Job Description
Together we are Trusted to Serve Scotland.
Lead the Architecture Behind Scottish Water’s Digital Transformation
At Scottish Water, we’re on a journey to transform how we serve Scotland’s people and environment through digital innovation. We’re looking for an experienced and visionary Lead Architect to take the reins as our Digital Architecture Manager, guiding the design and delivery of integrated, secure, and future-ready solutions that span cloud infrastructure, operational technology, enterprise applications, and emerging AI tools.
This is your opportunity to lead solution design across some of Scotland’s most critical digital platforms — shaping systems that support smart infrastructure, AI-driven services, and real-time operational decision-making. Your work will have real-world impact across our communities, ensuring we deliver high-quality, resilient services today and into the future.
About the Role
As Digital Architecture Manager, you'll be responsible for defining and governing solution architecture across our IT and OT environments — including cloud platforms, networks, business applications, and the M365 stack with advanced AI capabilities. You’ll help ensure our solutions align with our strategic digital roadmap, meet rigorous compliance standards, and support efficient, scalable, and secure operations.
You’ll sit within the Digital Strategy, Architecture & Platforms team, focusing specifically on solution-level architecture and implementation governance. This function works in parallel with Enterprise Architecture and takes ownership of technical design and delivery across multiple domains.
Your leadership will ensure that our digital platforms and applications are designed to be scalable, secure, and fully integrated across our IT and OT landscape. You’ll play a key role in aligning technology choices with our wider goals around sustainability, customer experience, and operational excellence.
What You’ll Be Doing
You’ll define and maintain solution architecture roadmaps across IT and OT, ensuring alignment with best practices and regulatory requirements. From cloud infrastructure and application design to the integration of OT systems and AI-enabled tools like Microsoft Copilot, your leadership will drive the consistency, resilience, and innovation of our technical solutions.
Working closely with colleagues across Digital Strategy, Cybersecurity, Platforms, and Business Units, you’ll help translate business needs into future-ready technical designs. You’ll champion security-by-design and lead the implementation of architecture standards across platforms like Azure, Power Platform, and M365.
As part of your remit, you’ll also steer innovation and solution modernisation efforts, evaluate emerging technologies, and embed robust governance practices to optimise cloud costs, resilience, and automation. With a strong focus on risk management, you’ll ensure our architecture meets requirements around cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, and operational continuity — including disaster recovery and secure integration of critical OT systems.
In this leadership role, you’ll manage and mentor a team of solution architects across key technical areas. You’ll help develop capability, foster collaboration, and build a culture of continuous learning and improvement that keeps pace with evolving digital trends and customer needs.
What You’ll Bring
To succeed in this role, you’ll need a strong track record in leading solution architecture within complex digital transformation programmes. Your expertise will span cloud computing (ideally Azure), enterprise networking, OT integration, and application design. You’ll bring deep knowledge of M365 tools (including AI-enabled services), API management, and cloud-native development.
We’re looking for someone who understands the demands of a regulated environment and can embed robust governance and compliance into every solution. You’ll have a strong grasp of cybersecurity principles, frameworks like NIS2 and ISO27001, and risk mitigation strategies that ensure resilience and continuity.
Leadership is key. You’ll have experience leading architectural teams and guiding the delivery of technical solutions that align with wider business goals. Your ability to engage and influence stakeholders at all levels — from technical teams to senior leaders — will be essential.
It would be great if you also have experience in the water, energy, or utilities sector, and familiarity with technologies like digital twins, edge computing, or AI-based automation. Certifications like TOGAF, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, or ITIL would be welcomed, alongside a working knowledge of DevOps, FinOps, and cloud governance practices.
What We Offer
This is a key leadership role at the forefront of our digital transformation, with a real opportunity to shape the future of water services in Scotland. You’ll help guide a £40–£50 million annual IT & OT investment portfolio and work in a collaborative, forward-thinking environment that’s focused on long-term sustainability, innovation, and impact.
The role is based in Scotland and can be flexible on location. It is offered at M1 Level, with a starting salary of £64,680 and scope for progression based on performance. You’ll also receive a generous monthly car allowance, 38 days annual leave, and access to the Local Government Pension Scheme, which includes life assurance and a career-average pension plan.
How to Apply
If this sounds like the challenge you’ve been waiting for, we’d love to hear from you. To apply, please submit your current CV along with a role-specific covering letter of no more than 500 words. Your letter should outline why you’re interested in this role and why you believe you're a great fit for Scottish Water.
Applications close at midnight on the 27th June 2025.
Please note that any offer of employment will be conditional on the successful completion of pre-employment checks, including referencing, disclosure checks, and license verification. These checks are carried out by a trusted third party after an offer is made.