Head of Architecture & Applications

When was the last time you had a real impact in technology leadership?

Brighton & Hove City Council is breaking barriers and setting a new standard for what good looks like in tech: we move at breakneck speed, clear obstacles, deliver great technology, and have placed technology at the very heart of our strategy. And we do this in a caring, dynamic environment where we support each other to be the very best that we can be.

And now we need you.

We are looking for a visionary Head of Architecture & Applications to define the technical backbone of the council’s future.

This role will set the strategic direction for our entire systems landscape: from major line-of-business applications through to integrations, standards, and roadmaps. You will bring coherence to a fragmented estate, ensuring every technology decision aligns to a clear and sustainable target architecture.

You’ll lead the full lifecycle of our application estate: overseeing suppliers, upgrades, integrations and custom builds, while embedding strong architectural governance that enables delivery without blocking it. This is a role for someone who can balance long-term thinking with pragmatic decision-making, shaping a modern, integrated, and resilient digital ecosystem that underpins everything we do.

Most importantly? We want you to bring your experience and expertise to the table as one of six brand new heads of service: building the team your way, creating a setup you believe in, and setting the standard for what you know good looks like. Set direction instead of waiting for it; find ways to get things done, instead of reasons not to; and deliver outcomes people notice and care about.

If you want to work somewhere where you can actually make a mark: this might be exactly what you’ve been waiting for. 

 Encouraging a diverse workforce
Our city is known and loved for its diversity. Not only is the mixture of people, culture and skills vital to the economic and social development of the city, it’s what makes Brighton & Hove such a great place to live, work and visit. We are committed to developing and retaining a workforce that is representative of the diverse communities we serve so we welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds. In order to achieve our aims of proportionate representation, we particularly encourage applicants from a BME or White Other background as well as those who identify as disabled, male or trans.

Find out more about our commitment to being a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone can achieve their potential by reading about our fair and inclusive actions, our anti-racism strategy and the work we are doing to encourage a diverse workforce (brighton-hove.gov.uk).

Why work for us?
As a council, we want to:
• be connected
• be confident
• be innovative and creative
• be diverse and inclusive
• be healthy and psychologically safe
For more information about our values and the benefits of working at the council, visit Why work for us  which gives details of our wellbeing support, our benefits including leave and pensions as well as details of our training and development.

How to apply

Recruitment for this role is being managed by our recruitment partners, McLean Public. To apply, please send an up to date CV and a supporting statement outlining your suitability and experience (we recommend between 2 sides of A4) to rebecca.rampat@mcleanpublic.com.

To discuss the role or find out more about the recruitment process, please contact:

Rebecca Rampat – 07957 730837 | rebecca.rampat@mcleanpublic.com

Jonathan Swain – 07733 304094 | jonathan.swain@mcleanpublic.com

Additional information
Your starting salary will be pro rata if the above position is less than 37 hours or term-time only.

We are a workplace that supports flexibility and employee wellbeing in the way we work whilst providing the best service for our customers. Team and service working arrangements are designed to support both employee work life balance and team collaboration. These would be part of your individual working arrangements alongside any personal preference agreed with your manager in advance of joining. Your contractual location will be the designated council office for your team and travel to and from your contractual location would be at your own expense.