Business Architect

Methods Business and Digital Technology Limited

Methods is a £100M+ IT Services Consultancy who has partnered with a range of central government departments and agencies to transform the way the public sector operates in the UK. Established over 30 years ago and UK-based, we apply our skills in transformation, delivery, and collaboration from across the Methods Group, to create end-to-end business and technical solutions that are people-centred, safe, and designed for the future.

Our human touch sets us apart from other consultancies, system integrators and software houses - with people, technology, and data at the heart of who we are, we believe in creating value and sustainability through everything we do for our clients, staff, communities, and the planet.

We support our clients in the success of their projects while working collaboratively to share skill sets and solve problems. At Methods we have fun while working hard; we are not afraid of making mistakes and learning from them.

Predominantly focused on the public-sector, Methods is now building a significant private sector client portfolio.

Methods was acquired by the Alten Group in early 2022.

Requirements

The Business Architect will work across a range of client engagements, from strategy and operating model design through to digital and organisation transformation, helping organisations align what they do, how they do it, and why it matters.

You will operate in highly ambiguous environments inside complex public-sector or regulated organisations using business architecture, business analysis and systems thinking to create clarity, coherence and momentum.

You will be a storyteller as much as a modeller and be able to move between capability maps, value streams, service models and delivery backlogs, helping senior leaders, delivery teams and frontline services pull in the same direction.

You will work as part of multi-disciplinary consultancy teams, embedded with client programmes and portfolios, helping to connect:

• Strategy to delivery
• Investment to outcomes
• Digital change to real-world services

The ideal candidate will have experience applying business architecture skills in digital and organisation transformations across a range of different styles of transformation.  They will have experience and knowledge underpinned by the tailored use of several frameworks and methodologies to perform as an effective analyst. They will understand the UK public services and/or Regulated industries, with knowledge in one or more sectors. This is a senior practitioner role at the intersection of analysis, design and architecture focused on organisational coherence and delivery aligned design.

The role will be home based and will include work on client sites.  It is expected that the Senior Business Analyst will quickly acquire an understanding of Methods strategic offerings to work effectively for our clients. The role will support the development of our Business Change Community of Practice.

The Business Architect will have the following responsibilities:

• Lead and contribute to business architecture and operating-model work across discovery, design and delivery phases
• Develop and maintain capability models, value streams, service maps, operating models and transformation roadmaps
• Translate complex organisational and delivery challenges into clear, structured, decision-ready artefacts
• Work with product, delivery, technology and policy teams to align change initiatives to strategic and organisational intent
• Facilitate senior-level workshops to support portfolio prioritisation, investment decisions and organisational design
• Ensure business architecture is practical, usable and delivery-aligned, not academic or unimplementable
• Support the integration of business architecture with agile, programme and portfolio delivery
• Assure quality, coherence and traceability of business architecture artefacts across engagements
• Contributing to Methods Business Change Community of Practice and mentoring others in Business Architecture

Essential Skills and Experience:

• Extensive Business Architecture or relevant knowledge gained from recognised bodies (BCS, BIZBOK, TOGAF).
• Leading business architecture as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Demonstrably able to select the appropriate business modelling techniques that are most effective to help people understand the situations, problems, and solutions.
• Can recommend, influence and lead improvements to business capabilities that align delivery to strategic activity
• Define and communicate business models and information flows that can be supported appropriately with digital transformation.
• Demonstrate a breadth of effective techniques that define and manage conceptual models (capabilities, value streams, operating and service models) with others, in a range of different types of change methodologies and situations.
• Manage the development and communication of useable business architectures, identifying issues and omissions and managing escalations.
• Leading work that delivers effectively and efficiently in fast paced environments, in agile and waterfall project methodologies.
• Extensive experience of working in different project methodologies and awareness of how to adapt their practice.
• Excellent stakeholder management to understand objectives and resolve tension and conflict.
• Strong problem solving, analytical, critical and conceptual thinking skills, including the ability to create clear observations, analysis and conclusions based on customer interviews, published requirements and data.
• A skilled written and verbal communicator.
• Pro-active approach to personal and professional development, and mentoring of others in Business Architecture Best practice

Desirable Skills & Experience:

• Understanding of complimentary practices such as Systems Thinking, Complexity Theory and Human Centred Design
• Understanding of public services and technology marketplace with knowledge of products, platforms and emerging technologies.
• Proven ability to work across strategy, portfolio and delivery layers
• Specialist knowledge in a business domain or other digital specialism.
• Specialist knowledge in security, data and privacy.
• Knowledge and understanding of GDS Service Standards.
• Knowledge and understanding of Agile, SAFe or scaled delivery frameworks
• Experience in developing Business Architectures alongside teams working with development tools like JIRA, Azure DevOps or similar.
• Experience in collaborative and remote tooling (Teams, Slack, MIRO, Mural).
• Ability to understand complex financial issues combined with deep analytical skills.

Am I the right fit? We're looking for:

• Highly adaptable and resilient
• Comfortable working in ambiguity and complexity
• A natural facilitator and influencer
• Excellent Communication skills
• Genuine passion/commitment to improving public services and societal outcomes
• Passionate about making abstract ideas meaningful
• A determined and tenacious approach to work
• A creative approach to problem solving
• Good listening and comprehension
• Great stakeholder management

Benefits

Methods is passionate about its people; we want our colleagues to develop the things they are good at and enjoy.

By joining us you can expect:

·        Autonomy to develop and grow your skills and experience

·        Be part of exciting project work that is making a difference in society

·        Strong, inspiring, and thought-provoking leadership

·        A supportive and collaborative environment

As well as this we offer:

Development – access to LinkedIn Learning, a management development programme, and training

Wellness – 24/7 confidential employee assistance programme

Flexible Working – including home working and part time

Social – office parties, breakfast Tuesdays, monthly pizza Thursdays, Thirsty Thursdays, and commitment to charitable causes

Time Off – 25 days of annual leave a year, plus bank holidays, with the option to buy 5 extra days each year

Volunteering – 2 paid days per year to volunteer in our local communities or within a charity organisation

Pension – Salary Exchange Scheme with 4% employer contribution and 5% employee contribution

Discretionary Company Bonus – based on company and individual performance

Life Assurance – of 4 times base salary

Private Medical Insurance – which is non-contributory (spouse and dependants included)

Worldwide Travel Insurance – which is non-contributory (spouse and dependants included)

Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay

Travel – season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme

For a full list of benefits please visit our website (www.methods.co.uk/careers/benefits)