Lead Solution Architect
Job summary
Data & Analytics is central to delivering the NHS 10 Year Health Plan, with responsibility for national programmes worth £1.5 billion. This generational opportunity will use technology to transform how NHS care is delivered, planned, managed and improved by turning national ambition into effective data, digital and platform capabilities. Key programs include: o Single Patient Record - transforming the current disjointed digital landscape to produce patient and clinician facing services that operate seamlessly regardless of care context or location o Event Based Architecture-providing a real-time data capability to enable better intelligence across all NHS services and join up care. We are building faster, safer services with better operational decisions to advanced analytics, research and responsible AI at scale. We are seeking a talented Lead Solution Architect to help shape some of NHSE's most strategically important technology work, translating ambition into practical architectures, reusable patterns and assured solutions that operate safely at national scale. This is an exciting time to join NHSE as one of our Lead Solution Architects and support the delivery of the 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future - GOV.UK . The Architecture Profession provides a range of services to our internal and external stakeholders. We provide architecture design, technical consultancy and architecture ownership to large scale NHS programmes and organisations.
Main duties of the job
As a Lead Solution Architect reporting into the Deputy Director of Technical and Security Architecture, you will:-
o Have responsibility for 5 to 10 staff, made up of permanent, interim and suppliers, co-ordinating across multiple directorates and complex programmes. o Hold accountability for the architecture across a portfolio of national products and programmes, delivered through a combination of internal and supplier teams. o Drive and support your team in their decision making. o Manage and influence executive stakeholders at a board level (CxO) o Be responsible for the NHS England technical governance, architectural roadmaps and contribute to strategic planning. o Have broad experience across technical disciplines including Data, Security, Applications and Platforms alongside specialisms.
o Develop and mentor staff in your team and more widely. o Lead in supporting and developing the architecture function and community of practice as well as participating in departmental leadership. o Active participation in architecture governance, including attendance at relevant Boards. o Able to influence direction across NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care, other arm's length bodies and the wider supplier community.
The role does not have significant direct financial responsibility but will have direct influence over setting technical direction for multi-million-pound spending decisions.
About us
NHS England has a wide range of statutory functions, responsibilities and regulatory powers. These are focused on supporting the wider NHS to deliver high quality care, as well as doing those things that are best done once for the whole NHS.
Our staff bring expertise across clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial specialisms -- enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services.
In March 2025, the Government announced that NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care will increasingly merge functions, ultimately leading to NHS England being fully integrated into the department.
If you currently work within the NHS and if successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR).This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You may opt out at any stage of the process.
Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in our offices.
Staff recruited from outside the NHS will usually be appointed at the bottom of the pay band.
We cannot offer visa sponsorship for any vacancies.
Job description
Job responsibilities
About the Candidate:
Some of the skills and experience were looking for:
Substantial industry experience within an Information Technology domain maintaining in-depth knowledge of specific technical specialisms, provides expert advice regarding their application.
Demonstrable evidence of taking a technical leadership role across large complex programmes.
Experience of implementing large scale Big Data platforms
Sound experience of architecture frameworks, methodologies and application of appropriate architecture methods.
Team leading experience; experience of managing resources in a matrix organisation
Development and management of technical governance processes relevant to the entire organisation.
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to build and manage relationships and to engage and lead internal and external stakeholders proactively.
Full details of responsibilities, skills, and criteria are available in the attached Job Description. Please ensure your supporting statement includes demonstratable evidence and specific examples on how you meet the criteria for each of the key skills specified. This will be used in both the shortlisting and interview processes.
The post of Lead Solution Architect has been awarded a Recruitment and Retention Premia (RRP) in response to current labour market conditions. In recognition of this, the role attracts an additional monthly RRP payment equal to 20% per annum.
Please be aware that RRP is non-contractual and subject to review.
Person Specification
Qualifications
- Masters or equivalent qualification, specifically in a computing, scientific or mathematical subject OR equivalent experience
Knowledge
- Knowledge of major cloud platforms including core architecture patterns, managed services, networking, identity and security controls, and cost optimisation principles, with the ability to apply this knowledge to multi-cloud and cloud-agnostic solution designs at enterprise scale
- Knowledge of major Apache spark data platform services and their associated architectures
Leadership
- Evidence of providing clear direction through communicating the strategic vision, adopting a corporate approach and inspiring the SA team to achieve its goals.
People Management and Development
- Line and activity management of technical staff including setting clear team objectives and priorities and monitoring achievement. Builds the team's capability to match changing delivery needs
Solution Architecture
- Demonstrable evidence regarding leadership in the development of architectures for complex national-scale systems, ensuring consistency with specified requirements agreed with both external and internal customers
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer details
Employer name
NHS England
Address
Any NHS England office
NHS England, 7/8 Wellington Place, Leeds, LS1 4AP
Leeds / London / Any NHSE site
LS1 4AP
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/working-for/