SOLUTIONS ARCHITECT CONSULTANT

Actica is currently recruiting for the role of Solutions Architect Consultant.

Role Profile

The Solution Architect Consultant role is a career development role that will provide you with the opportunity to support a wide range of UK public sector and defence organisations at the same time as building your skills and experience in information technology consulting and solution architecture.

You will build on your existing technical skillset to provide consultancy to UK public sector and defence organisations to help them get maximum benefit from their ICT investments. As a Solution Architect Consultant, you will develop expertise in analysing and developing solution and technical architectures based on the needs of the customer, together with an understanding of the technologies and operational processes required to achieve this. You will be supported by others, and may also find yourself providing high-value strategy, business analysis, and procurement consultancy to ensure any solution aligns with the business objectives. You will also be expected to research and assess new or unfamiliar technologies developments and routes to exploit these in support of our customers.

Your level of performance will determine the amount or responsibility given to you. As a result the role has potential to enable you quickly to lead assignments and be responsible for supervising direct reports, whilst ensuring the overall success of the engagement. Our position as a client-side advisor means that this role requires significant stakeholder engagement, dealing directly with the client, including in resolving day-to-day issues involved in assignment delivery and developing follow-on opportunities, so excellent interpersonal and influencing skills are essential. You will produce high-quality formal deliverables, sometimes to challenging timescales.

You will typically work on the client’s site co-located with other project members, who may include the client’s own staff, Actica team members and other suppliers.

Due to the nature of customer side working, regular travel within the UK should be expected. The base office is in Guildford but you should expect to spend the majority of your time working on client sites.

Career Development

The role is suitable for those with some experience in technical consulting or another technical discipline and are keen to move into architecture development. It is therefore suitable for early career candidates as well as those with more experience.

You will have the opportunity to further your career in solution architecture, design and technical consulting, specialising in the application of a broad range of methodologies and technical specialisations to a wide range of business problems.

A career mentor will be on hand to provide support and guidance throughout your journey with Actica. You will also work with a performance and development manager who will conduct six monthly reviews to set career objectives and identify training courses which are both relevant to your current project work, and aligned with your planned career progression.

We provide substantial training, including online, classroom and in-house courses, leading to nationally recognised qualifications in relation to specialisms such as Technical Architecture, Business Analysis, Project Management, Agile, Service Management, Enterprise Architecture, Security Assurance, Security Architecture, Governance, and Technology Procurement. We provide structured career development pathways to help you gain responsibility and influence.

Over time you may be given the opportunity to specialise and take on more responsibility in areas such as: Cyber Security, Enterprise Architecture, Service Management, and Business Change.

Responsibilities

Working either individually or as part of a larger Actica team, you will undertake consultancy assignments that could include:

• • • Defining end-to-end solution architectures including Business, Information, Applications and Infrastructure views;
    • Solution definition on large-scale IT projects with responsibilities for defining complex technical requirements and evaluating supplier responses;
    • Production of User and Service Requirements Documentation;
    • Supporting large ICT procurements, including developing procurement documentation, and evaluation strategies and evaluating bids;
    • Providing technical assurance to ensure that solutions are fit for purpose;
    • Providing technical expertise to your colleagues on other projects as needed.

Qualifications and Experience

You will have a solid foundational level of experience in a relevant technical field, and have a strong desire to develop solution architecture expertise in a consulting environment. Experience within the Defence and / or UK Public Sector is desirable, preferably within the ICT context on enterprise solutions. The fast-changing nature of the ICT environment together with the need to resource multiple, ad-hoc assignments also requires the individual to be intellectually agile, proactive and self-motivated – with the ability to apply a structured approach to often unfamiliar subject matter.

Experience in the application of any of the following would be desirable:

• • • Enterprise and Technical Architecture development and review using EA frameworks and methods, e.g., TOGAF, MODAF;
    • Business or systems analysis methods and tools, e.g., BPMN, UML;
    • Software development methods and techniques, e.g., Agile methods such as SCRUM;
    • Software and API development;
    • DevSecOps and CI/CD technologies;
    • Information security policy standards, e.g., ISO27001 / ISO27002, Cyber Essentials;
    • Programme and Project Management methods, e.g., MSP, PRINCE2, DSDM, Scaled Agile Framework;
    • Public sector best practice guidance, e.g., ITIL, OGC toolkit;
    • Standard methodologies for:
      • Systems integration and testing;
      • Requirements capture and analysis;
      • Feasibility studies and business case development;
      • Information systems security.

Preference is given to candidates with a STEM based degree;

Because of the nature of the Actica’s business, a wide and varied background is preferable and the demonstrable capability to adapt quickly to change is always required.

You may not feel that your skills precisely match the requirements of this job specification; however, we encourage you to apply if this is a role that appeals to you. We require individuals with a broad skillset, so there may be other aspects of your experience which are equally important to us, but that are perhaps not listed in the role specification above.

Actica aims to nurture a diverse workforce through inclusive working practices, promoting equality in our recruitment activities, and by employing candidates on the basis of merit. Discrimination against individuals on the grounds of protected characteristics is not permitted and we take steps to ensure that our staff are made aware of their legal responsibilities when making hiring decisions.

We are keen to improve diversity within our organisation and the industries in which we work, and hope to employ individuals who share that view.

Candidates must be eligible and willing to gain UK Security Clearance to apply for this position.

We are recruiting in order to facilitate continued growth of the business and as a result multiple positions are available across Consultant and Senior Consultant grades.  The advertised role is for employment on a permanent basis.

To apply, please follow this link, alternatively, follow the instructions on the apply to us page.