Solution Architect (18 Months FTC)

This is an exciting time to join Barnet as we grow our Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) capabilities and accelerate our digital transformation journey. We're investing in smarter services, better use of data, modern technology, and you'll play a key part in shaping this future.

We're looking for an exceptional Solution Architect to help shape Barnet's technology future and play a strategic role in driving our digital, data and AI transformation. As part of the Insight & Intelligence Hub, you'll lead the design and delivery of scalable, secure and cost-effective technology solutions across the council. You'll be responsible for setting the architectural direction for our 5year technology investment strategy. Ensuring our systems, platforms and AI tooling align with business needs, emerging technologies and industry best practice. This is a high impact role with visibility across the organisation. You'll influence senior leaders, guide major technology decisions, and help create a modern, integrated architecture that supports better services and outcomes for residents. This is a hybrid role. You will be expected o attend monthly in-person team days in our Colindale office. We also come into the office to meet service stakeholders, work together on collaboration, discovery and user testing sessions and department days. Please click here to download the Job description for this role., Set the strategic technical architecture direction for the council's multiyear technology investment plan.

• Research, evaluate and design complex information systems, infrastructure solutions and data platforms.
• Lead the design of AI and automation solutions, advising on safe, effective adoption of emerging technologies.
• Review and assure designs from third parties, ensuring alignment to corporate and industry standards.
• Conduct feasibility studies and provide recommendations on proposed IT developments, including risks, costs and benefits.
• Translate business requirements into clear technical specifications, both functional and nonfunctional.
• Develop high-level architectural blueprints and refine these into detailed designs during implementation.
• Work closely with cyber security, information governance and ICT teams to ensure compliance and security standards are embedded in all solutions.
• Lead the development of technical standards, architectural principles and long-term roadmaps.
• Negotiate with stakeholders to balance user needs, technical constraints, timelines and budgets.
• Provide expert advice throughout the full lifecycle of projects, from discovery to delivery. You'll play a crucial role in enabling significant organisational savings, improving service delivery and driving forward innovation across Barnet.

You're an experienced and strategic technology leader who thrives on solving complex problems and shaping modern enterprise architectures. You combine deep technical expertise with strong stakeholder influence and the ability to communicate in a clear, business focused way. You will bring:

• Extensive experience delivering enterprise wide architecture within complex, multisupplier environments.
• Strong knowledge of infrastructure, cloud platforms, networking, applications, AI, RPA and data platforms.
• Confidence designing and governing complex solutions, creating both high-level blueprints and low-level technical specifications.
• Ability to translate user and business needs into functional and nonfunctional requirements.
• Experience horizonscanning, evaluating emerging technologies and advising senior leadership on strategic adoption.
• Expertise in IT architecture frameworks (e.g. TOGAF) and familiarity with modern engineering practices such as cloudnative, data driven and AIenabled architectures.
• Excellent problem-solving skills, with the ability to troubleshoot legacy and modern systems alike.
• Strong communication and negotiation skills, with proven experience influencing senior stakeholders. If you're motivated by innovation, transformation and designing solutions that make a tangible difference, this role offers both challenge and impact at scale.

Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme, which provides a valuable guaranteed income in your retirement together with security for your dependents

• Work-life balance options may include hybrid working, flexitime, job share, home working, part-time
• A vast range of lifestyle discounts from major retailers, supermarkets, energy suppliers and more
• Broad range of payroll benefits including cycle to work, eye care vouchers, travel and gym membership
• Excellent training and development opportunities
• Employee well- being training programs including confidential employee assistance, Barnet Council embraces all forms of flexible working (including part-time, compressed hours, and hybrid working) and is committed to offering employees a healthy work-life balance. Candidates are encouraged to talk about relevant requirements and preferences at interview. We can't promise to give you exactly what you want, but we do promise not to judge you for asking.

Barnet Council is a Disability Confident Committed Employer. We welcome and encourage job applications of all abilities. If you require any reasonable adjustments in the application or interview, please contact the lead contact on this advert. We will make reasonable adjustments to make sure our disabled applicants and those with health conditions are supported throughout our recruitment process. We support the access to work scheme, further details are available at (url removed)

All posts with the council are subject to a probationary period of six months, during which time you will be required to demonstrate to the council satisfaction your suitability for the position in which you will be employed.

Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close vacancies before the stated closing date if sufficient number of applications are received. Therefore, please apply as soon as possible.