Job Band

Band- E
Salary- £89,000-100,000

Location- London or Salford

Our comprehensive benefits package includes:

• An employer pension contribution of up to 10%
• 26 days annual leave (based on full time hours) + bank holidays and the option to buy/sell additional days
• Contributory lifestyle benefit options including discounts at hundreds of retailers, cycle to work scheme, discounted gym memberships and healthcare schemes
• Employee assistance and well-being programmes
• Learning and development tailored to your role – this could include industry recognised qualifications, coaching and mentoring
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join staff networks including: Women’s Network, National Disability Networks and many more.

Family friendly flexible working arrangements, such as hybrid working, job sharing, flexi-time and compressed hours can be requested. Minimum of 3 days in office for this role is expected due to the team’s in-office presence.

We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and especially welcome individuals from underrepresented groups.

If you require any reasonable adjustments at any time, please let us know by contacting us on Reasonable.adjustments@bbc.co.uk with the job reference in the subject.

Job Purpose

The BBC’s Technology & Media Operations group provides the technology foundation for the BBC. We ensure the BBC remains on-air and online 24/7, and provide essential tools and services for BBC colleagues to excel in their roles. We lead technical innovation, addressing current challenges and preparing the BBC’s technology for the future. Trusted to deliver, we are dedicated to supporting the BBC’s mission to inform, educate, and entertain.

Working within the Digital Distribution department, the Lead Architect (Network) works as part of a team reporting to the Head of Distribution Architecture. The role is primarily focussed on the architecture and strategy of the BBC’s Internet network, a critical capability that enables the BBC’s ongoing IP distribution and workflow transformation.

The post holder ensures that the vision and strategy for the specialist area is delivered using standardised, reusable and innovative architectures which direct investment, bringing value and innovation to BBC divisions and the BBC’s external partner network.

The post holder realises the strategic architecture, platforms and product strategy ensuring consistency and standardisation of architecture and related best practices within the area of specialism, as relates to the BBC’s technology principles and strategy.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Work collaboratively within a specialised architecture team to assist the Head of Architecture in the creation of network architecture and transformation plans which deliver adaptable, scalable platforms across the BBC.
• Build productive working relationships with stakeholders and related teams across the BBC technology function.
• Understand and own the asset landscape within your specialism – identifying gaps and potential fragilities, and actively develop solutions, including working with external suppliers to align requirements and implementations with solutions.
• Recognise the opportunities presented in your area of specialism and take the initiative in solving complex technical problems, identifying and rapidly pursuing appropriate strategies which deliver business benefit.
• Create, design and develop solutions, and coordinate efforts with development teams, working within your implementation area.
• Participate in the selection and incubation of emerging technologies and approaches in order to test whether they will enable the BBC to deliver its objectives and make use of opportunities in a timely manner. Assist with solving business challenges through innovation, striving for improved predictability, performance, efficiency, effectiveness and elasticity.

Knowledge, Skills, Training & Experience

Essential

• Experience in specifying, building and operating complex multi-tenant modern IP network fabrics, using a variety of implementations.
• A deep understanding of Internet and enterprise connectivity, Internet peering, and the software and hardware choices necessary to deliver the right outcomes.
• Experience with media content delivery services using IP networks.
• Experience of public cloud networking and solving the challenges of moving critical workloads between on-premise and public cloud infrastructure.
• Exposure to transformational change in multiple technology and organisation environments.
• Experience of leading projects which transform technology and business processes within your specialism.
• Data and evidence-based approach to decision making with a creative approach to problem-solving.
• Able to convey complex information across multiple audiences, including senior and external partners. Communicate with passion and motivate others by adapting your style to fit the audience.
• Collaborative, and understanding. Able to work as part of a delivery team.
• Dedicated to connecting across the organisation with an open approach and a willingness to adapt and change.
• Aware of the financial and business implications of your specialist architecture choices and alternatives.
• Negotiating and conflict-handling skills to ensure the best outcome for the organisation in the face of complexity and uncertainty.

Desirable

• Contributing to and influencing the development of area of specialism or industry domain
• Broadcast, content production, start-up or media experience
• A mix of public sector and commercial experience
• Participation in published documents within your area of specialism
• Successful academic background in your specialist discipline

Job Impact

Decision making

• Provides a leadership role in the delivery and application of specialist architecture and design standards; promoting best practice across the BBC.
• Determining value-for-money options for business as usual and emerging technologies.

Scope

• This is a leadership role providing technical leadership across programme and product resources; technical delivery resources; an emerging matrix organization and third parties.
• Strategic dimensions: covering transformation mid and long-term (2-5 years).
• People Management: 1+ direct reports. Develops, coaches, motivates, energises and inspires fellow team members.
• Oversee the quality of the work performed by members of any project/supplier teams that they lead to ensure it delivers measurable business benefits and maintains integrity with the architecture.

About the BBC

The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC for different reasons and they will be given priority consideration ahead of other applicants. Priority consideration means for those employees seeking redeployment their application will be considered alongside anyone else at risk of redundancy, prior to any individuals being considered who are not at risk.

We don’t focus simply on what we do – we also care how we do it. Our values and the way we behave are important to us. Please make sure you’ve read about our values and behaviours here.

Diversity matters at the BBC. We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual’s unique contribution, enabling all our employees to thrive and achieve their full potential.

We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to be part of the BBC – whether that’s to contribute to our programming or our wide range of non-production roles. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity.

We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. We will consider flexible working requests for all roles unless operational requirements prevent otherwise.

To find out more about Diversity and Inclusion at the BBC, please click here.