Senior Solution Architect

Job summary

Discover a career in your hands at HMRC. Whether you're seeking purpose, growth, or a workplace that gives you a true sense of belonging, hear from some of our employees as they share their story about what it’s really like to work at HMRC.

Visit our YouTube channel to watch the full series and come and discover your potential.

We work with leading technologies often supported by the companies behind them - Amazon Web Services (AWS), SAP, SAS, Pega, Azure, and Microsoft Power Platform to name a few, to develop and implement solution designs.

You will be using these technologies and more to architect IT solutions that work on a UK wide scale across all of HMRC’s tax and benefits including Self-Assessment, VAT, Corporation Tax, and Counter-Fraud, as well as designing systems that support all the UK’s international trade.

As the tax authority that collects money to fund our UK public services and provide financial support to the people that need it, almost every individual and business in the UK is a direct customer of HMRC. By joining the Chief Digital & Information Office (CDIO) as a Solutions Architect you will be playing a role in helping define HMRCs technology direction and create IT solution designs that make an impact that really matters on a national scale.

This is a challenging role, and we are looking for people who have the skills and determination and help us to realise our vision.

We believe in supporting the personal development of our staff – and of course, IT is always changing, so we offer extensive tailored training and development opportunities.

Job description

See what it’s like to work at HMRC: find out more about us or ask our colleagues a question. Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.

We are looking for people who can help us rise to meet the challenge, so we want people with the right skills, behaviours and mindset, people who:

• Have a fascination in how technology is evolving, and you know the world is changing and want to be a part of that through creating IT solution designs.

• Enjoy being a part of building out technology projects that deliver results.

• Have an interest in, or knowledge of, machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies.

• Can solve real world business problems through creative IT solutions.

• Can work collaboratively as part of a larger team.

If you can answer yes to any of these questions, then these roles may be just what you have been looking for.

We’re bolstering our solution architecture function – working on some of the most complex problems for the UK; simplifying how citizens engage with HMRC, managing the border and driving down on those who try to avoid their obligations for the benefit of our citizens.

Person specification

Your responsibilities in this role will include:

• Leading a team of solution architects within one or more strands of IT Change Programmes, setting direction for the team and delivering results.

• Accountability for producing technical IT Solution Designs on projects that align to the HMRC IT Strategy and deliver business outcomes.

• Responsibility for authoring costed design documentation, working closely with business stakeholders and technical architects to create cohesive solutions that meet the business and user needs.

• Working with Delivery Teams and partners to ensure the Solution Design is delivered and implemented.

• Building strong relationships with key business and CDIO partners.

This role may require travel and overnight stays.

Essential Criteria:

• You have experience in developing solutions at pace through Architectural Governance and managing architecture risks.

• You have working on multiple significant large scale complex IT change/ transformation programme designs.

• You will be able to pick up new technologies and architecture concepts and styles quickly, understand their strengths and weaknesses and apply that learning.

• You are a collaborative problem solver, working with colleagues to identify root causes allowing you to create and deliver pragmatic IT solutions.

• You have a proven ability to collaborate with stakeholders with a broad spectrum of viewpoints and to document and present their views from an architecture perspective.
• You have experience of building your own and others architecture capability.

Capability Allowance

The advertised role is part of the Government Digital and Data Profession and has access to a Capability-Based Allowance. Any allowance awarded will be based on an assessment, at interview, of your capability against the skills advertised for this role. Please see the attached candidate pack for more information.

The allowance values are set by HMRC, subject to remaining in a qualifying role, and are non-pensionable. This allowance is non-contractual, subject to an annual review and could be withdrawn at any time.

For both new entrants and existing civil servants, the total reward compensation offer is a combination of base salary and, if applicable, a capability-based allowance. New entrants to the Civil Service will start on the pay range minimum. For existing civil servants, our policies on level transfer and promotion will apply.

For more information please visit the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework (opens in a new window).

Further Location Information

Please ensure that you only apply for a location that you are willing and able to work from, as we will only make one offer of employment. Any additional notes included in a ‘Further Location Preferences (optional)’ field within the application form, will not be considered. Please be aware that you cannot change your location preference after submitting your application.

Office closures

For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations.

If your location preference is for one of the following sites, it’s important to note that these are not long-term sites for HMRC and we will require you to move to a new building in the future, subject to our location strategy and the applicable employee policies at that time.

These sites are:

• Benton Park View, Newcastle - moving to Pilgrims Quarter, Newcastle
• Telford Plaza, Telford - moving to Parkside Court, Telford

You will be given more information about what this means at the job offer stage.

Leeds Locations

Moves Adjustment Payment will be available for this role, provided the successful applicant is a current HMRC colleague in Bradford and meets the eligibility requirements outlined in the HMRC’s Moves Adjustment Payment guidance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £58,541, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £16,959 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balanc