Principal Infrastructure Architect

West Midlands Police have completed a large-scale digital transformation programme, and therefore technologies such as Cloud, Artificial Intelligence, Automation and Mobility are no longer visionary – they underpin policing today. The next stage in our technology ambition is focused around the concept of Synergy and delivering amazing User Experiences. This role will help focus and shape our path in the Synergy strategy – and thus drive real-world impact on policing technology, therefore allowing us to excel at our vision; to prevent crime, protect the public and help those in need.

As the Principal Infrastructure Architect, you sit within the Architecture Management function of the IT & Digital department. Your team will lead on the design and modelling of strategic and tactical architectures for delivery, development and support of projects. You will also work closely with the User Experience team and function (a new entity) within the department – which will identify Synergy Opportunities for improving User Experiences across our organisation.

Alongside creating standards and guidelines in architecture, you will also be responsible for the quality of designs created, that are submitted to technical governance boards for successful adoption. You will have a big influence on technology choices, and our technology architecture – which underpins all areas of policing.

Reporting to the Head of Architecture, the Principal Infrastructure Architect is responsible for the following key areas;

• Lead the design and modelling of strategic and tactical architectures for delivery, development, and support of projects.

• Build the long-term strategic roadmap for infrastructure architecture. Therefore, prioritising the removal of our Technical Debt.

• Lead a team to develop End to End Solution Designs to meet business objectives and great customer outcomes. Ensuring they adhere to all architectural, security and quality standards.

• Work alongside the User Experience team, to identify ways we can improve on existing solutions/systems/processes for the benefit of the organisation and the public we serve.

• Engagement with business stakeholders when ideas are conceived; and lead in shaping them into deliverable outcomes.

• Develop and maintain policies, standards, and guidelines to ensure that a consistent framework is applied across the organisation.

Key Responsibilities

Lead on architecture for infrastructure and security, including the capture of existing as-is architecture state, and the evolution/transition states required to achieve the to-be future state.
Be accountable for the design/architecture deliverables created by the team – Thus ensuring that design deliverables are fit for purpose in scheduled governance meetings. Also ensuring they meet our high quality standards and align to our end-state blueprints.
Manage the Architecture Repository, ensuring that roadmaps for as-is, and to-be states are created/maintained/reportable/measurable.
Ensure that design deliverables are tracked throughout the lifecycle of the department.
Work alongside the User Experience team within IT&D to ensure Synergy opportunities are identified and prioritised for implementation.
Ensuring that Architecture Governance is followed as designs progress through the departmental pipeline of Design > Build > Run operating model.
Managing and mentoring a team of infrastructure architects and supporting staff, including the management of workload, demand and performance measurement/reporting.
Management of the Infrastructure Portfolio and its continual evolution.
Leading on the creation and review cycle of standards/blueprint documents, and responsibility for all associated architecture templates.
Management and Oversight of the “Front Door” for new technology requests and associated staff within the department (Our Business Link function).
Ensuring evolution of our Vendor & Marketplace engagement activity.
Leading on the pipeline of new infrastructure architecture work within the department.
Keeping up-to-date with regards to new technology as it relates to infrastructure architecture and design.
Promote and champion the Force’s diversity agenda;
Provide an escalation route for issues;
Negotiate with partner agencies, suppliers and contractors in order to achieve desirable outcomes;
Plan and organise individual or team activity with an appreciation of longer term issues;
Provide specialist information and/or advice to assist and influence senior colleagues/customers to make decisions relating to significant business issues;
Assist the Head of Architecture in formulating strategic direction for the team and unit;
Provide reports and comprehensive working papers including making recommendations for improvements or amendments to architecture and designs.
Ensure the team continually promote the department through engaging with operational staff wherever possible;
Deputise for the Head of Architecture as needed to promote architecture and design standards at a national level.

Criteria

Essential

Must hold a valid infrastructure technology certification (Exam(s) passed and in date) from either AWS or Azure.
Experience building infrastructure architecture roadmaps
Ability to establish, implement, and enforce appropriate IT standards to meet business requirements
Comprehensive knowledge of hardware, software, application, and systems
Strong interpersonal and influencing skills with the ability to communicate effectively at very senior levels.
Experience of leading fellow technical professionals, especially coaching and mentoring of colleagues to achieve delivery outcomes.
Experience of working on end to end technical solutions that encompass many systems and teams, drawing out the Key Design Decisions and their implications and resolving them.
End to end project experience, with strong consulting skills.
A broad technical background with depth in infrastructure architecture discipline plus an ability to pick up new technologies quickly.
Proven ability to shape business requirements and design solutions based on those requirements.
First class design skills including the ability to draw up extremely accurate specifications that could be effectively utilised by development team.
Excellent presentation and organisational skills, having an ability to work under pressure and be capable of balancing competing demands and priorities.
Ability to negotiate and influence with suppliers regarding technical solutions and proposals.

Desirable

An architecture certification (Ideally TOGAF) .
Experience in formal board participation and governance.
ITIL Foundation certificate or demonstrable skills that the ITIL principles are understood in the context of the role.
Flexibility to use a variety of supporting technologies and to be innovative.
An understanding of the ITIL processes as they apply to the team and to the department as a whole.

Prospective officers and staff must be held to a higher standard of behaviour and accountability than members of the public, and that therefore their right to privacy can be fettered in certain circumstances. This is to ensure that members of the police are fully aware and accountable for the unique powers entrusted to them and the standards of professional behaviour they swear to uphold.  

Vetting: Successful applicants will be required to pass Management Vetting and Security Clearance scrutiny prior to commencing their role, this will include a full background & financial disclosure as part of the vetting process.

Hours: Full time, permanent

Location:  Lloyd House, Birmingham

Interviews: TBD

Contact: For further information regarding this role, please contact Marc Williams on marc.williams@westmidlands.police.uk

By choosing to join West Midlands Police you will receive an enhanced benefits package including:

- Fair remuneration with progression opportunities, and access to a very competitive pension scheme

- Enhanced annual leave in additional to public holiday entitlements

- Discounts across travel, parking, daily costs of living and leisure activities

- A comprehensive wellbeing package including 24/7 support, free eye tests and flu jabs

West Midlands Police is a Disability Confident Leader - the highest level an organisation can achieve under the scheme run by the Department of Work and Pensions.  As part of our commitment we operate a ‘Disability Confident Interview Scheme’ - all candidates who declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role will be offered an interview. 

It is important to note that there may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled people who meet the essential criteria for the job. For example: in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. In these circumstances, the employer could select the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job, as they would do for non-disabled applicants.

“Diversity and Inclusion Vision:  Maximise the potential of people from all backgrounds through a culture of fairness and inclusion to deliver the best service for our communities”