ServiceNow Solution Architect

Job summary

Defra is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food & farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.

Digital, Data, Technology and Security (DDTS) is the trusted team for digital across the entire Defra Group.

We have around 1,000 colleagues across DDTS and our ambition is to make it easier and faster than ever for people to interact with Defra. If you are ready to drive innovation and push boundaries, we want to hear from you. Join us and together we will create a great place for living, and a green and healthy future for all.

Find out more about us on:

Defra Digital Blog

LinkedIn

DefraJobs

Job description

The Group Infrastructure Operations (GIO) function within Digital, Data, Technology and Security (DDTS) is recruiting a ServiceNow Solution Architect to join their team on a permanent basis.

Your main responsibility will be to provide governance and technical guidance for Defra’s instances of the ServiceNow® enterprise service management platform. Your focus, in-depth knowledge of the ServiceNow Platform and the ServiceNow product pipeline helps future-proof business and technical decisions.

Defra’s ServiceNow® Platform provides a strategic service supporting the operation of Defra’s business. There is a high dependence on the availability of this service and a need to respond to the needs of many differing business demands and priorities which is a feature of its position with Defra as a strategic platform.

We are seeking a candidate to support the Senior Service Tool Manager and the Platform Owner to maintain the integrity of Defra’s investment in ServiceNow® by making sure the platform is governed to best practice standards.

You will have the opportunity to engage with a wide range of stakeholders and users as part of the projects you work on.

Please note this post requires Security Check (SC) clearance. To gain (SC) clearance all applicants are required to have been a UK resident for a minimum of 5 years. If this requirement is not met, the individual will not be able to progress their application further.

Check out the video below to hear more from one of our colleagues in the ServiceNow team!

Person specification

Responsibilities

• Ensuring alignment of ServiceNow platform capabilities to Defra’s strategic objectives and ServiceNow roadmap
• Guide the Platform Support Team in implementation of technical good practices, policies and procedures
• Provide architectural controls and analysis of impacts for new requirements, including overseeing the service now technical governance board
• Design MID server architecture and configure to support applications such as Discovery, Service Mapping, Event Management and Cloud Management
• Evaluate emerging ServiceNow technologies and the evolution of current functionality to define roadmaps to meet business needs
• Engage with the Defra's wider Architect community to position ServiceNow as the strategic enterprise tooling platform
• Managing the ServiceNow solution design for complex projects, ensuring best practice, quality and fit for purpose outcome

Skills and Experience

• Proven experience as a key technical resource leading the development of ServiceNow platform specifically around areas such Customer service management (CSM),IT service management (ITSM), IT Operations management (ITOM),IT asset management (ITAM), Integrations workplace service delivery (WSD) HR Service delivery (HRSD) etc.
• Excellent Knowledge of integrating with internal and external applications and systems
• Ability to influence and consult at all levels around key technical decisions aligned to ServiceNow best practices
• Excellent technical knowledge of components such as Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), Virtual private network (VPN), Secure sockets layer (SSL), Extensible Markup Language (XML), Hyper text markup language (HTML), JavaScript, Web Services, etc and of working in a SaaS environment
• Strong analytical skills, communication, and presentation skills
• Deep understanding of ITIL processes and best practice approaches
• Certified ServiceNow System Administrator

Selection Process

The Civil Service marks each element of the selection process on a merit basis. You can visit the gov.uk website for further information on the Civil Service rating scale.

Ensure you have tailored your CV and Personal Statement to the 'Responsibilities' and 'Skills and Experience' section of the job advert by providing examples on how you are suitable for the role using the STAR method.

For further information on STAR, you can check out our Hints and Tips document.

Application

As part of the application process, you will be assessed on your Experience and the technical skills below and will be asked to complete:

• A CV
• A 500 word statement on how your ServiceNow technical expertise and experience supports the requirements of this role, with a focus on the skills listed below.
• A 250 word statement on the technical skill Strategy Design (working level)
• A 250 word statement on the technical skill Community Collaboration (practitioner level)

These skills are aligned to the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework skills within Senior Solution Architect. Ensure you demonstrate how you meet these requirements when writing your statements and where you have demonstrated those skills.

Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your statement of suitability, how you meet these requirements, as the information you provide will form a key part when the panel is scoring your application.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Sift

Sift will begin shortly after the advert closes.

Should there be a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted using your personal statement.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Interview

If successful at sift stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on the Behaviours and Technical Skills listed below

As part of the recruitment process you will be required to do a presentation. This presentation will assess the technical skill Making Architecture Decisions (practitioner). Full details will be provided later in the process.

Interview dates are to be confirmed. Please note that these may be subject to change

Interviews will be held virtually on Microsoft Teams.

For further information on Success Profiles, you visit the links below and watch our videos on DefraJobs.

The technical skills are aligned with the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework for the Senior Solution Architect profession. Each skill has one of four levels of expertise associated with it, Awareness, Working, Practitioner or Expert. To find out more about them, please visit the website - Skill levels for digital and technology roles.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Strategy Design (working level)
• Community Collaboration (practitioner level)
• Making Architecture Decisions (Practitioner)
• Problem Definition and Shaping (practitioner)
• Architecture Communication (practitioner)

We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:

• Strategy Design (working level)
• Community Collaboration (practitioner level)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,375, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £16,331 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• • 25 days’ leave (rising to 30 days over 5 years) plus bank holidays.
  • A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%.
  • A day off per year for the King's birthday.
  • Access to a range of retail discounts (these include supermarket, tech, gym, holiday, phone and more).
  • Flexible working options such as condensed hours, part-time and flexi time.
  • 3 paid volunteering days per year.
  • Funding for professional membership of a recognised professional body.
  • Learning and development tailored to your role and budget for training or qualifications.
  • A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
  • Cycle to work scheme.
  • Health cash plan to help you manage health costs for a reduced monthly fee.
  • Access to the Employee Assistance Programme open 24 hours, 7 days a week, that provides support to you during any times of stress or difficulty.
  • Free access to Headspace for wellbeing.
  • Season ticket loan for public transport.

  Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)

  The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements 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, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

For further information on the selection process for this role, please refer to the person specification section of the job advert.

Location

As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).

Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.

Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.

The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.

Our main Defra DDTS hubs are in York, Warrington, Newcastle, Reading and Bristol.

Please also be aware that space within the London office is restricted and it may not be possible to be based in this location.

Reserve list

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

This post offers successful candidates the opportunity to be considered for an additional Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework Skills Supplement. The level of the awarded supplement is determined following a separate skills assessment process, the outcome of which has no impact on the decision to make a job offer. This digital capability supplement ranges from £0 to £24,543 and you may be awarded a pay supplement within this range based on results of your additional skills assessment.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to DEFRA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Visa Sponsorship Statement

Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

Near miss

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Defra which may be at a lower grade, but have a potential skills match.

Merit Lists

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.

Criminal Record Check

If successful and transferring from another government department, a criminal record check maybe carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Internal Fraud Database Check

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

NSV

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

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)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : DDTSonPayrollRecruitment@defra.gov.uk
• Email : DDTSonPayrollRecruitment@defra.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: here

Attachments

DDTS CIP Opens in new window (pdf, 2858kB)