Benefits
- 25 days holiday entitlement (rising to 28 after 5 years)
- Holiday Purchase Scheme
- Company-supported CSR Volunteer Day
- 2 days for personal wellbeing
- Pension - including Salary Sacrifice/Exchange for Pension scheme (SXP)
- Electric Vehicle salary sacrifice scheme
- Death in Service - x4 basic salary
- Private Medical Insurance (partially subsidised)
- SAGE Employee Benefits scheme
- Salary sacrifice charity donation scheme
- Ci Christmas Savings Club
- Ci Lottery
- Free parking at office
- Hybrid working arrangement - Mon & Fri optional WFH days
Business Unit
Services
Reporting to
Director, Services
Location/site
Caerphilly (with travel to client/Ministry of Defence sites as required)
Vetting requirements
Yes
Company Overview
Centerprise International (Ci) was established in 1983 and has over 30 years of experience delivering innovative ICT products and services. Our financial strength, broad portfolio, and record of success in government and defence contracts make Ci one of the UK's leading ICT suppliers. We continually evolve to meet market demands, now offering Managed Services and Solution Design in addition to our own products. Ci actively attracts and develops talented individuals, providing the opportunity to build a varied career path within our group of companies. All employees learn from experienced professionals and see first-hand how a thriving privately-owned business operates.
Role Description
We are seeking an experienced and influential Head of Service Architecture and Delivery to lead all technical, architectural and operational elements of a secure Defence communications and infrastructure IT service. This senior leadership role combines responsibility for technical service delivery, service design, architectural governance and operational assurance across a complex multi-domain environment. The role acts as the senior technical authority and is accountable for ensuring that the service is designed, delivered, supported, secured and continually improved in line with Defence requirements, Secure by Design principles and contracted service levels. You will manage the technical service team, including dotted line oversight of third-party experts and specialist suppliers. You will chair the Technical Design Authority, own the service blueprint and technical roadmap, lead L4 assurance and act as the primary technical interface to senior stakeholders, security authorities and accreditation bodies. This role carries full accountability for technical service outcomes and the effective delivery of the service.
Key Responsibilities
- Act as the senior technical authority for the Defence programme, ensuring the service is designed, delivered, operated and improved in line with security and compliance requirements.
- Lead technical governance, chair the Technical Design Authority and maintain core architectural documentation including the service blueprint and service model.
- Own and maintain non-functional requirements such as performance, capacity, resilience and recoverability, ensuring all designs and solutions are secure and supportable.
- Provide strategic leadership across technical service operations to ensure service stability, SLA compliance and continual improvement.
- Lead and guide technical specialists across key domains including infrastructure, networking, virtualisation, authentication, monitoring and automation.
- Oversee technical planning, delivery and acceptance across service transitions, integrations and onboarding activities, including governance of configuration and asset management.
- Serve as the primary technical liaison to senior Defence stakeholders, partner organisations and accreditation bodies, providing clear communication and technical assurance.
- Facilitate continuous improvement across architecture, operations, automation and service efficiency, ensuring documentation and training materials remain accurate and current.
Experience and Skills
- 5+ years in a senior technical leadership role (e.g., Head of Technical Services, Programme Technical Lead or Principal Architect)
- Experience delivering secure and complex IT services within Defence or regulated industries
- Strong background in service architecture, design governance and technical assurance
- Leadership of multi-disciplinary technical teams in complex environments
- Strong ITIL knowledge and experience across service design, transition and operations
- Experience with Defence security standards including JSP 440 and JSP 604
- Strong stakeholder management experience at senior levels
- Experience leading technical transitions or onboarding
- Strong analytical and reporting skills
- Experience working within Defence programmes or secure government contracts
- TOGAF or enterprise architecture frameworks
- PRINCE2 or project management methodologies
- Technical certifications (e.g., CCNP, MCSE, VCP)
- Familiarity with SIEM, observability, and automation tools
- Experience with MOD accreditation and Code of Connection processes
Company Profile
- Customer Focus & Ownership: Committed to delivering high-quality, mission-critical services
- Integrity & Reliability: Trusted to handle sensitive information and follow through on commitments
- Proactive & Innovative: Continuously seeks improvements and anticipates future challenges
- Resilience & Composure: Maintains calm and effectiveness under pressure
- Collaboration & Influence: Builds consensus and drives alignment across diverse teams
- Attention to Detail: Ensures accuracy in planning, reporting, and execution
- Customer-Centric - Ensure customer satisfaction is our number one priority
- Commitment - Be true to your work and go the extra mile to deliver on your promise
- Courage To Challenge - Have the strength to make a difference and don't be afraid to constructively challenge the status quo
- Succeed - Be innovative and do all that is reasonable to deliver a positive outcome
- Dedication - Giving your time and energy in the best interests of the Company
Education/Qualifications/Specific training
- Qualifications or demonstratable equivalent experience
- ITIL v4 Foundation; Managing Professional or Strategist preferred
- TOGAF Certified or equivalent architecture certification
- PRINCE2 Practitioner or PMP
- Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or equivalent experience