Infrastructure Solution Architect - HM Courts and Tribunals Service - G7

Manchester Digital; Manchester; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

HM Courts & Tribunals Service is seeking an Infrastructure Solution Architect to lead technical design across workplace and network domains. You will define architecture, govern solutions, mentor others, and collaborate with Product Managers and Enterprise Architects to deliver secure, scalable services on Microsoft Azure.

The role combines stakeholder engagement, architecture artefacts, risk management, and hands-on Azure activities within the HMCTS tenant.

Qualifications

• Strong track record in designing cloud-based architectures.
• Experience communicating with senior non-technical stakeholders.
• Hands-on Azure management and enterprise infrastructure knowledge.
• Ability to produce architectural artefacts and governance.

Responsibilities

• Accountable for designs of technical solutions by workplace product team.
• Act as senior technical authority for Workplace and Network teams.
• Define technical governance within the team and wider governance.
• Engage with stakeholders to communicate technical aspects and impact.
• Manage risks and tech debt with mitigations.
• Lead capacity planning to ensure scalability.
• Turn business problems into technical designs following a DDD approach.
• Produce architectural artefacts such as diagrams, HLDs and LLDs and maintain documentation.
• Lead on procurement technical reviews and participate in recruitment.
• Occasionally perform hands-on Azure management and on-call duties.

Skills

Azure architecture

Stakeholder management

Technical leadership

Security design

Cloud infrastructure

Tools

Microsoft Azure

Job description

Location

East Midlands (England), East of England, London (region), North East England, North West England, Scotland, South East England, South West England, Wales, West Midlands (England), Yorkshire and the Humber

About The Job

Job summary

This position is based nationally.

Job Description

As a Infrastructure Solution Architect you are a technical leader within HMCTS. You will be contributing to the technical architecture and will be responsible for significant parts of justice system technology (such as our workplace services). For this part of our environment, you will define and own the technology design aligned with the specific requirements of your users and the wider organisation. You will ensure that the set of technology components form a coherent whole that work together to deliver against the needs of the business area and that there is a clear roadmap for how these technologies will develop over time as the needs evolve. Your leadership and communication skills, your proven problem-solving ability and your broad technical expertise will be key in ensuring that HMCTS is delivering excellent and innovative digital services to improving the justice system in line with our strategic aims and business need. Your stakeholders will be leaders across HMCTS, from Product Managers to the Enterprise Architects. You will also be the most senior technical authority in the Digital & Technology Services (DTS) Infrastructure workplace & network product team. That means that the product managers, suppliers and users, and your Lead Enterprise Architect, will rely on you for system design and technical decisions, estimations, feasibility, best practices and escalations of technical issues. The workplace product team, stakeholders and peers in our community will seek advice from you on areas where you are the expert. Your attention to detail and understanding of processes and best practice will allow you to accurately and effectively document digital solutions and ensure that the appropriate governance is taking place. Our Solution Architects are strong team players, not only within their delivery area, but within the wider technical and non-technical community. You will be responsible for communication with technical stakeholders, teams, panels and peers outside your team and the organisation. Together with other colleagues you will be engaging and liaising with non-technical stakeholders where you will be responsible for conveying technical matters in an effective way, and as required lead on business-related conversations (for example, why the system is implemented in a certain way). Most of your time will be divided between stakeholder management, data analysis, design work, and documentation, governance and process, advising others and enabling efficient technical delivery that meets the organisation’s needs. However, you will be able to undertake hands‑on technical work such as Microsoft Azure management on the HMCTS tenant. You will lead on troubleshooting workplace escalations and provide mentoring or guidance to others.

• Accountable for the designs of technical solutions and products produced by the workplace product team.
• Act as the senior technical authority for the Workplace and Network teams, providing expert technical guidance and collaborating with architects across the DTS Infrastructure Product teams to ensure aligned solutions and strategic direction.
• Propose and contribute to defining the technical governance within the workplace product team, and the wider technical governance.
• Liaise and actively engage with stakeholders to increase the awareness of the technical aspects of the solutions/products you are responsible for, and the impact of proposed changes on or by the solutions/products. Communicate with stakeholders at all levels to bridge the gap between technical and non‑technical, advising others on how to do so.
• Manage workplace and infrastructure risks, capture accurate, relevant and up to date risks with adequate mitigations. Design solutions to meet the organisation’s risk appetite.
• Manage, quantify and communicate tech debt in the products / systems you are responsible for. Work to reduce technical debt in future designs and seek exception approval from the relevant authorities for deviation from agreed principles / standards when appropriate.
• Lead on capacity planning for the workplace and infrastructure solutions. Ensure that capacity meets the demand and systems are architected to scale as required.
• Turn business problems (and opportunities) into technical designs that follow a DDD approach, rightly coupled with appropriate cohesion. Identify and address cross‑cutting issues. Design for maintainability, usability, availability, portability, interoperability and testability.
• Produce architectural artefacts such as diagrams, High‑Level Design (HLDs) and Low‑Level Design (LLDs). Ensure that solutions have the right amount of documentation and at the right level. Document the design process, ensure that key checkpoints are documented accurately (for example through governance minutes, decisions and submissions).
• Conduct technical reviews and assess the quality of the delivery in products you are responsible for.
• Maintain a balance between strategic architecture and hands‑on technical delivery, undertaking practical Microsoft Azure management activities within the HMCTS tenant where required. Lead the investigation and resolution of complex workplace escalations and provide coaching, mentoring and technical guidance to others.
• Maintain up‑to‑date expert level skills in several technical areas, and deep technical knowledge areas required for your role.
• Lead on the technical aspects of procurement activities in your area, influence other procurements to achieve the most effective, compliant and fair procurement processes. Support procurement activities across the organisation as a technical specialist.
• Assist in shaping the recruitment process, lead on and participate in recruitment.
• This role involves activities and on‑call duties that may be outside the core office hours (in‑line with the organisation's policy for OOH) and travel to sites (in accordance with the organisation’s travel and accommodation policies).

Essential Skills & Experience

• Leading in a changing environment. Ability to design technical solutions not only for existing requirement, but to also plan ahead so that solutions will meet changing operating requirements as programmes develop.
• . A proven track record of effectively communicating complex business challenges and technical solutions to senior non‑technical stakeholders, with significant experience in supporting, influencing, and educating a diverse range of senior and complex stakeholder groups.
• An expert in applying technology to design innovative solutions to business challenges, with a strong focus on keeping up to date with the latest industry trends, patterns, and emerging technologies. Experienced in architecting cloud‑based solutions, particularly within Microsoft Azure, and possessing a solid understanding of enterprise infrastructure. Demonstrates strong expertise in security considerations and secure design principles, alongside a deep knowledge of network design and industry best practices. Additionally, brings specialist expertise in print technologies, Windows architecture, and end‑user device hardware, with a comprehensive understanding of how these elements integrate to deliver secure, efficient, and high‑performing workplace solutions.
• Evidence of remaining up to date with the latest technology, trends and patterns in the industry, as well as the use of modern tools.