Lead Enterprise Architect

We are looking for an experienced Lead Enterprise Architect to provide strategic architectural leadership across HMCTS. You will be working to a Principal Enterprise Architect, as part of the Digital Architecture, Strategy and Innovation function (DASI). As a Lead Enterprise Architect, you will help to shape the future direction of digital services, technology and organisational transformation across HMCTS.

Working across a diverse portfolio of programmes, products and services, you will provide strategic architectural leadership, ensuring that business, data, application, technology and security decisions align with organisational priorities and long-term objectives. You will work with senior leaders, delivery teams and architects to guide complex decision-making, provide governance and assurance, and help develop sustainable solutions that deliver lasting value.

You will be a trusted adviser, able to communicate complex ideas to both technical and non-technical audiences, influence senior stakeholders and help teams understand how their work contributes to wider organisational goals. You will play a key role in developing enterprise strategies, target architectures and roadmaps, while identifying opportunities for simplification, reuse and continuous improvement.

In this role you will:

Your role as Lead Enterprise Architect will encompass several key responsibilities listed below (but not limited to):

• Provide enterprise architecture leadership, governance and assurance for significant, complex or high-risk business and technology initiatives.
• Develop and maintain enterprise architecture strategies, principles, standards, target architectures and roadmaps.
• Guide architectural decision-making across programmes, products and services, ensuring alignment with organisational strategy and long-term objectives.
• Identify strategic risks, dependencies and opportunities, advising senior stakeholders on appropriate actions.
• Drive adoption of common platforms, shared capabilities, reusable architectural patterns and strategic technology choices.
• Ensure architectural advice and assurance aligns with HMCTS, MoJ and wider government standards relating to security, privacy, accessibility, interoperability, service design and reuse.
• Provide architectural input to commercial and supplier decisions, including sourcing strategy, procurement, build-versus-buy assessment, whole-life value and vendor lock-in risk.
• Collaborate with business, technical, security, data and solution architects to ensure joined-up decision-making.
• Represent HMCTS in cross-government and Ministry of Justice architecture communities and forums.
• Build capability through mentoring, coaching and supporting the wider architecture profession., The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity.

Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised role: all successful candidates will be appointed to the nearest viable office nearest to their home postcode and on its respective pay scale. This will be at either a HQ building (subject to desk allocation, a Justice Collaboration Centre (JCC) or a Justice Satellite Office (JSO) - See Map. All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity).

For current MoJ employees, your base location will need to be changed to the nearest viable office (to your home postcode), either at a HQ building, JCC or JSO within the National Office Network and moved its location’s respective pay scale (any legacy arrangements/locations will need to be amended).

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on ‘modernised’ terms in their current post or onto ‘unmodernised’ MoJ terms if they are on ‘unmodernised’ terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer.

All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ’s Flexible Working policy.

Experience operating in an enterprise architecture or senior architecture leadership role within a complex organisation.

• Strong understanding of enterprise architecture across business, data, application, technology, security and operational domains.
• Experience in strategy design, including developing enterprise strategies, target architectures, architectural principles, standards and transformation roadmaps.
• Ability to frame complex problems, assess options and guide architectural decision-making across programmes, products and services.
• Strong architecture communication skills, with the ability to explain complex issues clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience providing governance, assurance and architectural oversight across complex or high-risk delivery portfolios.
• Understanding of commercial and supplier considerations, including sourcing options, procurement, whole-life value, interoperability, supportability and lock-in risk.
• Experience of applying modern enterprise architecture approaches, including cloud and platform strategy, integration, data, AI, automation, sustainability, reuse and common capabilities.
• Ability to balance strategic direction with practical delivery constraints, user needs and organisational priorities., Communicating and Influencing Leadership

The national salary range is £58,511 - £65,329, London salary range is £63,343 - £70,725 Your salary will be dependent on your base location, The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.

There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Support

• A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
• Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
• For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on www.GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
• Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
• Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

• To Transformative Business Services (0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk);
• To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (resourcing-management-office@justice.gov.uk);
• To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns., Your Experience for this role will be assessed at interview. To learn more about Experience and how they are assessed please click here. We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods Experience Questions Level of security checks required DBS Basic Security Clearance (SC)

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The “Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans” initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces. For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans