Job Description

Job reference: PSX-022501 Salary: UoM Grade 7 \xc2\xa344,414-\xc2\xa354,421 depending on experience Faculty/ Organisational Unit: Professional Services Location: Oxford Road Employment type: Fixed Term Division/ Team: Strategy, Architecture and Support Hours Per Week: 35 Closing date: 24/ 07/ 2023 Contract Duration: 12 School/ Directorate : Directorate of IT Services

The University of Manchester has a rich heritage of discovery, social change and a pioneering spirit, which has been at the heart of what we do since 1824. When you join our university, you become part of a truly diverse and global community of staff, students and alumni all focused on ensuring that we are recognised for the excellence of our people, research, learning and innovation, and for the benefits we bring to society.

We\'re a proud Manchester institution and have ambitious plans for our future. At the heart of our vision are our people - a diverse, inclusive community of individuals who work together to create positive change for the world around them.

Research and teaching are the foundation of what we do, but the University relies on a range of roles to help create the exceptional. If you think boldly, act with integrity and celebrate difference, then this could be the place for you.

About IT Services

IT Services at The University of Manchester plays a crucial role in supporting the institution\'s technological infrastructure and enabling the delivery of world-class education, research, and administrative services. The mission of IT Services is to provide innovative, reliable, and secure technology solutions that empower the university community to excel in teaching, learning, research, and administration. The vision is to be a leading provider of digital services, driving technological advancements and digital transformation across the institution.

The Team

The architecture team is a key part of the Strategy and Architecture space, we work closely with other areas of ITS and the Strategic Change Office to ensure successful delivery of a diverse set of programmes and projects that take place across the University.

The key services provided by the architecture team include:

• Guidance and support to IT Services and the wider university regarding the application of technology to business capabilities.
• Facilitate the development of strategies for the technology evolution to support the universities domains (Teaching and Learning, Finance, HR, Research etc).
• Engage in capability-based planning to ensure that change is aligned to capabilities which support the strategic direction.
• Work with operational teams to understand the IT landscape and the changes required to ensure quality and reliability.
• Provide assurance of technical and business designs via the Technical Design Authority and inputs to the Business Design Authority.

The Role

As a Solutions Architect at The University of Manchester, you will be an integral part of the Strategy and Architecture team within IT Services. Collaborating closely with a team of Enterprise Architects and Enterprise Business Architects, you will play a vital role in designing and delivering innovative technology solutions that support the university\'s strategic objectives. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the digital transformation journey of a globally recognized institution.

Key Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with stakeholders, including academic departments, administrative units, and research groups, to understand their requirements and translate them into robust technical solutions.
• Design and develop end-to-end architectural blueprints, ensuring alignment with the university\'s enterprise architecture framework.
• Lead the evaluation and selection of technology solutions, assessing their feasibility and alignment with the university\'s strategic goals.
• Provide expert guidance and support to project teams during the implementation of architectural designs, ensuring adherence to best practices and standards.
• Identify risks, challenges, and opportunities within the existing technology landscape and propose solutions that drive efficiency, scalability, and innovation.
• Stay abreast of emerging technologies, industry trends, and best practices in solution architecture, and make recommendations for their adoption within the university.

This is an exciting role that will have the opportunity to help deliver strategically aligned projects and programmes, and the role will have the flexibility to mould the architecture practice.

The Person

The successful candidate should be able to demonstrate:

• A proven track record as a Solutions Architect, preferably in a large-scale and complex organizational setting.
• Strong experience in designing and delivering end-to-end technology solutions, with expertise in areas such as application architecture, data architecture, and integration architecture.
• Proficiency in enterprise architecture frameworks, such as TOGAF, and familiarity with architectural modelling tools.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate business requirements into technical solutions.
• Effective communication and stakeholder management abilities, with experience collaborating across diverse teams and levels of an organization.
• Relevant qualifications and certifications are highly desirable.

What you will get in return:

• Fantastic market leading Pension scheme
• Excellent employee health and wellbeing services including an Employee Assistance Programme
• Exceptional starting annual leave entitlement, plus bank holidays
• Additional paid closure over the Christmas period
• Local and national discounts at a range of major retailers

As an equal opportunities employer we welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of age, sex, gender (or gender identity), ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and transgender status. All appointments are made on merit.

Hybrid working arrangements may be considered.

Please note that we are unable to respond to enquiries, accept CVs or applications from Recruitment Agencies.

Any CV\'s submitted by a recruitment agency will be considered a gift.

This vacancy will close for applications at midnight on the closing date.

Please see the link below for the Further Particulars document which contains the person specification criteria.

University of Manchester