Case study · Permanent Solution Architect
SmartScreen Solution Architecture Recruitment
City & Guilds wanted to hire a Solution Architect for its SmartScreen digital learning product, but the role was not yet clearly defined and the salary had to sit within a charity's pay structure. Konvergent helped pin down what the architect needed to deliver, then found someone from central government who could do it, and who went on to join City & Guilds permanently.
Client
City & Guilds
Sector
Education and skills
Duration
Interim from August 2022, then permanent
Architecture resource
Solution Architect, interim to permanent
The challenge
An important product, and a role nobody had defined
City & Guilds is one of the UK's best known skills and qualifications bodies. SmartScreen, its online learning and teaching resource used by colleges and training providers, needed to move off the Kineo platform it had outgrown. That move brought delivery risk, gaps in support and security considerations, including Cyber Essentials Plus. At the same time, the business wanted to test a new commercial and user experience model for the product.
City & Guilds knew it needed a Solution Architect to lead this, and ideally one who would stay. What it did not yet have was a clear picture of what that person should deliver, how the role would sit alongside the wider architecture function, and what good would look like in the first six months.
There was a second constraint. As a charity, City & Guilds works within a defined salary structure. Experienced Solution Architects from commercial digital and platform businesses were likely to expect more than the budget allowed, so a conventional search risked a long and frustrating process with the wrong shortlist.
- What does the SmartScreen Solution Architect actually need to deliver?
- Which skills matter most: platform migration, integration, user experience or commercial modelling?
- Where can we find someone strong enough for the role who will accept a charity salary?
- How do we reduce the risk of a permanent hire for a role we have not had before?
Our approach
Define the role first, then search where the right people are
Konvergent already knew City & Guilds' architecture function well through its Enterprise Architecture as a Service work, so the starting point was the work itself rather than a job title. Together we set out the outcomes the architect would be accountable for, and wrote them into a clear statement of work that both sides could measure against:
Platform options. Assessing re-platforming options for SmartScreen with vendors, and the migration away from Kineo- Design for governance. High and low level designs taken through City & Guilds' technical design governance, including endpoint protection and access control
- Proof of concept. Mapping user journeys and building a working prototype that integrated a Canvas LMS front end with the Xyleme content management system
- Commercial testing. Documenting interoperability requirements and testing the proposed commercial and user experience models with selected customers
- Regular sponsor updates. Progress reviewed with the product sponsors every few weeks, so the business could see value as it was delivered
- Continuity into delivery. Ongoing architecture leadership on SmartScreen once the proof of concept was complete
With the deliverables agreed, the salary question became easier to answer. Rather than chase commercial candidates who would be priced out, Konvergent looked to central government, where experienced architects are used to complex stakeholder environments, public sector governance and pay structures closer to those of a charity. We found a Solution Architect working on central government programmes whose experience matched the SmartScreen brief, and who was motivated by City & Guilds' purpose.
The architect started on an interim basis through Konvergent, so City & Guilds could see the quality of the work before committing to a permanent hire.
The result
The right architect, and a permanent member of the team
The Solution Architect delivered the SmartScreen work set out in the statement of work, from re-platforming options and governance-approved designs through to a working proof of concept tested with customers. The engagement was extended into 2023 as the product moved into delivery.
Having seen what the architect could do, City & Guilds offered a permanent role, and the architect accepted. City & Guilds gained a proven Solution Architect within its salary structure, with far less risk than hiring an unknown candidate straight into a permanent position.
a proven Solution Architect, hired with confidence
found in central government, aligned to a charity salary range
Looking for a permanent Solution Architect?
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Whether the role is new to your organisation or your salary range rules out the usual candidates, we start by pinning down what the architect needs to deliver and where the right people really are. Our Role Clarity Call does exactly that, so you hire against outcomes rather than a job title. For permanent hires, that means a fully vetted shortlist in four weeks and an offer within eight.
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Ben Clark · bclark@konvergent.co.uk