Managing Architect

Aker Systems; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A forward-thinking tech firm is looking for an experienced Aker Managing Architect specializing in public sector projects. This role requires strong leadership in digital transformation, and a deep understanding of biometric systems and procurement processes. The successful candidate will work in a hybrid capacity, primarily leading technical engagements and ensuring service continuity across complex re-procurement programs. The firm offers attractive benefits including a competitive salary and extensive career development opportunities.

Benefits

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Company paid medical insurance

Annual training allowance

Wellbeing allowance

Virtual GP

Employee Assistance plan

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience as a Lead or Managing Architect in large-scale public sector programmes.
• Strong understanding of biometric systems and their integration.
• Experience with sensitive data environments and cloud hosting solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the technical architecture workstream for a complex re-procurement programme.
• Conduct deep discovery and mapping of incumbent supplier services.
• Provide strategic input into procurement structuring and technical assurance.

Skills

Biometric systems

Enterprise architecture

Cloud services (AWS, Azure, GCP)

Team leadership

Procurement exercises

Education

Relevant degree (Bachelors or higher)

Tools

Event-driven architectures

Infrastructure automation

Job description

Aker Systems was founded in 2017 by a team of experienced technology professionals who recognised an opportunity to provide highly secure enterprise data platforms to large organisations. We build and operate ground-breaking, ultra-secure, high performance, cloud-based data infrastructure for the enterprise. Our proprietary technology solutions drive performance and reduce costs while helping our clients to improve the management and sharing of data across their organisations.

In 2024, Aker Systems won the Breakthrough Culture Awards highlighting growth companies putting culture first. In 2020 Aker Systems was recognised as a ‘One to Watch’ on the Sunday Times Tech Track. The Company was also recognised at the Thames Valley Tech Awards 2020; winning the Thames Valley Tech Company of the year, the Emerging Tech Company and High Growth Tech Business categories. We encourage people of all different backgrounds and identities to apply. We are committed to maintaining an inclusive, and supportive place for you to do your very best work.

Aker Managing Architect – Public Sector

As an Aker Managing Architect – Public Sector, you will be passionate about digital, data and technology-led transformation, unlocking innovation for our clients, and providing leadership throughout the client engagements.

The applicant must possess knowledge and experience of Public Sector (Central Government) and understand their governance and security processes, preferably across multiple government departments.

UK Government Security Check (SC) and NPPV3 clearance is required for this role. If you don’t hold SC or NPPV3 clearance, we will support you to apply assuming you have lived and worked in the UK for a minimum of 5 years. British citizenship is required.

Location: Hybrid – Remote with weekly on-site presence within the M25.

Aker Managing Architect is primarily a client delivery, management, and growth role, expected to be 90% or more of the time across one or more client assignments.

You will be part of the client leadership team as the Client CTO for assigned projects/services, supporting the Client Delivery Director, Client Account Director and the delivery team to ensure we deliver against all client deliverables and payment milestones.

This is a senior client-facing role supporting a major re-procurement programme for a national capability. The Lead Architect will be responsible for leading the technical discovery, mapping, and assurance of a complex service landscape currently operated by an incumbent supplier. The role requires deep domain expertise in biometric systems, broad enterprise architecture experience, and the ability to lead a multi-disciplinary team across infrastructure, application, data, and security domains.

The successful candidate will work within a blended delivery environment comprising customer stakeholders, incumbent suppliers, and commercial partners. They will provide strategic input into procurement structuring, supplier evaluation, and technical assurance, ensuring alignment with programme objectives and service continuity.

Aker is a fast-growing business, so for any remaining % of time when not on client work, it is contributing to the future success of Aker by helping develop capabilities and supporting the other functions such as Sales and Product, and always looking to help grow existing accounts.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the technical architecture workstream for a complex re-procurement programme.
• Conduct deep discovery and mapping of incumbent supplier services, platforms, and technology stack.
• Analyse how services fit within the overall scope of the contract, including legacy and transformation elements.
• Lead the development of high-quality artefacts including HLDs, LLDs, service maps, capability matrices, and evaluation frameworks.
• Provide architectural input into procurement documentation (PQQ, RFI, RFP), including advising on how the procurement could be structured or carved up.
• Support the creation of supplier briefing packs, evaluation rubrics, and scoring models.
• Collaborate with commercial, legal, and operational stakeholders to ensure procurement alignment.
• Lead and mentor a team of architects (security, infrastructure, integration, application) and systems analysts.
• Facilitate knowledge transfer from incumbent suppliers and ensure continuity of service.
• Operate effectively within a blended delivery team, which includes customer stakeholders, incumbent suppliers, and commercial support. This requires strong collaboration, adaptability, and the ability to navigate multi-party dynamics while maintaining delivery focus.
• Support stakeholder workshops, onboarding plans, and capability building across the programme.

Expanded Procurement Responsibilities

• Design-Led Procurement Structuring
  Advise on how services and capabilities can be logically grouped or modularised for tendering, identifying architectural boundaries, dependencies, and integration points that inform how the procurement could be shaped to optimise delivery, competition, strategic alignment whilst ensuring service stability.
• Technical Input into Procurement Artefacts
  Embed architectural principles and solution design requirements into procurement documentation across all stages (PQQ, RFI, RFP). This includes:
  • Defining mandatory and desirable technical capabilities
  • Specifying non‑functional requirements such as performance, scalability, resilience and security
  • Articulating design principles and patterns to guide supplier responses
  • Ensuring alignment with assurance and governance expectations, including secure‑by‑design principles and testing requirements
• Supplier Evaluation Criteria Development
  Contribute to the creation of supplier evaluation frameworks, including:
  • Technical scoring models and compliance matrices
  • Innovation and interoperability assessments
  • Risk and assurance indicators
  • Evaluation rubrics that reflect architectural priorities and programme goals
• Mapping Incumbent Technology to Procurement Scope
  Capture and analyse the incumbent supplier’s technology stack, service delivery model, and operational dependencies. This mapping exercise will inform the future architecture and procurement scope, ensuring continuity or improvement in service delivery.
• Option Analysis and Recommendations
  Support solution option analysis and provide architectural recommendations that influence procurement decisions. This includes trade‑offs between bespoke vs. COTS solutions, hosting models (cloud vs. on‑prem), and integration strategies.

Core Competencies

• Demonstrable experience as a Lead or Managing Architect in large-scale public sector programmes.
• Mandatory experience with biometric systems and capabilities, including understanding of how these services are delivered and integrated.
• Strong enterprise architecture background, including sensitive data environments, with ability to lead across infrastructure, application, data, and security domains.
• Experience working across multiple suppliers and independent software vendors (ISVs).
• Ability to understand and map complex technology estates operated by incumbent suppliers.
• Experience of cloud services (AWS, Azure, GCP) and wider hosting ecosystems including government data centres.
• Experience of large procurement exercises such as OJEU or Find a Tender Service (FTS).
• Experience working in blended/rainbow teams and building effective working relationships with delivery team members and Aker customers.
• Ability to clearly communicate complex technology solutions to technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Ability to operate without supervision as the technical lead, demonstrating experience of leading multi‑disciplinary architecture teams and mentoring junior colleagues.
• Understanding of secure design principles and working in high‑assurance environments.
• Experience designing event‑driven and asynchronous messaging architectures.
• Knowledge of modern data platforms including Data Mesh, Data Fabric, and Data Lake.
• Understanding of NCSC Cloud Security Principles and their practical implementation.
• Experience applying emerging technologies to solve complex enterprise problems.
• Familiarity with cloud orchestration tools and infrastructure automation approaches.
• Experience supporting TUPE assessments and supplier transition planning.

Aker Systems Attributes

At Aker we work as a team; we are collaborative, hardworking, open, and delivery obsessed. There is no blame culture here: try things, and take responsibility for the outcomes. You are always part of the wider Aker. We help our colleagues and take pride in successfully achieving difficult tasks. We run towards problems and help to solve them. Communicate always, do so accurately and in a timely fashion.

In return, we offer a competitive salary, 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, company paid medical insurance and life assurance, pension scheme, annual training allowance, wellbeing allowance, virtual GP, Employee Assistance plan and more.

Aker Systems fosters a diverse environment that encourages openness in its communications and is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all people regardless of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation, age, marital status, national origin, citizenship status, disability, veteran status or other personal characteristics. We embrace differences of opinion and diversity because they help challenge us and find new groundbreaking technical solutions.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Aker Systems is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We invite candidates from all backgrounds to apply and will support applications from candidates with diverse perspectives.