Head of Platform Engineering (Senior Technical Architect)

The Government Property Agency is the largest property holder in government, with more than £2.1 billion in property assets and over 55% of the government’s office estate.

We are transforming the way the Civil Service works by creating great places to work, leading the largest commercial office programme in the UK, working towards halving carbon emissions from government offices, and achieving greater value for taxpayers. And we are looking for innovative, solutions-focused people to join our team.

Representing the best covenant in the UK – His Majesty’s Government – we are leading significant transformational programmes such as the Government Hubs Programme, Whitehall Campus Programme and Net Zero Programme. We are also delivering cost-effective property services such as asset management, lifecycle replacement and workplace services.

Innovation and progress underpin our behaviours. We foster a culture of lifelong learning, where curiosity and self-improvement are encouraged. Our four core values are at the heart of everything we do. They shape our culture and guide how we work, lead and grow together:

• Striving for excellence- We always aim to deliver great results
• Empowering through respect- We insist on fair treatment for all, always
• Acting with integrity- We consistently do the right thing
• Succeeding together- We rely on each other to achieve success

We are committed to representing the communities we serve by making Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) part of everything we do. Our strong emphasis on EDI is not just about driving inclusion across our organisation, it is also about ensuring our services meet the needs of government departments and the civil servants who use our spaces. To ensure that we are always recruiting and retaining a diverse mix of talent, we are particularly inviting applications from candidates who are disabled, ethnically or gender diverse, and people who identify as being part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Join our dynamic and diverse team that leads with purpose, improving sustainability, nurturing social value, driving inclusivity and flexibility, and kickstarting economic growth. We are driven by purpose, and you can be part of it too: where you make a meaningful impact; where you influence; where your voice really matters; where you help to shape our future direction.

• As Head of Platform Engineering (Senior Technical Architect), you will​ ​coordinate and demonstrate the business value of the technical architecture as an enabler of strategy formulation, business change and technology innovation.
• You will collaboratively develop business capability models and roadmaps to facilitate discussion and decision making to enable the GPA to design, build and deliver GPA owned services that enhance the Government estate.
• You will work directly to the Head of Technology and lead on the establishment and alignment of a platform engineering capability that can support the CTO, CDIO and CSO functions within the GPA. This important capability will improve alignment and efficient use of resources across the GPA, build cloud platform engineering capability, improve automation and support wider technical professions.
• You will be working with multi-disciplinary teams who deliver user-centred digital services for all of our users across government and internally to the GPA, including enterprise services such as GovPass, GovWifi and GovPrint.
• Initial work will focus on leading analysis of the GPA’s future-state capabilities and current / future IT environment, to detect critical deficiencies and recommend solutions for improvement, driving the organisation forward. To do this, you will have​ ​a​ ​good​ ​understanding​ ​of​ ​a​ ​broad​ ​range​ ​of​ ​technologies and​ ​the ability​ ​to​ ​take​ ​a​ ​balanced​ ​approach​ ​to​ ​technology​ ​selection. You'll be able​ ​to​ ​converse​ ​easily​ ​with​ ​and​ ​translate​ ​between​ ​non-technical​ ​stakeholders and​ ​technical​ ​practitioners. ​ ​You'll be able to​ ​switch​ ​between​ ​different​ ​problems​ ​and responsibilities​ ​and​ ​be directly​ ​involved​ ​in​ ​service​ ​delivery.
• You could be working on anything from transforming core technology services to architecting substantial digital services. O​ur​​ services​ ​are​ ​​developed​ ​by​ ​multi-disciplinary​ ​teams​ ​using ​a​ ​variety of​ technologies​ - ​​you​ ​would​ ​ideally​ ​have​ ​experience​ ​across multiple platforms, technologies and delivery methodologies.
• You'll​ ​undertake​ ​structured​ ​analysis​ ​of​ ​technical​ ​issues,​ ​translating​ ​this​ ​analysis​ ​into ​designs​ ​that​ ​describe​ ​a​ ​solution. ​You​ ​can​ ​be​ ​consulted​ ​on​ ​design​ ​and​ ​are capable​ ​of​ ​providing​ ​design​ ​patterns. ​ ​You​ ​can​ ​identify​ ​the​ ​deeper​ ​issues​ ​that​ ​need fixing​ ​and​ ​look​ ​for​ ​opportunities​ ​to​ ​collaborate​ ​and​ ​reuse​ ​components,​ ​communicating with​ ​both​ ​technical​ ​and​ ​non-technical​ ​stakeholders.
• You will have oversight of the platform engineering capability, working with the architecture community members on projects, programmes and business as usual activities, ensuring delivery is of an appropriate standard. You should lead by example and positively resolve issues collaboratively.
• There will be opportunities to contribute to the development of the pan-government community and wider technology leadership across government.

Your main responsibilities will include:

• Work closely with the Head of Technology to build a structured platform engineering capability for the GPA with strategic guidance from the CTO, CDIO and CSO where necessary, leveraging existing expertise to shape this approach.
• Align a workforce plan for the Platform Engineering team to appropriately reduce technical reliance on supply chain and partners, ensuring the capability supports future cloud, infrastructure and security engineering requirements of the GPA.
• Building ​and​ ​maintaining​ ​technical​ ​roadmaps, ​looking​ ​ahead​ ​for​ ​future​ ​opportunities​ or blockers,​ ​and​ ​ensuring​ ​decisions​ ​by​ ​service​ ​teams​ ​align​ ​with​ ​the​ ​strategy.
• Advising​ ​on​ ​optimal​ ​architectures​ ​and​ ​ensure​ ​projects​ ​are​ ​run​ ​using appropriate assurance​ ​activities,​ ​best​ ​practice​ ​guidelines​ ​and​ ​appropriate ​methodologies.
• Anticipating​ ​and​ ​mitigating​ ​against​ architecture challenges​ ​or​ ​risks within projects.
• Defining​ ​and​ ​managing​ ​technical​ ​procurement​ ​requirements.
• Involvement ​ ​in​ ​the​ ​wider​ ​development​ ​community,​ ​identifying​ ​good​ ​practices​ ​to adopt​ ​and​ ​share​ ​your​ ​experiences,​ ​e.g.​ ​through community meet-ups, blog posts and other collaboration channels
• Advising ​Service Owners​ ​and their teams on​ ​the​ ​estimated​ ​effort​ ​and​ ​technical​ ​implications​ ​of current​ ​user​ ​stories, ​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​those​ ​in​ ​the​ ​backlog.
• Helping to ​enable​ ​the​ ​reuse​ ​of​ ​patterns,​ ​tools,​ ​and​ ​components​ ​across​ ​the​ whole government​ ​service​ ​landscape.
• Helping to mature architecture practice and profession to ensure what we deliver is strategically aligned and provides best value. Helping to maintain the architecture body of knowledge, developing standards and patterns that contribute back to wider technical communities.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Please note - At this time GPA are unable to offer any Visa Sponsorship to candidates as we do not currently hold a visa sponsorship licence. Please do not apply for permanent roles with GPA if you will require your employer to take on the sponsorship of your current or any future visas.

Sift

As part of your application, you will be asked to submit your CV. Shortlisting at sift stage will be based on your CV experience. The sift is scheduled to take place on 3rd September.

Interview

GPA policy is for interviews to be held face to face, with virtual interviews only by absolute exception. The date and location will be confirmed if you are invited to interview. If you feel this will be a problem for you, please contact recruitment@gpa.gov.uk to discuss prior to submitting your application.

At interview, applicants will be scored against 4 behaviours - Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions, Communicating and Influencing and Leadership.

Interview questions will be a blend of Behaviour, Experience and Technical (core skill).

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via gparecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Further Information

Current Civil Servants (all contract types) will need to ensure that they are still employed as a civil servant at the point of starting in the relevant new post. If their contract ends (e.g., end of FTA contract or resignation) at any point during the recruitment/onboarding process for the advertised role, they will no longer be eligible and may be withdrawn.

Please note: in addition to the standard pre-employment checks for appointment into the Civil Service, all candidates must also obtain National Security Vetting at Security Check level for this vacancy. If you have any questions about this residency requirement, please speak to the vacancy holder for this post.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to GPA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.