Service Architect

Fixed Term, 6 months

Full Time, 37 hours per week

Up to £58,752 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Technology Services (TS) is focused on ensuring current and future investment in technology to maximise the opportunities to support the Council from a technological perspective. Bringing a new focus to understanding and supporting the business functions will be key in exploiting technology to deliver positive business outcomes.

The opportunity

This role is responsible for development of the Service Architecture that ensures that technical development and delivery is designed to be delivered as services compliant with the ITIL V3 Framework with integration of service levels and processes across all Business Service ICT components. This ensures effective management of suppliers and services in live operation and capability to support the Essex County Council (ECC) business objectives and requirements ensuring alignment and adhering to the principles of simplification, sharing and re-use.

This role works collaboratively with senior stakeholders in each function, partners and Third-Party Suppliers to promote the possibilities (or potential) from architecture designs to exploit innovative products, services and solutions that deliver business solutions that benefit the citizens of Essex.

Typical Role Responsibilities

· Responsible for implementing the strategy for service delivery that support the strategic needs of ECC ensuring services are designed to transition in to service effectively to meet the availability and performance requirements necessary to ensure successful business operations

· Responsible for designing and developing an overarching Service Architecture that integrates, at a service level, of all ICT components within a defined Business Service ensuring simplification of transition in to service, management and adherence to service and performance levels across the whole supplier ecosystem

· Leading the Delivery of service innovation to the advantage of the Council by capturing and prioritising market and environmental trends, business strategies and objectives, and identifying the business benefits of alternative strategies ensuring alignment to the Service Architecture

· Responsible for providing expert advice and guidance to the Commercial Team to ensure Suppliers and procured products adhere to the Service Architecture and principles of operation.

· Leading assessment and approval of TS and third-party service design to ensure architectural conformance which simplifies implementation and ensures effective service operation whilst reducing cost

· Leads collaboration and provides expert advice and guidance to Business Partners, Operational Teams and Suppliers regarding the Service aspects required in developing and presenting business cases, for high-level initiatives, approval, funding and prioritisation.

· Responsible for providing assurance and approval for the service aspects of technical changes taking in to consideration the impact on the Service Architecture and ensuring that in transition to service performance and availability requirements are not impacted adversely by change.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

· Educated to Degree level or equivalent in experience. Accredited to ITIL V3 Expert Level and TOGAF 9.2 Level 1 - Foundation (or similar) and must have demonstrable understanding and capability to employ supporting frameworks and methodologies including ArchiMate, BPMN, COBIT and IT4IT.

· Evidence of continual professional development to keep pace with technical and business change that meet defined SFIA V7 competencies.

· Able to demonstrate extensive experience in a Senior Service Architecture Role preferably working within a large Local Authority or with a Service Provider providing Public Sector Business Solutions and Architectural Services.

· Must demonstrate a track record of leading and working within effective teams delivering Service Solutions that have been proved successful in meeting complex business requirements and in enabling standardisation, simplification, sharing and re-use.

· Able to demonstrate a clear understanding and capability to work within relevant ICT related standards including IITIL V3, ISO/IEC 38500, ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 22301, ISO/IEC 20000, PRINCE2 and MSP.

· Excellent customer service, written, verbal communication and presentational skills.

· Experience in the use of Enterprise Modelling tools and methods such as EA Sparx and Orbus iServer. Experience of developing systems in line with GDS and Cyber Security Group guidelines

· Experience in the use of industry standard frameworks such as ITIL and VeriSM and associated IT Service Management tool sets.

Apply and next steps

In order to be considered please apply via the Working for Essex website, ensuring you upload an up to date CV and supporting statement when prompted.

Essex County Council is proud to offer an excellent benefits package to all its employees. For more information please visit the Working for Essex website.

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity is key to our success.