Head Enterprise Architect Ref. 3209

Flexible Working: We support full-time, part-time, compressed, and flexible hours. There may be some scope for remote working. However, our ability to do this is dependent on role requirements and business needs. This role is primarily office based.

About us

We’re MI6, also known as the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS). Our mission is to protect the security and economic wellbeing of the UK from overseas threats such as regional instability, terrorism, and cyber-attacks. Working across the globe and in close partnership with MI5 and GCHQ, we help the Government to counter these threats through the provision of secret intelligence. A role in MI6 will see you providing vital support to this work, within a supportive and encouraging environment that puts the emphasis on teamwork.

The role

MI6’s successful operations and intelligence delivery rely on architecture and technology. That’s why we’re constantly developing and maintaining the capabilities that provide us with mission advantage in our rapidly changing, technology and data-driven world. Digital transformation is key to our success and to enable MI6 to operate with digital Government and partner Intelligence Communities.

Working as part of an Integrated Chief Technology Office, you’ll lead and grow your own team, creating ways of working to deliver a technology portfolio that directly supports our business needs. While this is a hands-on role, your impact will be felt by working with others to deliver a uniquely diverse range of cutting-edge technologies to solve problems that simply don’t exist in other organisations.

Reporting to the Chief Technology Officer, you’ll:

• Build and communicate the Enterprise Technology Roadmap, making recommendations as to the order and prioritisation of work.
• Manage strategic technology risk such as technical debt.
• Establish, maintain and communicate the As-Is and Target technology states and guide delivery guidance through Strategies, Principles, Standards, Guard Rails and (Anti)Patterns for functional and non-functional requirements.
• Work with solution architects and engineering to shape the delivery portfolio – balancing delivering strategic change with short-term objectives and tactical issues.
• Understand Enterprise-wide problems and opportunities, then help to shape delivery solutions.
• Lead the initiative to improve the maturity of our Enterprise Architecture and Business Architecture practice and be the domain skills and profession lead.
• Demonstrate and communicate the value that Enterprise Architecture brings to the organisation.
• Manage a team of staff and contractors.

We use agile and lean methodologies to innovate, deliver and upgrade systems that are core to our business supporting the full spectrum of MI6 operations as well as corporate areas of the organisation. The diverse nature of the enterprise means that our products are built using a variety of different technology architectures. Whether working on data analytics, knowledge systems, clandestine communications or technical operations capabilities, the nature of our work presents unique and fascinating architecture and technical challenges, the likes of which you’ll never have seen before.

We develop products that provide capability across MI6. Our multi-disciplinary internal delivery teams are made up of architects and engineers who work alongside product owners, business analysts and delivery colleagues to ensure MI6 gets what it needs whilst balancing tactical and strategic goals and objectives. These products are driven and cohered by strategy and enterprise considerations.

About you

You’re an experienced Enterprise Architect, who can blend experience of working across technology domains in data-orientated organisations with a strong understanding of business architecture.

We’re looking for someone with experience leading teams, setting direction, and mentoring colleagues, someone who has worked in leadership positions within technology, architecture or systems engineering functions. You’ll be confident in developing technology portfolios or playing a leading role in digital transformation programmes and you’ll have demonstrable experience making trade-offs within a complex delivery portfolio. We’re also looking for someone comfortable communicating technical concepts clearly and concisely to non-technical colleagues.

Experience in using architecture tools and techniques to deliver business benefit will be key to this role, as is knowledge of multiple architecture and delivery frameworks and experience of embedding such tools and techniques. Finally, we’re looking for someone who has a keen interest in technology trends to ensure that your IT knowledge is up to date.

Training and development

Learning and development are central to our architecture ethos which is why we invest heavily in our people. We’ll work with you to understand how you’d like to progress, then create a learning pathway for your individual development. We’ll support you to develop and expand both your technical and non-technical skills. And you’ll have access to a wide variety of classroom and online learning, as well as our own development programmes, schemes and a range of external bodies.

Rewards and benefits

You’ll receive a starting salary of £89,465 to £100,894 plus other benefits including:

• 25 days’ annual leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days’ public and privilege holidays.
• Investment in learning and development.
• Interest-free season ticket loan.
• Excellent pension scheme.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Facilities such as a subsidised gym and restaurant, and on-site coffee bars.
• Paid parental and adoption leave.

Equal Opportunities

At MI6 diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: those with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce such as women, those from an ethnic minority background, people with disabilities and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity on our website.

We’re Disability Confident

MI6 are proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWP’s Disability Confident scheme. This is aimed at encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people. Being Disability Confident, we aim to offer a person-to-person interview to any candidate who self-identifies as disabled and meets the essential criteria for the role. This is our ‘Offer of Interview’ (OOI). To secure an interview for this vacancy, the essential criteria (in order of application process) are:

• Previously worked in a senior position within architecture or systems engineering functions.
• Have experience developing technology portfolios and/or playing a leading role in digital transformation programmes.

If you meet the minimum criteria, you will be invited to a Technical Telephone Interview.

What to expect

Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:

• A completed application form.
• Technical interview via telephone.
• An assessment centre day which will include, but not limited to, a face-to-face technical scenario-based interview with the hiring team and a HR-based interview. The scenario will be provided prior to the interview.

Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process in order to progress to the next. Your application may take around 6 - 9 months to process including vetting, so we advise you continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer.

Before You Apply

To work at MI6, you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. You can read our full eligibility criteria here.

This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. You can find out more about the vetting process here.

Please note we have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you can’t take any recreational drugs and you’ll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.

Before you apply, we advise you to consider setting up a separate email address for your contact with us, to ensure your personal and application correspondence remain separate. Try to avoid having identifying features in your email address, such as your first and/or surname and date of birth. This is good practice and will help you to manage your application with us more discretely.

The role is based in central London so you’ll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application. A loan is available to support people relocating to London.

Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to launch an application. Applying from outside the UK will impact on our ability to progress your application. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member.

Right to Withdraw Statement:

Please be aware that we withhold the right to bring forward the closing date for this role from the original closing date once a certain number of applications have been received. Please be mindful of this and submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.