Role DSR Chief Software Engineer and Team Leader
Role DSR Chief Software Engineer and Team Leader
Grade/Salary: £88-95k
Location: Home/Milton Keynes area
Contract type: Permanent
Travel: Typically 2dpw on site. Some London
Hours: 8.30-5.30 37 hours/week
Reporting to: Ian Stevenson, SVGC CTO
The Role
Owing to our continued growth and trusted reputation, we are seeking a skilled and proactive Chief Software and Systems Engineer to join our Software and Secure Cloud team. Initially deployed to our Digital Sensitivity Review team. This position is ideal for someone with a significant amount of Software solutions experience particularly in the public sector, used to security, solution scrutiny and team leadership.
In this role, you will be responsible for all aspects of the delivery of our Digital Records and Archive Management (DRAM) and Digital Sensitivity Review (DSR) programmes of work as well as providing guidance to other Software and Data Science activities within the business.
You will become the primary point of contact for DRAM and DSR software architecture, solution development, secure software operations. You will be developing and implementing strategies, policies, and procedures.
You will be responsible for the planning, design, evolution, implementation and integrity of our DRAM and DSR solutions.
Your work will directly impact multiple Government departments compliance with national legislative obligations.
You will work closely with the Head of Technology, the Data Science teams and DRAM/DSR Project and Programme managers including those delivering direct to client solutions. You will support the project and programme managers in estimating and preparing and managing budgets and resources.
This role will report to the SVGC Group Chief Technical Office (CTO). You will be ensuring compliance with departmental security and operating requirements.
You will lead and manage the team of Software and Secure Cloud Engineers ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in their activities, working closely with the SVGC Group Chief Technical Officer. In this role you will be assessing and evaluating operations and systems, proposing recommendations and solutions for improvement.
Key Project Overview – Digital Sensitivity Review (DSR)
Every UK Government department is obliged to transfer all public records to The National Archives (TNA), demonstrating full transparency of processes and public spending. Pre the dawn of computers in the workplace, files were stored and processed manually on paper. However, since the digital revolution Government department files were being stored both digitally and on paper.
This has meant that the DSR for the Government departments has become an enormous and challenging task. The sheer number of digital files selected and taken through sensitivity review is vast and requires innovative solutions to ensure the records are processed securely and to achieve the greatest possible release to the public in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Having provided consultancy services to improve business efficiency, as well as training, support and guidance, SVGC also engineered and integrated new state of the art technology solutions.
With a digital record system that has expanded exponentially over the years it was clear that the Government departments required new technology that helped Sensitivity Reviewers to work more quickly, reduce risk, to be robust enough to meet rigorous government security protocols and was easy to use. The problem was, this digital system didn’t exist – so we created it.
The development of our bespoke, state of the art digital system has resulted in the departmental teams pivoting from digitally-averse to pro-active in the identification and road-mapping of how and where digital solutions help – not just within the digital record but with the greater backlog in the paper record.
With support and training, the operations managers and reviewer teams have been able to use the system with ease and the introduction of semi-automation and advanced analytics capabilities has reduced human effort where it makes sense to do so. Progress on other applications to enhance core capability has also been achieved and provides relevant insights, reducing the time required to analyse material.
Our modular approach builds in the ability to take advantage of emerging technologies to continue leading the way. We are currently working with seven Government departments. Interest across other Government departments remains extremely high and are now expanding our activities to include other Whitehall Departments.
Responsibilities
Your main responsibilities will be to.
* Oversee the delivery of DRAM and DSR solutions and other software engineering projects such as may arise from time to time.
* Manage and maintain the evolution architecture of the DRAM and DSR systems and services.
* Manage and enable the relationships with partner software development teams and with 3-rd party suppliers.
* Ensure compliance with client and departmental security and cyber security regulations and development paradigms.
The Person
* Must currently hold Security Checked (SC) with willingness to be DV cleared.
Note that this role is a ‘Restricted’ role which means the role holder must hold SC clearance.
* Extensive knowledge and experience in Software engineering principles, methods, and techniques especially the constraints of public sector operations including on-premise systems with no internet access, and secure cloud environments.
* Leadership skills to manage, direct and supervise the team and delegate tasks appropriately.
* Project management skills to oversee multiple projects concurrently, ensuring they are completed on time and within budget.
* Strong problem-solving skills to diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve any technical issues that may arise.
* Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to liaise with other department heads, staff members, and stakeholders.
* Strategic thinking and decision-making skills to make high-level decisions about the technical direction of the company.
* Knowledge of budgeting and financial principles to ensure the engineering department operates within the allocated budget.
* Understanding of the latest industry trends and technologies to keep the company at the forefront of its field.
* Familiarity with industry-related regulations and quality standards to ensure compliance.
* Experience of working with analytical systems include data science activities, interfacing and integrating data science solutions into primary software environments.
* Experience and awareness of AI, Machine Learning, Generative AI and ML-Operations.
* Working within the Public Sector either embedded or as supplier.
* Secure Public and Private Cloud experience.
* Virtualisation and Containerisation techniques, technologies, risks and opportunities.
Cultural Fit
Seeing the Big Picture (L5)
* Identify and shape how own area fits within and supports the work of the Company and priorities for the long-term delivery.
* Develop an in-depth insight into customers, services and markets affected by their area and the wider public sector context
* Create joined up strategies and plans that have positive impact and add value
Changing and Improving (L5)
* Encourage a culture of imaginative thinking, learning from experience and expanding mindsets and genuinely listen to ideas from employees and stakeholders
* Identify step changes that quickly transform flexibility, responsiveness and quality of service
* Challenge the status quo in own and related areas to achieve value-adding improvements and change
* Lead the transformation of services to users
* Create effective plans, systems and governance to manage change and respond promptly to critical events
Making Effective Decisions
* Create a culture and ensure systems and procedures are in place for the secure and careful handling of government and public information within own area
* Ensure involvement and consultation where necessary and take decisive action when required
Leading and Communicating
* Actively promote the Company’s reputation externally and internally – build a sense of pride and passion
* Inspire staff and delivery partners to engage fully with long term vision and purpose of the Company, supporting them to make sense of change
* Actively promote diversity and equality of opportunity inside and outside the SVGC Team, valuing difference and external experience
* Communicate with conviction and clarity in the face of tough negotiations or challenges, surface tensions and resolve ambiguities
* Influence external partners, stakeholders and customers successfully – secure mutually beneficial outcomes
Collaborating and Partnering
* Proactively create, maintain and promote a strong network of connections with colleagues across the Company, wider SVGC Team and externally
* Promote team working with peers, shares knowledge and resources with peers and across functions
* Encourage and establish principles of working effectively across boundaries to support the business
Building Capability for All
* Champion development, talent and career management for all staff and make learning a reality by encouraging and providing a range of development experiences
* Create an inclusive environment, one from which all staff, including under-represented groups, can benefit
* Encourage work-place based learning, ensure colleagues take responsibility for their own learning and share it to build organisational capability
Achieving Commercial Outcomes
* Identify and implement different ways of working deployed in other sectors e.g. using resources, assets and commercial arrangements
* Promote a strong focus on the needs of customers, suppliers and other delivery partners to develop new commercial models for the delivery of policy and business goals
Delivering Value for Money
* Understand the financial position of own area, the organisation and the wider economy and recognise impacts of this when delivering services
* Make and encourage strategic choices on spend, challenge high risk costly projects and forgo non-priority expenditure
* Promote and visibly demonstrate a culture of value for money in own area/function in order to focus managers on getting a good return for taxpayers’ money
Managing a Quality Service
* Facilitate flexible use of resources across grades through innovative structuring of teams and resources within own area
* Clarify and articulate the diverse requirements of customers and delivery partners to support delivery of professional excellence and expertise
* Use customer insight to determine and drive customer service outcomes and quality throughout own area
* Translate complex aims into clear and manageable plans and determine resource requirements to support implementation
Delivering at Pace
* Take ownership of delivery against outcomes and give credit for others’ delivery
* Maintain a strong focus on priorities, holding others
to account for priorities and swiftly respond to changing requirements
* Drive a performance culture within own area, allowing people space and authority to deliver their objectives
* Act as a role model for delivery by injecting enthusiasm and energy to achieve results
INTERESTED?
Send your cv with a covering email outlining how you meet the essential and desirable criteria listed above to Judith Armatage – Recruitment Business Partner – j.armatage@svgc.co.uk
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