Helping to maintain the architecture body of knowledge, developing standards and patterns that contribute back to wider technical communities.

Person specification

We are looking for a motivated and driven individual with:

• Strong communication skills and is comfortable briefing at a senior level
• Customer focused and organised with an ability to rapidly analyse complex problems and find solutions
• Resilient, adaptable and comfortable working in a fast paced