Principal Azure Architect

Architect the digital foundations that power Scotland's public services.

This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of one of Scotland's largest Microsoft Azure environments, supporting the Scottish Government and more than 50 public sector organisations that deliver services to millions of people.

Working within the Cloud Platform and Engineering team, you will provide architectural leadership across Azure and Microsoft 365 services, influencing the technology decisions that support critical public services across Scotland.

You will play a leading role in a major cloud transformation programme, helping define future technology roadmaps and ensuring solutions remain secure, resilient and scalable. Working closely with product, engineering and architecture colleagues, you will act as a senior technical authority, developing modern architecture patterns, guiding cloud transformation initiatives, and ensuring technology investment supports long-term organisational priorities.

This is a technically challenging role with the opportunity to influence strategy, drive innovation and deliver technology at a significant scale. In return, you will join an organisation where digital and technology are central to improving public services, with flexible hybrid working, an excellent pension and a strong commitment to work-life balance.

We would love to hear from you if you have experience designing enterprise-scale Microsoft Azure solutions, shaping technology road-maps and providing technical leadership within complex technology environments in any sector.

For more information about this role, please click here: Principal Azure Architect

Responsibilities

• Own designated digital components, ensuring their design and implementation align with broader architectural patterns and direction.
• Develop and document technical designs for the integration and implementation of technology solutions, working across GDD and wider business teams.

Provide expert guidance to ensure recommendations and designs align with wider organisational and cross‑government strategies.

Contribute to the department’s overall technical strategy and roadmap, while owning the technical roadmap for services within your defined domain.

Provide key contributions to architecture governance activities, ensuring the adoption of best practice and appropriate technology architecture standards.

Present recommendations for technologies or system improvements to support project goals, based on IT knowledge and analysis of business and system needs.

Ensure designs meet required security and operational standards.

Evaluate the success of integrated solutions, identifying best practices and lessons learned.

Success Profile

Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of behaviours, experience and technical criteria (if applicable) that 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 focusing on Azure with an awareness of Microsoft 365.
• 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 work-streams in larger programmes.
• Anticipating and advising on future technology that present opportunities for the Scottish Government’s ‘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: Technical architect - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework.

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.

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 GDD Technical assessment where the behaviours, experiences and technical skills outlined in the Success Profile will be assessed.

Recruitment Principles

As a government organisation, we adhere to the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles and we investigate any complaints received in relation to recruitment cases.

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 and we offer a range of flexible working options depending on the needs of the role, including Flexi-leave. Scottish Government staff in hybrid-compatible roles should aim 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 us.

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.

Government, Digital and Data (GDD) Pay Supplement

This post is part of the Government Digital and Data (GDD) profession and currently attracts a £4,000.00 annual GDD pay supplement, which is paid monthly – pay supplements are reviewed regularly.

The Government Digital and Data (GDD) Profession is a UK-wide group of over 24,000 civil servants dedicated to driving digital transformation in government through more efficient, data-driven public services. This community oversees a wide range of responsibilities, including architects, data scientists, engineers, and content designers, across different, multidisciplinary teams.

The profession, sponsored by the Government Digital Service (GDS), offers the frameworks, skills, and development routes necessary for these individuals to thrive and produce improved outcomes for the public.

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 (Sunday 6th September @ 23:55)

If you would like to learn more about the role before submitting an application, or if you have any questions, please contact:-

• Contact Name: Laura Wall
• e-Mail: Digitalcareers@gov.scot