Can you help shape the future of Scotland’s digital public services by leading the design of secure, scalable, and forward-thinking technology solutions?
As Principal Cloud Architect, you’ll join the Architecture team within Information & Technology Services (iTECS), part of the Scottish Government’s Digital Directorate. iTECS provides corporate ICT services to the Scottish Government and over 50 public sector bodies, supporting around 22,000 users across Scotland. Our mission is to deliver robust, secure, and innovative technology aligned with national digital priorities.
In this role, you will lead the design, integration, and governance of Microsoft cloud platforms such as Azure and M365. You will act as a subject matter expert, shaping technical roadmaps, ensuring security and operational compliance, and guiding teams in applying best practice architecture standards. Working closely with product, engineering, and wider DDaT colleagues, you will ensure that services and systems are robust, scalable, and aligned with organisational strategy, supporting the evolving needs of Scottish public services.
Responsibilities
* Present recommendations for technologies or system improvements to support project goals, based on IT knowledge and analysis of business and system needs.
* Evaluate the success of integrated solutions, identifying best practices and lessons learned.
* Act as a key contributor to architecture governance activities, ensuring the adoption of best practice and appropriate technology architecture standards.
* Contribute to the overall technical strategy and roadmap for the department within your area of expertise.
* Own the technical roadmap for services across a defined domain.
* Develop and document technical designs for the integration and implementation of technology solutions, working across DDaT and wider business teams.
* Ensure designs meet required security and operational standards.
* Act as a subject matter expert, ensuring recommendations and designs align with wider organisational and cross-government strategies.
* Own designated digital components, ensuring their design and implementation align with broader architectural patterns and direction.
Success Profile
Success profiles are specific to each job, and they include the mix of experience, skills and behaviours candidates will be assessed on.
Experience
* Lead Criteria 1: Demonstrating a detailed knowledge of technical requirements to implement, design and manage a range of Microsoft technologies including 365, Azure and Power Platform technologies.
* Lead Criteria 2: Designing complex technology solutions recognising time, cost and quality targets and constraints.
* Providing technical leadership and expertise on large projects or critical workstreams in larger programmes.
* Anticipating and advising on future technology that present opportunities for the SCOTS Microsoft Platform.
Experience is assessed at sift, along with a more in-depth assessment at interview.
Technical Skills
This role is aligned to the Technical Architect job role within the Architecture job family.
You can find out more about the skills required, here.
These skills are assessed by technical assessment, designed to represent the role. Candidates reaching this stage will receive a Technical Assessment Candidate Pack which outlines the specific skills to be assessed, plus the method of assessment.
Behaviours
* Managing a Quality Service - (Level 4)
* Making Effective Decisions - (Level 4)
You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here.
Behaviours are assessed at interview. Full details will be shared in advance with all candidates invited to this stage.
How To Apply
Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 750 words) which provides evidence of how you meet each of the 4 Experience criteria listed in the Success Profile above.
Candidates will have their applications assessed against all Experience criteria. If a large number of applications are received an initial sift will be conducted on the Lead Criteria highlighted above. Candidates who pass the initial sift will have their applications fully assessed against all remaing Experience criteria.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.
Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment
If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and DDaT Technical assessment where the behaviours, experiences and technical skills outlined in the Success Profile will be assessed.
The sift is scheduled for w/c 12th January 2026.
Interviews and DDaT Technical assessments are scheduled for w/c 2nd February 2026, however these may be subject to change.
About Us
The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including education, health, the economy, justice, housing, and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles.
Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service, working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland.
We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer.
As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.
Working Pattern
Our standard hours are 35 hours per week, we offer flexible working including full-time, part-time, flexitime, and compressed hours depending on the needs of the role.
From October 2025, the Scottish Government will require staff in hybrid-compatible roles to work in-person 40% of the time either in an office or other agreed work location.
If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact Digitalcareers@gov.scot
Security checks
Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions).
You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website, or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide.
DDaT Pay Supplement
This post is part of the Scottish Government Digital, Data and Technology (DDAT) profession, as a member of the profession you will join the professional development system. This post currently attracts a £5,000.00 annual DDAT pay supplement, applicable after a 3-month competency qualifying period. The payment will be backdated to your start date in the role. Pay supplements are reviewed regularly and there is one currently underway. Changes will be communicated when the review is concluded.
Equality Statement
We are committed to equality and inclusion, and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.
Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.
Further information
Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website.
Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.
Apply Before: 11th January (23:59)