Lead Business Architect

The Lead Business Architect will help to build the maturity of the Enterprise Architecture team, helping to understand and apply business architecture principles, techniques and tools to a variety of complex business challenges The role will ensure design work from projects and programmes aligns with both business and Architecture strategy. The role will liaise with strategic and implementation teams to align on the way technology is captured, stored, governed, used and shared across the ICO and with external organisations.
Job Description
The role will ensure that business change is implemented effectively, collaborating with a wide variety of colleagues across the ICO and will also carry out horizon scanning across the industry and wider technological landscape, identifying emerging trends in business architecture solutions and their potential impact and opportunity for the ICO, and incorporating these into plans, + Developing and delivering the ICO’s Business architecture and associated delivery roadmaps in conjunction with the Transformation and Delivery team
+ Make decisions characterised by levels of risk and complexity and recommending decisions as risk and complexity increase
+ Simplifying complex business architecture frameworks into clear actions
+ Identifying strategic misalignment within the ICO and making recommendations for improvement
+ Lead and direct the application of architectural principles, methods, and tools to business scenarios
+ Developing appropriate graphical and documented representations of Business Architecture suitable for communication with different audiences and for different purposes
+ Playing an active role in the ICO Architecture community and related communities of practice where you will share your knowledge of best practice, tools and techniques
+ Helping to build a diverse, inclusive culture across the architecture community, growing awareness, inclusivity and balance
+ Working with other architects, colleagues and peers to define standards and guidance around best practice
+ Engaging and networking with people across the ICO up to Director level to understand their needs and ensure they are aligned with the Enterprise Architecture vision, Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
+ UK nationals
+ nationals of the Republic of Ireland
+ nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
+ nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
+ nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
+ individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
+ Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

+ Substantial experience relevant to the role requirements, as described in the role responsibilities and person specification, and accumulated through any combination of academic or vocational qualifications or experience.
+ Preference for an appropriate Enterprise Architecture qualification from an organisation such as Certified Enterprise Architect Professional (CEAP), The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF®), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), International Board of IT Governance Qualifications (BITGQ), the British Computer Society (BCS), Zachman Framework or Gartner
+ Experience of developing and executing business solution architecture for a large or medium-sized (1,000+ people) organisation
+ Experience of architecting business solutions across a range of different contexts, technologies, patterns and use cases.
+ Ability to analyse information to identify insights and apply them to strategy development or execution.
+ Ability to deal with complexity and ambiguity, creative problem solving and developing innovative solutions.
Essential criteria assessed at interview stage
+ Ability to define principles, patterns, standards, policies, roadmaps and vision statements
+ Understanding of wider DDaT profession and practices and their impact on business solution architecture, including IT delivery methodologies such as Agile.
+ Able to communicate complex insights and principles simply and with impact, particularly across technical and non-technical audiences.
+ Competent at negotiating and persuading where necessary, whilst applying a highly ethical approach.
+ The ability to visualise business processes and technology architecture using the appropriate design language
+ Strong experience in roadmapping business initiatives and their relationship to technology

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the independent regulator of information rights. In a data-driven world, we provide advice, guidance, and support to organisations enabling compliance with their obligations, as well as protecting individuals and their personal data.
As an employer, we are passionate about making a positive difference to the lives and careers of our people, and we empower you to be curious, impactful, collaborative and respectful., The ICO is committed to promoting and enhancing equality, diversity, and inclusion. We are focused on developing a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve and together we are building an inclusive workplace where all of our colleagues have the opportunity to make a real difference. We are championing this through our Equality Diversity and Inclusion Board together with a number of staff networks. Read more about our commitment on our website.

Salary: £55,591 - £62,793 pa, with potential for further progression to £70,907 pa with our pay progression scheme.
Location: Hybrid
Contracted to our Wilmslow, London, Edinburgh, Belfast or Cardiff office, however, through hybrid working we offer flexible home and office-based working opportunities. There will be times when you will be expected to attend the office to collaborate with colleagues or travel due to business need.
Why work for the ICO?
+ Pay progression scheme.
+ Hybrid and flexible working options.
+ 25 days paid holiday per year, plus privilege and public holidays.
+ Flexi leave (up to 24 additional days leave per year).
+ Pension (employer contribution around 28.9%).
+ Online discount scheme to save money at major supermarkets, retailers, gyms, restaurants, insurance providers and many more.
+ Health Cash Plan.
+ Fantastic development opportunities to learn and progress.
Further details can be found on the benefits section of our website ., Alongside your salary of £55,591, Information Commissioner's Office contributes £16,104 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.