Systems Architect

Public Health Wales; Cardiff; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A national public health agency in Wales seeks a Systems Architect to lead their digital and data transformation. This role involves establishing architectural practices, supporting teams, and ensuring robust service delivery aligned with strategic goals. Ideal candidates will possess a Master's degree, relevant certifications, and strong experience in Cloud architecture and team leadership, contributing significantly to the public health landscape in Wales.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Supportive workplace culture

Qualifications

• Experience in diverse technical environments and addressing architectural risks.
• Experience in architecting complex solutions in Cloud or Hybrid environments.
• Proven success in crafting secure, scalable solutions.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional leadership to support the delivery of the Data & Digital Vision and Strategy.
• Lead technical design of systems and services and justify design decisions.
• Coach and mentor colleagues to achieve shared objectives.

Skills

Cloud solution architecting

Team leadership

Agile methodologies

Communication of complex concepts

Education

Masters degree or equivalent experience in an associated professional field

Professional certification (e.g., Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect)

Tools

Microsoft Azure

DevOps practices

Job description

We are looking for a skilled and driven Systems Architect to steward Public Health Wales' digital & data estate and transformation portfolio. This pivotal role ensures high-impact services and products are well designed, future-resilient and part of an increasingly robust, interoperable and streamlined state.

You will mature our architectural capability, establishing best practice guidance, providing hands‑on support, upskilling and mentorship to our technical teams, conducting analysis and impact assessments. Acting as a key liaison between technical and non‑technical stakeholders, you'll translate complex digital concepts into accessible language and ensure seamless communication.

The role sits within the Research, Data and Digital Directorate and contributes directly to the organisation's strategic goals. You'll work closely with cross‑functional teams, senior leaders, and external partners to help shape effective, future‑ready services across the health system.

If you're passionate about national‑scale digital transformation, making product roadmaps a reality, and public health innovation--this is your opportunity to make a real difference.

Main duties of the job

The Systems Architect will be responsible for taking a strategic view across multiple highly complex systems and workstreams, from business and technical perspectives, ensuring alignment with the organisation's vision for digital enablement and support of key healthcare programmes. They will own the architectural vision, strategy and roadmaps, including As Is, To Be and Transitional states, which will enable the delivery of improved Services for the population of Wales.

The Systems Architect will work with other PHW Domain Architects and Specialists to deliver holistic solutions to highly complex problems, that take into consideration PHW and National initiatives, principles and plans. They will provide a solution design capability and be responsible for leading the technical design of systems and services, justifying and communicating design decisions. They will provide an outline planning capability for the mid‑term planning horizon, supporting teams to maximise the use of resources and ensure cohesive developments which contribute to the long‑term strategic goals.

For further information on Public Health Wales please visit https://phw.nhs.wales/.

About us

We are Public Health Wales - the national public health agency in Wales. Our purpose is 'Working together for a healthier Wales'. We exist to help everyone in Wales live longer, healthier, happier lives. Together with our partners, we work to increase healthy life expectancy, improve health and wellbeing, and reduce inequalities for everyone in Wales, now and for future generations.

Our teams work to prevent disease, protect health, and provide leadership, specialist services and public health expertise. We are the leading source of public health information, research and innovation in Wales. In a world facing complex health challenges, our work has never been so important.

We are guided by our Values, 'Working together, with trust and respect, to make a difference'. We are committed to building an inclusive workplace that values equality and diversity. We welcome applications which represent the rich diversity of the communities we serve and are supportive of flexible working arrangements, including part‑time roles and job sharing.

To find out more about working for us and the benefits we offer please visit https://phw.nhs.wales/careers/.

For guidance on the application process, please visit https://phw.nhs.wales/working-for-us/applicant-information-and-guidance/.

Job responsibilities

About the Role

The Systems Architect plays a pivotal leadership role in ensuring that sound architectural practice is embedded across the digital estate under the care of Public Health Wales. The postholder will provide professional and practical leadership, supporting teams and managers to evidence organisational assurance that we are progressing towards our Data & Digital Vision and Strategy.

They will support the design, delivery and maintenance of a broad range of products and solutions, transforming the digital estate towards a more robust, interoperable and streamlined state.

They will mature our architectural capability, establishing best practice guidance, providing hands‑on support, upskilling and mentorship to our technical teams, conducting analysis and impact assessments on our Digital Portfolio projects and business as usual.

What Youll Do

• Strategic Oversight: They will own the architectural vision, strategy and roadmaps, including As Is, To Be and Transitional states, which will enable the delivery of improved Services for the organisation.
• Architecting Capabilities for the Organisation: Ensure good practice in the development and maintenance of our systems by ensuring our teams adopt and abide by PHWs architectural principles, policies and standards.
• Service Solution Design: Provide a solution design capability and be responsible for leading the technical design of systems and services, justifying and communicating design decisions.
• Planning and Organisational Skills: The postholder will be required to develop and manage strategic plans within their own sphere of responsibility.
• Lead: Coaches and mentors colleagues and project team members to achieve shared objectives.

What You Bring

• Experience of working in diverse technical environments, identifying and addressing architectural risks that affect multiple teams or domains
• Experience of architecting and delivering complex solutions in Cloud or Hybrid environments.
• Experience of leading teams and driving changes in technology whilst fostering a supportive development and collaborative culture alongside other roles and disciplines.
• Proven success in crafting secure, scalable solutions.

The Job Description and Personal Specification provide full details.

Anwen Roberts, Lead Delivery Manager

Email address [e-mail]

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.

Job description

Job responsibilities

About the Role

The Systems Architect plays a pivotal leadership role in ensuring that sound architectural practice is embedded across the digital estate under the care of Public Health Wales. The postholder will provide professional and practical leadership, supporting teams and managers to evidence organisational assurance that we are progressing towards our Data & Digital Vision and Strategy.

They will support the design, delivery and maintenance of a broad range of products and solutions, transforming the digital estate towards a more robust, interoperable and streamlined state.

They will mature our architectural capability, establishing best practice guidance, providing hands‑on support, upskilling and mentorship to our technical teams, conducting analysis and impact assessments on our Digital Portfolio projects and business as usual.

What Youll Do

• Strategic Oversight: They will own the architectural vision, strategy and roadmaps, including As Is, To Be and Transitional states, which will enable the delivery of improved Services for the organisation.
• Architecting Capabilities for the Organisation: Ensure good practice in the development and maintenance of our systems by ensuring our teams adopt and abide by PHWs architectural principles, policies and standards.
• Service Solution Design: Provide a solution design capability and be responsible for leading the technical design of systems and services, justifying and communicating design decisions.
• Planning and Organisational Skills: The postholder will be required to develop and manage strategic plans within their own sphere of responsibility.
• Lead: Coaches and mentors colleagues and project team members to achieve shared objectives.

What You Bring

• Experience of working in diverse technical environments, identifying and addressing architectural risks that affect multiple teams or domains
• Experience of architecting and delivering complex solutions in Cloud or Hybrid environments.
• Experience of leading teams and driving changes in technology whilst fostering a supportive development and collaborative culture alongside other roles and disciplines.
• Proven success in crafting secure, scalable solutions.

The Job Description and Personal Specification provide full details.

For further details contact:

Anwen Roberts, Lead Delivery Manager

Email address [e-mail]

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Knowledge

• Masters degree or equivalent experience in an associated professional field.
• You will have knowledge of infrastructure, governance, and industry standards.
• Professional certification e.g. Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect, TOGAF Certification or similar

Experience

• Experience of working in diverse technical environments, identifying and addressing architectural risks that affect multiple teams or domains
• Experience of architecting and delivering complex solutions in Cloud or Hybrid environments.
• Experience of leading teams and driving changes in technology whilst fostering a supportive development and collaborative culture alongside other roles and disciplines
• Proven success in crafting secure, scalable solutions
• Knowledge or experience of working within the NHS
• Specific knowledge of the requirements of working within Microsoft Azure
• Direct the implementation of a strategy or vision, for example, by creating roadmaps or plans
• Familiarity with Agile delivery, DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and containerisation

Skills and Attributes

• Collaborating with other domain architects within the organisation to develop complete understanding of current and future complex deliveries
• Comfortable working in agile environments, collaborating with diverse teams, and adapting to change
• Manage, coach and mentor peers and team members
• Adept at communicating technical value and facilitating architectural and product decision making
• Exceptional leadership and influencing skills, thriving independently in complex settings
• Welsh Language Skills are desirable at levels 1 to 5 in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing in Welsh, or willing to learn

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.