Lead Improvement Architect

Join a team at the heart of the global economy! The Department for Business and Trade ("DBT") and Inspire People are partnering together to bring you an exciting opportunity for Lead Improvement Architects to create and deliver a Technical Services Improvement Plan which will sit at the heart of the DDaT programme of governance and assurance improvement across their technical estates. Salary between £52,000 to £65,600 plus excellent Civil Service benefits including 27% pension contribution. Salary is dependent on location and technical skills as assessed at interview. Flexible, hybrid working from London, Cardiff, Darlington, Belfast, Birmingham, Salford and Edinburgh.

DDaT is embarking on a significant programme of governance and assurance improvement across our technical estates. This role sits at the heart of these initiatives and will have responsibility for implementing an already advanced Technical Services Improvement Plan, but also for assessing those plans and evolving them where appropriate, using either ITIL aligned processes or similar best practice methodologies. It will involve ensuring accurate documentation, managing stakeholders who want different, sometimes conflicting outcomes from the same process, and engaging across DDaT and wider DBT.

You'll be proactive but thoughtful, well versed in the challenges you will face when rolling out a Technical Services Improvement Plan. You will manage technical and non-technical stakeholders respectfully but firmly and be able to see complicated tasks through to completion. You will be quality and outcome focused, able to understand when to gather more information and when to act and pride yourself in making considered decisions.

In your day-to-day role as a Lead Improvement Architect you will:

• Lead on the creation and implementation of a Service Improvement Plan, focused initially on Technical and Support Services. This will include identifying and developing improvements to the plan itself based on your own experience of best practice, and defining and evolving Governance
• Fully document relevant processes and ensure they are agreed to by all relevant stakeholders. You will need to be able to manage active and reactive conversations, know when to escalate, and know when to act
• Be a senior Subject Matter Expert in a small team of Improvement Architects identifying problems in the team and ensuring you give constructive and adaptive feedback geared towards achieving successful outcomes
• Engage with Third Party providers where appropriate to ensure plans are seen through to completion
• Proactively support the wider rollout of Governance principles in our Technology Estate, being able to assure standards

Essential Skills and Experience:

It is essential that you have:

• Experience creating and implementing Service Design and Improvement programmes
• Extensive experience in designing and implementing either ITIL aligned processes or in best practice methodologies
• Managing a wide variety of stakeholders with conflicting priorities

It is desirable that you have:

• Experience with implementing Configuration Management Databases in a major tool, e,g. ServiceNow
• ITIL Foundation, or better, Qualified

How to Apply

As part of the application process you will be asked to upload a CV which outlines your experience, skills and fit for the role. Inspire People will assess your application against the essential criteria listed above to compile a longlist of applications, which will then be sifted by DBT. Successful candidates at this stage may be invited straight to interview or asked to complete a short, pre-recorded video screening interview (or alternately provide written answers to questions). These applications will then be sifted by DBT hiring managers. If you are successful, you will be invited to interview.

DBT sift will be from week commencing Tuesday 4th June

Interviews will be from week commencing 10th June

Please note these dates are indicative and may be subject to change.

How DBT Interview

At the interview stage for this role, you will be asked to demonstrate relevant Technical Skills and Behaviours from the Success Profiles framework. These are role specific and in line with the DDaT Capability Framework.

Technical Skills

• Governance and Assurance
• Making and Guiding Decisions
• Problem Definition and Shaping
• Communicating between the Technical and the non-Technical

Behaviours

• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions

How DBT Offer

Offers may be made in merit order based on location preferences. If you pass the bar at interview but are not the highest scoring you will be held on a 12-month reserve list in case a role becomes available. If you are judged a near miss at interview, you may be offered a post at the grade below the one you applied for.

This role requires SC clearance. DBT's requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet this requirement will result in your application being rejected and your offer will be withdrawn.

Benefits

If you join DBT, you will get:

• learning and development tailored to your role
• a flexible, hybrid working environment with options like condensed hours
• a culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• a Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• annual leave starting at 25 days rising to 30 days with service
• three paid volunteering days a year
• an employee benefits programme including cycle to work

More about DBT

You can find out more about the office locations, how they calculate salaries, their diversity statement and reasonable adjustments, the Recruitment Principles, the Civil Service code and the complaints procedure on DBTs website.
Find out more about life at DBT, our benefits and meet the team by watching our video or reading our blog!

If you are a Lead Improvement Manager and looking for a new challenge, contact Zymante or apply today!