Job Description
Contract Role: Cloud Solution Architect - Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Contract Location: London - Remote or Hybrid
Contract Duration: 3 months
Contract Start Date: Immediate
Contract Classification: Inside IR35
As a Solution Architect within Deloitte's Consulting practice, you will be a critical member of the team delivering a Discovery Phase for a significant public sector digital transformation programme. This high-profile initiative aims to modernise and unify a public sector organisation's customer-facing digital experience, streamline internal operations, enhance online guidance, strengthen data foundations, and establish a unified Identity and Access Management (IAM) model.
You will play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between business requirements and the technical vision for their future platform. This involves working closely with client stakeholders, business analysts, and technical specialists to define robust, scalable, and secure conceptual architectures and recommendations. This role offers the chance to work on a high-impact public sector project, addressing complex legacy challenges and contributing to the digital transformation of a leading public service organisation.
Key Responsibilities:
* Client Engagement & Requirements Analysis: Collaborate extensively with client stakeholders to understand their business objectives, challenges with complex legacy ecosystems (e.g., grants management platforms, CRM, finance systems), and future technical requirements. Translate these into comprehensive future state service models and architectural designs.
* Discovery Phase Solution Design & Architecture: Lead the conceptual design of end-to-end technical solutions for a future digital service platform. This includes defining application, data, infrastructure, and integration architectures, ensuring alignment with client strategic goals, enterprise architecture direction, and public sector expectations (e.g., GDS standards, accessibility).
* Technology Evaluation & Options Analysis: Conduct thorough market research and options appraisals, evaluating various platform options such as Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) packages, low-code/no-code solutions, SaaS, custom builds, and public sector product offerings. Provide robust, evidence-based recommendations for platform selection, focusing on public value and cost-effectiveness.
* Proof of Concept (PoC) Visualisation: Oversee the creation of interactive, click-through conceptual prototypes, illustrative screen flows, and architectural visualisations. These artefacts will demonstrate proposed future journeys and platform concepts to support decision-making and engagement, without involving functional build or integration during the Discovery phase.
* Technical Leadership & Governance: Provide architectural guidance during the Discovery phase, ensuring that all proposed solutions address specific client challenges, including complex legacy ecosystems, limited integration patterns, accessibility issues (e.g., WCAG), and the need for a resilient, scalable platform.
* IAM Model Definition: Specifically focus on defining a coherent, unified identity and access management model, enabling single sign-on, organisational delegation, role-based access, auditability, and security compliance across all externally facing digital services.
* Risk Management & Mitigation: Identify and assess technical risks associated with legacy systems and proposed future architectures, proposing strategies for phased modernisation and ensuring continuity.
* Stakeholder Management: Present and articulate complex technical concepts and architectural options to both technical and non-technical client stakeholders, gaining buy-in and managing expectations within an accelerated timetable.
* Documentation & Deliverables: Contribute significantly to key Discovery deliverables, including the Future State Requirements Pack, Platform Selection Report, Initial Proof of Concept, and Feasibility & Options Assessment Outcome Paper.
* Consulting Acumen: Work effectively within an accelerated, agile consulting environment, managing multiple workstreams concurrently (Service Design, Data, Integrations, Reporting, Business Change) and collaborating closely with client internal teams.
Required Skills and Experience:
* Proven experience (typically 7+ years) in IT, with a significant portion (typically 3+ years) in a Solution Architect or Lead Architect role, ideally within a consulting environment or on large-scale public sector transformation programmes
* Strong background in at least one major cloud platform (AWS, Azure, GCP) and an understanding of IaaS, PaaS, and serverless architectures.
* Proven experience with Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions, including single sign-on, multi-role access, organisational delegation, and auditability.
* Demonstrable experience in leading Discovery phases and defining conceptual architectures for complex enterprise-level solutions
* Experience with various architectural styles and patterns (e.g., Microservices, Event-Driven Architecture) and their application in modernising legacy systems.
* Familiarity with UK Government frameworks and digital standards (e.g., GDS aligned service design, WCAG accessibility standards).
* Experience with grants administration processes and platforms or similar public sector funding/service delivery domains is highly advantageous.
* Proficiency in modern software development methodologies (e.g., Agile, Scrum, DevOps) and experience working within accelerated project timelines.
* A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field. A Master's degree or relevant professional certifications (e.g., TOGAF, AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect) are highly desirable.
Technical Skills:
* Deep understanding of software development lifecycles and best practices, particularly in the context of large-scale system modernisation.
* Experience with integration technologies and patterns (e.g., APIs, ESBs, Message Queues) and addressing complex legacy integration challenges.
* Strong knowledge of data architecture principles, database technologies (SQL/NoSQL), data modelling, and reporting in multi-system, multi-domain environments.
* Familiarity with cybersecurity principles, information governance, and secure coding practices.
* Ability to evaluate and recommend various technology options (COTS, low-code, SaaS, custom build) based on technical feasibility, strategic alignment, and value for money.
Consulting Acumen:
* Excellent client-facing and communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences, including senior client stakeholders.
* Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a pragmatic approach to solution design and risk mitigation.
* Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic consulting environment, managing multiple priorities and deadlines within an accelerated project schedule.
* Demonstrated leadership skills, with experience leading technical discussions and driving architectural decisions
Requirements
RedHat Ansible