Digital Health and Care Wales

Lead Technical Architect (Infrastructure & Cloud)

The closing date is 25 January 2026

Job summary

We are recruiting a fixed term/ secondment post to 31 March 2027

If you are interested applying for the secondment position, you must obtain permission from your current line manager prior to applying for this post.

Are you a dynamic, talented ICT Infrastructure professional seeking to expand yourexpertise in infrastructure and cloud technologies?

Voted 'Best place to work in IT' at UK IT Industry Awards. We have an opening for a 'Lead Technical Architect' with focus on Infrastructure and Cloud technologies. You'll become a member of a highly skilled Infrastructure Design team within Digital Health Care Wales (DHCW)

DHCW plays a key role in designing, procuring, building, and operating Health and Social Care services for NHS Wales. The Infrastructure Design team is responsible for technical design and assurance through a project's lifecycle, acting as experts in various technologies, supporting DHCW and NHS organisations. Operating a cloud-first strategy, architects are required to oversee on-premise services and facilitate the transition to cloud services.

Successful candidates will:

Be part of a dynamic team using digital technology to transform health and care in NHS Wales

Have prospects to further develop skills in an environment where your work positively impacts healthcare

Receive commitment to personal and professional development with access to a wide range of learning

English and/or Welsh speakers are equally welcome to apply

Main duties of the job

  • Through engagement with colleagues throughout NHS Wales, perform unbiased research and design of innovative technologies for use in NHS Wales

  • Author and critique a range document that could include high level / low-level designs, build scripts / sheets, options papers, feasibility studies, technical strategies, installation and operational qualification testing.

  • Function as a subject matter expert on at least one area of technology

  • Conduct and contribute (including presenting) on technical discussions based around, but not limited to, knowledge of the following:

  • Hybrid and Multi Cloud architectures

  • Cloud hosted collaboration solutions

  • Compute and storage infrastructure technologies to an enterprise datacentre level

  • Enterprise software defined networking, LAN, WAN and Firewall (ACLs, VPN)

  • Microsoft based software technologies in complex enterprise environments

  • Enterprise network security technologies

  • Enterprise high availability and disaster recovery architectures

  • Communicate with various stakeholders at all levels, including service owners / requestors & suppliers

  • Provide technical expertise on procurements, assisting in the development of specifications and scoring

  • Provide assurance of technical documents for both peers and external supplier documents

About us

Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) is part of the NHS Wales family and has an important role in changing the way health and care services are delivered through technology and data. The organisation supports frontline staff with modern systems and access to important information about their patients, while empowering the people of Wales to manage their own health through digital NHS Wales services.

Working for DHCW offers lots of employee benefits, including flexible working, a competitive salary, 28 days of annual leave plus Bank Holidays and opportunities for career development. We are committed to recognising and celebrating our staff as the most valuable part of our organisation.

Join our game changing, life-saving team and start making a real difference to health and care services in Wales.

Details

Date posted

09 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£65,424 to £76,021 a year per annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

15 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working

Reference number

025-AC010-0126

Job locations

Hybrid Working

To be decided at interview

CF11 9AD


Job description

Job responsibilities

You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click "Apply now" to view in Trac

Next Steps

Do not delay, contact us today to arrange an informal chat for more information about the role.

Please note Agencies need not contact us.

Job description

Job responsibilities

You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click "Apply now" to view in Trac

Next Steps

Do not delay, contact us today to arrange an informal chat for more information about the role.

Please note Agencies need not contact us.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Knowledge

Essential

  • A master's degree in an associated professional field (or equivalent qualification / experience).
  • Knowledge gained through practical experience of working at this level, across a range of work procedures and practices.
  • Evidence of continuous professional development.

Desirable

  • A relevant professional registration, such as, Chartered IT Professional (CITP).
  • Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the NHS, or other healthcare systems and services, including the political, strategic, and operational environments in which they operate

Experience

Essential

  • Experience leading or co-leading technical architecture teams and making architectural decisions that deliver business value in complex organisational environments.
  • Proven ability to design, implement, and manage complex technical solutions across cloud, infrastructure, software, or security domains.
  • Strong collaboration skills, with a track record of working with senior and operational stakeholders to resolve conflicts and build consensus that supports successful delivery.
  • Proficient in using of cloud and virtualisation technologies to improve infrastructure and services while managing costs and security.

Desirable

  • Proficient with using infrastructure components to maintain reliable and high-performing services.
  • Proficient in providing technical support and setting up off-the-shelf and custom systems to work well and meet goals.

Skills and Attributes

Essential

  • Collaboration to work well with people from different teams and professions, understand their goals and challenges, and work to a common goal.
  • Leadership to support and guide others with clear direction and to encourage an inclusive, high-performing team culture.
  • Strategic perspective to keep the bigger picture in mind and connect everyday tasks to long-term goals.
  • Technical agility to quickly learn new technologies, stay updated on trends, and understand their commercial use.

Desirable

  • Welsh language skills are desirable, at level 1 or above, in understanding, speaking, reading and writing in Welsh.
  • Initiative to look for ways to improve services or systems, identify risks and opportunities and take action to get good results.
Person Specification

Qualifications and Knowledge

Essential

  • A master's degree in an associated professional field (or equivalent qualification / experience).
  • Knowledge gained through practical experience of working at this level, across a range of work procedures and practices.
  • Evidence of continuous professional development.

Desirable

  • A relevant professional registration, such as, Chartered IT Professional (CITP).
  • Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the NHS, or other healthcare systems and services, including the political, strategic, and operational environments in which they operate

Experience

Essential

  • Experience leading or co-leading technical architecture teams and making architectural decisions that deliver business value in complex organisational environments.
  • Proven ability to design, implement, and manage complex technical solutions across cloud, infrastructure, software, or security domains.
  • Strong collaboration skills, with a track record of working with senior and operational stakeholders to resolve conflicts and build consensus that supports successful delivery.
  • Proficient in using of cloud and virtualisation technologies to improve infrastructure and services while managing costs and security.

Desirable

  • Proficient with using infrastructure components to maintain reliable and high-performing services.
  • Proficient in providing technical support and setting up off-the-shelf and custom systems to work well and meet goals.

Skills and Attributes

Essential

  • Collaboration to work well with people from different teams and professions, understand their goals and challenges, and work to a common goal.
  • Leadership to support and guide others with clear direction and to encourage an inclusive, high-performing team culture.
  • Strategic perspective to keep the bigger picture in mind and connect everyday tasks to long-term goals.
  • Technical agility to quickly learn new technologies, stay updated on trends, and understand their commercial use.

Desirable

  • Welsh language skills are desirable, at level 1 or above, in understanding, speaking, reading and writing in Welsh.
  • Initiative to look for ways to improve services or systems, identify risks and opportunities and take action to get good results.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Digital Health and Care Wales

Address

Hybrid Working

To be decided at interview

CF11 9AD


Employer's website

https://nwis.nhs.wales/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Digital Health and Care Wales

Address

Hybrid Working

To be decided at interview

CF11 9AD


Employer's website

https://nwis.nhs.wales/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Head of Infrastructure Design

Tim Palmer

tim.palmer@wales.nhs.uk

Details

Date posted

09 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£65,424 to £76,021 a year per annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

15 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working

Reference number

025-AC010-0126

Job locations

Hybrid Working

To be decided at interview

CF11 9AD


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Digital Health and Care Wales's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)