Technical Architecture Lead

PFH Technology Group are currently looking for a Technical Architect Lead to join our Team

Role Overview:

This is an initial 12-month contract opportunity for an experienced Technical Architect Lead to provide hands-on architecture leadership for a major hospital ICT programme, covering clinical and corporate applications, integration, data platforms, and core infrastructure (network, voice, edge, and cloud).

The role defines and assures end-to-end solutions from design through to commissioning, ensuring they are secure, resilient, interoperable, scalable, and user-focused. It works closely with design teams, contractors, vendors, cybersecurity, and governance stakeholders to deliver compliant, fit-for-purpose digital services aligned to GDPR, WCAG 2.2 AA, and value-for-money principles.

Responsibilities:

1) Architecture Leadership Across the Build Lifecycle

Translate clinical and operational requirements into target and transitional architectures (High-Level Design, Low-Level Design, architecture patterns, Architecture Decision Records).
Contribute to design reviews across all project phases including planning, construction, installation, commissioning (Factory Acceptance Testing, Site Acceptance Testing, Integrated Systems Testing), and cutover.
Ensure Information and Communications Technology spaces, risers, containment, power, cooling, and security are fully integrated into the overall build design.
Maintain a live architecture runway and dependency map across applications, integration, data, and infrastructure workstreams.

2) Clinical Applications & Workflow Enablement

Shape solution designs for core clinical and operational systems including Electronic Health Records, Patient Administration Systems, theatres, Emergency Departments, maternity, diagnostics, laboratory, pharmacy, and ancillary services.
Align workflows with safety, usability, and efficiency objectives, enabling single sign-on, context sharing, and reduced duplicate data entry.
Plan application cutovers, data readiness, and day-one operational readiness by department or service area.

3) Interoperability & Data Architecture (in collaboration with Integration Team)

Design standards-based integrations using Health Level Seven version 2 and version 3, Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources Release 4 and Release 5, Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise profiles (Cross-Enterprise Document Sharing, Cross-Community Access, Patient Identifier Cross-Referencing, Patient Demographics Query, Mobile Access to Health Documents), and Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine for imaging.
Define master data and identity management including Enterprise Master Patient Index, aligned with standard identifiers and clinical terminologies such as Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms, International Classification of Diseases 10 and 11, Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes, and Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System.
Specify integration platforms such as Mirth Connect or NextGen Connect, Rhapsody, Cloverleaf, Application Programming Interface gateways such as Azure API Management or Kong, and event streaming platforms such as Apache Kafka.
Define data platform architecture including Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources repositories, data lakes and data warehouses, metadata management, data lineage, data quality, and de-identification or pseudonymisation for secondary use.

4) Infrastructure & Platform Foundations

Work with infrastructure teams to ensure Local Area Network, Wide Area Network, Wireless Fidelity, Network Access Control using 802.1X, segmentation, voice and Unified Communications, and structured cabling support application and device requirements.
Define edge and data centre architectures including compute, virtualization and Hyper-Converged Infrastructure, backup and disaster recovery with Recovery Time Objectives and Recovery Point Objectives aligned to clinical risk.
Establish observability standards including logs, metrics, and traces, Service Level Objective and Service Level Indicator targets, and capacity planning for initial deployment and future growth.

5) Security, Privacy & Clinical Safety by Design

Embed zero-trust principles and privacy-by-design across all solutions, including Identity and Access Management, Privileged Access Management, encryption, segmentation, and auditability.
Work with cybersecurity and data protection stakeholders to deliver Data Protection Impact Assessments, data mapping, and compliance with General Data Protection Regulation and International Organization for Standardization 27001.
Support clinical safety governance aligned to International Electrotechnical Commission 80001-1 and International Organization for Standardization 14971 principles, contributing to safety cases and operational sign-off.

6) Delivery, Assurance & Documentation

Produce architecture artefacts including High-Level Design, Low-Level Design, diagrams, interface specifications, data flows, and Architecture Decision Records for assurance and audit.
Support project governance and stage gates with evidence aligned to public investment and value-for-money requirements.
Oversee documentation and outcomes from Factory Acceptance Testing, Site Acceptance Testing, Integrated Systems Testing, resilience testing, and go-live readiness activities.

7) Procurement & Vendor Management

Support business cases and procurement activity including Request for Information and Request for Proposal processes via recognised public procurement frameworks.
Define evaluation criteria, technical standards, and compliance requirements.
Review vendor designs and ensure alignment with architectural standards while managing technical risk and issue resolution.

8) Stakeholder Engagement & Change

Facilitate workshops with clinical, operational, estates, facilities, and executive stakeholders.
Develop clear communication materials including cutover plans, deployment packs, and training inputs to support adoption and benefits realisation.

Requirements:

Minimum five years’ experience in solution or technical architecture, including significant experience in hospital, healthcare, or large-scale public sector environments.
Strong experience with interoperability standards including Health Level Seven, Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources, Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine, and Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise, as well as integration engines and Application Programming Interface design.
Experience in clinical workflow mapping, data integration, and healthcare data platform design.
Solid understanding of enterprise infrastructure including Local Area Network, Wide Area Network, Wireless Fidelity, network segmentation, Unified Communications, and edge and data centre environments.
Knowledge of security and governance frameworks including General Data Protection Regulation, International Organization for Standardization 27001, Data Protection Impact Assessment processes, and cybersecurity collaboration. NIS2 awareness desirable.
Familiarity with public sector governance, procurement processes, and accessibility standards including Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 level AA.
Strong documentation skills including High-Level Design, Low-Level Design, diagrams, and data flow mapping, and strong stakeholder communication ability.
Proven ability to lead technical workstreams, manage risks, and coordinate vendor delivery.
Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Health Informatics, or related field.
Relevant certifications such as The Open Group Architecture Framework, Health Level Seven, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform Architect, Information Technology Infrastructure Library, and International Organization for Standardization 27001.
Exposure to clinical safety and medical device integration standards including International Electrotechnical Commission 80001-1.
Experience with enterprise healthcare platforms such as Electronic Health Record and Electronic Medical Record systems, Patient Administration Systems, Picture Archiving and Communication Systems, Vendor Neutral Archives, Radiology Information Systems, Laboratory Information Systems, and ePrescribing systems.

IND1

Technical Architect Lead

Job Description