IT Solution Architect (18 Month FTC) – Kent Fire and Rescue Service

National Fire Chiefs Council Limited.; England; Remote; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Automatic membership of the Local Gov.

Enhanced Annual Leave entitlement

Annual Salary increase – 1 scale point

Blue Light Card discount scheme

CSSC Card

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Family friendly policies

Internal clubs and colleague forums

Health and wellbeing services and gym

Free parking

Job summary

Kent Fire and Rescue Service is seeking an IT Solution Architect on a fixed-term 18-month contract. You will shape technology strategy across the Service, providing practical architectural guidance for new systems and digital initiatives, while ensuring solutions align with the broader technology landscape and strategic direction.

You will work with stakeholders, project teams and suppliers, emphasising long-term sustainability, security, and effective adoption within the existing IT operating

Qualifications

• Relevant technical qualification, professional qualification or demonstrable equivalent experience in IT, solution architecture, software engineering, infrastructure or a related discipline.
• Proven experience designing, reviewing or assuring technology solutions within a complex organisational environment, supported by a practical and pragmatic approach to architecture.
• Experience implementing and integrating commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions, ensuring alignment with existing technology platforms, services and architectural standards.
• Strong knowledge of system integration, technical dependencies and architectural risk management, with the ability to identify challenges, assess impacts and recommend appropriate solutions.
• Experience working collaboratively with project and procurement teams throughout the delivery lifecycle, from requirements gathering and solution design through to implementation and transition into service.
• The ability to provide credible technical challenge and architectural assurance, balancing business objectives with operational readiness, resilience, security, lifecycle management, cost, risk and delivery timescales.

Responsibilities

• Act as a self-sustaining technical adviser and constructive challenger, balancing business requirements, user needs, cost, timescales, security and long-term sustainability to support informed decision‑making.
• Engage with stakeholders at an early stage to understand desired business outcomes, challenge proposals where appropriate, and translate requirements into practical technology solutions and architectural considerations.
• Assess the suitability of proposed technologies within the existing technology landscape, identifying integration requirements, dependencies, duplication risks and potential impacts, while providing proportionate assurance around security, resilience, supportability and operational readiness.
• Identify technical risks, constraints and dependencies early in the delivery lifecycle, ensuring they are visible to decision-makers and providing pragmatic recommendations where trade‑offs are required.
• Produce clear, proportionate solution designs and effectively communicate technical options, risks, dependencies and architectural decisions to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Work collaboratively with internal teams, suppliers, project teams and business stakeholders, particularly across infrastructure, applications, cyber security and operations
• Ensure operational sustainability by ensuring support arrangements, service ownership, monitoring, resilience, documentation and lifecycle management requirements are addressed prior to implementation and throughout live operation.

Job description

IT Solution Architect (18 Month FTC) – Kent Fire and Rescue Service

As a Solutions Architect, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of technology across the Service, providing practical architectural guidance and assurance for new and evolving systems, services and digital initiatives.

Working closely with stakeholders, project teams and suppliers, you will become involved early in business change programmes and technology procurement activities, helping to understand requirements, assess technical implications and ensure that proposed solutions align with the Service’s wider technology landscape and strategic direction.

With a strong focus on commercial off-the-shelf solutions, integration and technology enablement, you will help ensure that solutions are designed with long-term success in mind from the outset. Rather than a traditional “buy, build and hand over” approach, you will champion consideration of technical, operational and support requirements throughout the lifecycle, ensuring solutions can be effectively adopted, supported and embedded within the existing IT operating model.

This is an exciting opportunity to influence technology decision-making, work across a broad range of business and technical initiatives and make a tangible contribution to the Service’s ongoing digital transformation journey.

What you’ll do

• Act as a self-sustaining technical adviser and constructive challenger, balancing business requirements, user needs, cost, timescales, security and long-term sustainability to support informed decision‑making.
• Engage with stakeholders at an early stage to understand desired business outcomes, challenge proposals where appropriate, and translate requirements into practical technology solutions and architectural considerations.
• Assess the suitability of proposed technologies within the existing technology landscape, identifying integration requirements, dependencies, duplication risks and potential impacts, while providing proportionate assurance around security, resilience, supportability and operational readiness.
• Identify technical risks, constraints and dependencies early in the delivery lifecycle, ensuring they are visible to decision-makers and providing pragmatic recommendations where trade‑offs are required.
• Produce clear, proportionate solution designs and effectively communicate technical options, risks, dependencies and architectural decisions to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Work collaboratively with internal teams, suppliers, project teams and business stakeholders, particularly across infrastructure, applications, cyber security and operations
• Ensure operational sustainability by ensuring support arrangements, service ownership, monitoring, resilience, documentation and lifecycle management requirements are addressed prior to implementation and throughout live operation.

What you’ll bring

• Relevant technical qualification, professional qualification or demonstrable equivalent experience in IT, solution architecture, software engineering, infrastructure or a related discipline.
• Proven experience designing, reviewing or assuring technology solutions within a complex organisational environment, supported by a practical and pragmatic approach to architecture.
• Experience implementing and integrating commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions, ensuring alignment with existing technology platforms, services and architectural standards.
• Strong knowledge of system integration, technical dependencies and architectural risk management, with the ability to identify challenges, assess impacts and recommend appropriate solutions.
• Experience working collaboratively with project and procurement teams throughout the delivery lifecycle, from requirements gathering and solution design through to implementation and transition into service.
• The ability to provide credible technical challenge and architectural assurance, balancing business objectives with operational readiness, resilience, security, lifecycle management, cost, risk and delivery timescales.
• Automatic membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme
• Enhanced Annual Leave entitlement
• Annual Salary increase – Increase of 1 scale point per year within Grade to the top of the Grade.
• Blue Light Card discount scheme supported by a number of high street retailers
• CSSC Card – Discount provider for civil servants and public sector workers
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) – Confidential support service designed to help manage personal or work‑related issues that may affect health, wellbeing, or job performance.
• A range of family friendly policies promoting work‑life balance
• Free to join internal clubs and colleague forums
• Access to health and wellbeing services and advice
• Access to Gym Facilities
• Free parking
• Above all you’ll become part of a service that is committed to the safety of our community

Contract type: Full Time