Solution Architect

Country Fire Authority (CFA); Melbourne; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Meaningful Purpose

Hybrid work options

Health & wellbeing programs

Employee discounts

Job summary

Country Fire Authority (CFA) in Melbourne is seeking an experienced Solution Architect to design secure, reliable technology solutions that support Victoria's emergency services. You will lead architecture across major projects, collaborating with business stakeholders, delivery teams, and vendors to ensure secure, scalable outcomes.

You will provide architecture advice on applications, cloud, data, integration and identity management, conducting design reviews and promoting reuse and standards

Qualifications

• Bachelor-level degree in IT, CS, or engineering or related field.
• Experience designing end-to-end solutions across application, data and integration.
• Strong ability to translate business needs into practical architectures.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and assurance of technology solutions for major projects.
• Translate business needs into secure, scalable designs across apps, data, cloud and integration.
• Provide architecture governance and risk management across project lifecycles.

Skills

End-to-end solution design

Architecture governance

Stakeholder management

Security & resilience

Clear technical communication

Education

Tertiary IT/CS/Engineering degree

Tools

Microsoft cloud services

SAP HANA

Data analytics platforms

Identity services

Job description

Country Fire Authority (CFA) – Burwood VIC

CFA is an emergency service that places the community at the centre of everything we do. We work to protect lives and property across Victoria, every hour of the day.

Our organisation is made up of employees working alongside more than 51,000 volunteers. We value the different skills, experience and viewpoints that people bring, because they strengthen how we operate and support the services Victorians rely on.

We aim to be a workplace where people feel supported to do meaningful work, develop professionally and contribute to outcomes that matter to the people and places we serve.

To learn more about who we are and the work we do, visit our About Us page.

About the Role

Help shape the technology that supports Victoria's emergency services.

At the Country Fire Authority (CFA), our work has purpose. We support volunteers, protect communities and help keep Victorians safe. As our organisation continues to evolve, we're looking for an experienced Solution Architect to design secure, reliable and practical technology solutions that support our people and deliver better outcomes.

As part of CFA's ICT Services Enterprise Architecture team, you'll lead the design and assurance of technology solutions for major projects and initiatives. Working with business stakeholders, delivery teams and vendors, you'll translate business needs into secure, scalable solutions aligned with CFA's technology strategy and operational requirements.

You'll provide architecture advice across applications, cloud, SAP, data, integration and identity management, lead design reviews, manage technical risks and ensure compliance with security and data governance requirements. You'll also promote technology reuse and contribute to architecture standards and roadmaps.

You're an experienced Solution Architect with strong technical expertise across enterprise applications, integration and cloud environments. You can turn complex requirements into practical designs, provide clear technical advice and influence decisions across business and technical teams. You understand architecture governance, security and operational resilience, and take a practical approach to solution reuse, whole-of-life costs and continuous improvement.

About you

• Tertiary qualifications in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering or related discipline, together with extensive experience in solution architecture within complex enterprise environments.
• Demonstrated experience designing end-to-end solutions across application, integration, data and technology, and developing high-quality architecture and decision documentation, including solution designs, non-functional requirements, architecture principles, standards and implementation guidance.
• Strong understanding of contemporary architecture methods, patterns and practices, including service-oriented and event-driven integration, API-led design, SaaS integration, cloud and hybrid solution design, identity and access management, and secure-by-design principles.
• Extensive experience working with business and technology stakeholders to shape requirements, assess options, articulate trade-offs and guide solution decisions in a way that translates technical complexity into business language.
• Demonstrated experience providing architecture assurance and governance across project delivery lifecycles, including design reviews, standards compliance, risk identification, regulatory, security, privacy considerations and exception management and implementation oversight.
• Experience in enterprise platforms and technologies relevant to CFA, such as Microsoft cloud services, integration platforms, identity services, data and analytics platforms, line-of-business applications, SAP HANA and related enterprise services is desirable.
• Experience working with vendors, delivery partners and multidisciplinary teams to ensure solutions are practical, supportable, cost-aware and aligned to operational support models and architecture standards.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with demonstrated ability to build trusted stakeholder relationships, facilitate workshops, negotiate outcomes and influence decisions at multiple levels of the organisation.

Why choose CFA

• Meaningful Purpose: Your contribution truly makes a difference
• Work-Life Balance: Paid parental leave, generous leave provisions
• Flexibility: Hybrid work options with flexible work arrangements
• Discounts: Emergency Memberlink discounts on various services
• Wellbeing Focus: Health Ready programs, flu vaccinations
• Member Assistance Program: Access support across 8 service pathways

Pre-employment Checks

Offers of employment will only be made to candidates who are able to successfully complete a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check, Working Rights Check and hold a valid Working with Children Check. You will also be required to provide at least two professional references.

CFA is committed to creating and maintaining a diverse, inclusive, and safe volunteer and work environment. Our aim is to have a volunteer and paid workforce that reflects the community it serves. First Nations people, women, people of all ages, with disabilities and culturally and linguistically diverse people are encouraged to apply.

If at any stage of the recruitment and selection process you require an alternative format to the application material or reasonable adjustment to the interview arrangements, please don't hesitate to contact the person listed on the ad or alternatively, email ***********@cfa.vic.gov.au

The Country Fire Authority (CFA) values your privacy. We will use the information you provide when you are applying for employment with us for the purpose of recruitment, selection, evaluation and appointment and to report on anonymised key metrics (e.g. diversity). The information we collect will be handled in accordance with privacy laws, including the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014.You can view our Privacy Statement here. For access and correction of the information we have collected, contact ***********@cfa.vic.gov.au