Solutions Architect

Role: Solutions Architect

Location: Hybrid - Canberra

Security clearance: NV1

Duration: 4x4-month Contract

This Government department client is looking to develop a more scalable, potentially cloud-based solution, designed to support agility, high performance, and operational efficiency. It will be capable of adapting to changing workloads and evolving business needs.

The Solution Architect will be responsible for the following activities, which include but are not limited to:

1. Assessment of the current architecture state

• Conduct a comprehensive review of the current state of the Managment Systems architecture.
• Examine the current suite of documentation to identify gaps in the system's understanding. This includes missing diagrams, outdated artefacts, and undocumented technologies or infrastructure.
• Liaise with various stakeholders to investigate the current state, including technical staff, project managers, executives and Service Providers where required.
• Develop architecture diagrams that clearly represent the current state, tailored for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Document existing limitations and dependencies.
• Identify and outline the benefits, risks and opportunities associated with the current state.

2. Definition of future technical State

• Propose options for a technically sound future state for the Managment Systems architecture.
• Create architecture diagrams illustrating the optimal future state, suitable for both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Present, potentially up to, three future state options, detailing their respective timeframes, benefits, risks, dependencies and estimated costs (including ongoing operational costs).
• Recommend the most suitable option for implementation, providing justification and reasons why.
• Ensure the proposed future state aligns with the needs and expectations of Management Systems clients and their business requirements and functionality, as well as the broader Government Services Branch (GSB) direction.

3. Gap Analysis

• Provide a detailed analysis of the gaps between the current and proposed future states.
• Offer practical options to bridge these gaps, addressing:
• Software, hardware, platforms, security, network and other technology components.
• Estimated outcomes including timeframes, resource requirements, cost-benefit considerations and risk mitigation strategies.
• Capability and skills gaps analysis to be addressed by the branch to deliver the optimal future state, and
• Scalability of the solutions proposed.

4. Technical Roadmap

• Develop a comprehensive technical roadmap to guide the transition from the current state to the recommended future state.
• Include key dependencies and sequencing to support successful implementation.

The Solution Architect will:

• Examine and understand the role of the current management system within the Government, including its relevance to stakeholders, their expectations, and workload requirements.
• Understand the broader context of the technical direction and consider options within that context.
• Provide recommendations for the future technical architecture of the managment system, ensuring alignment with Government, Departmental and Branch objectives. Note: Redesign of the Managment System application itself is out of scope.
• Ensure user expectations and data migration considerations are incorporated into all planning and recommendations.
• Engage effectively with a broad range of stakeholders, accommodating varying levels of technical understanding.
• Demonstrate a strong interest in and understanding of emerging and future technologies, particularly within private and public cloud environments, and apply this knowledge to inform optimal future state solutions.
• Develop a comprehensive documentation suite to support analysis and findings, including technical diagrams and documents, as well as high-level non-technical advice suitable for business and executive audiences.

Essential Criteria

• Demonstrated experience in delivering similar solution architectural services for complex, whole-of-government applications within secure and regulated environments.
• Current AGSVA Security Clearance Level: Negative Vetting 1 (NV1)

Highly Desirable Criteria

• Understanding of Australian Government security frameworks, including the Information Security Manual (ISM) and the Protective Security Policy Framework (PSPF), with particular emphasis on compliance for PROTECTED-level applications and cloud-based solutions.
• Communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across diverse technical and non-technical audiences.
• Troubleshooting and problem-solving skills and proven ability to provide impartial, balanced and open-minded advice, ensuring recommendations are evidence-based and aligned with strategic objectives.

Desirable Criteria:

• Knowledge/experience with Managment Systems, VANguard, GovLINK and other whole of government applications.
• Knowledge of future state connectivity solutions.
• Knowledge/experience of Windows Server and SQL Server, SharePoint, .NET Framework, Angular, IIS, Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS).

Candidates should explicitly address the above criteria in their response/application, showcasing their understanding, capacity, risk, VFM, etc.)