SO3 RITS SOLUTION ARCHITECT

SO3 RITS Solution Architect

RITS is the Recruitment IT System used by the RN to process Regular and Reserve applications to join the Royal Navy and Royal Marines.

A background in Royal Navy recruiting, experience in Regular service and significant evidence of problem solutionising and delivery of complex projects are all attributes which would provide positive support for any application.

Evidence of superior communication skills - being able to communicate effectively with stakeholders, project managers and developers.

Supportive evidence of experience in in-depth business analysis, IT infrastructure and software architecture design.

A track record of risk identification and management, including identifying short and long term risk.

Purpose

To ensure that RITS supports the needs of RN recruitment and delivers a service/capability that our candidates, recruits and HQ enjoy and require.

To ensure Sixworks are adhering to the Service Level Agreement (SLA). They will also liaise with Sixworks (as the Contractor) and Pega Client Success Manager to ensure RITS is utilising all new functionality available from Pega.

They will also be responsible for the Solutions around current functionality which can be enhanced to reduce user time and ensure a smoother Recruitment Journey for Candidates, Recruiters (inc specialist recruiters), Allocators, Entry Establishments and Service Entry Medical Cell.

Accountability

The Solution Architect will be accountable to the Product Manager to deliver a “best-in-class” IT system and adhere to R&A’s Mission Statement. They will stand in for the Product Owner if absent and have Divisional Responsibility for the RITS Team whilst the Product Owner will retain functional Authority.

Authority

The SO3 RITS Solution Architect is authorised to:

• Establish and maintain direct liaison at the appropriate level with staff of:
• Recruitment & Attraction (R&A) HQ.
• Staff of MoD CPC Centres in matters pertaining to RITS functionality.
• AFCOs and RN Information Centres nationwide.
• Phase 1 Training personnel at INT.
• Other Directorates within the Navy Command HQ.
• RN and RM establishments.
• Army and RAF Recruiting Directorates.
• Armed Forces Recruitment Project.
• Appropriate civilian authorities, such as Government Digital Services.
• Contractors providing Services to RN Recruiting
• Support and development teams working on RITS and other digital capabilities that the system interfaces within.

Tasks

The SO3 RITS Solution Architect is required to:

• Regularly engage with all stakeholders to discover new ways of working and how RITS can support.
• Collaborate with users to understand and anticipate their needs and translate them into product requirements. This will be achieved by running the Change Management Process.
• Oversee all stages of the RITS DevOps CI/CD cycle[1], from monitoring to operation.
• Lead/Participate in User Working Groups to understand needs and potential options for future development of the system.
• Lead/Participate in Scrum meetings, production sprints and sprint planning.
• Lead the Agile delivery of RITS and ensure the RITS team follow agile enterprise standards.
• Responsible for the monitoring and enforcement of RITS SLA with SixWorks and PegaSystems.
• Resolve problem statements and deliver large projects, which includes scoping and delivering Business Process and Strategy for Review before delivery.
• Analyse project requirements and develop effect strategies.

Development of Staff

This Role will have Divisional Responsibility for the RITS Team.

The Armed Forces Recruiting Programme (AFRP) will be a new tri-Service (tS) programme responsible for delivering the future recruiting model.

It will bring together all three sS recruiting processes under a single contract, delivering an end-to-end tS recruiting solution (Armed Forces Recruiting Service, AFRS) supported by a single digital system. The RN AFRS Service Commencement Date is 1 Apr 27, when the selected contractor will take over Royal Navy Recruiting. Until further notice new joiners to the RNCS will be offered FTRS Commitments until 31 Mar 28 and will be working to assist with the transition as well as support the RN elsewhere. The AFRP contractor’s workforce will include a number of RN provided FTRS positions of which more information will be issued in due course.

Must be an OF2 of ANY specialisation. OF1 applicants with a recommend for the next higher rank in their most recent OJAR may be considered. 

OF3 applicants, if successful, will only be paid as and normally wear the rank of OF2.

Must be serving as a member of the Reserve Forces or have served with the Regular Forces.

Competencies and Skills

• Have current knowledge of the Recruitment Process and RITS.
• Have experience of providing solutions and being able to Pictorial present them.
• A knowledge of designing process maps would be desirable.

Applicants will undergo an initial eligibility sift. Successful applicants will have their details forwarded to the Post Sponsor to arrange interviews. Unsuccessful applicants will be advised accordingly.

Following interviews; the successful applicant will be informed that they are the Preferred Candidate with details being sent to the CM RES FTRS Cell who will continue the recruitment process. Unsuccessful applicants will be advised accordingly.

Once the recruitment process is complete then the Preferred Candidate will be invited to take up FTRS.

The start date is the anticipated one however, applicants should be aware a number of factors will potentially impact on this including the completion of pre-employment checks, medical category confirmation and the award of a Security Clearance. The start date could therefore be adjusted as appropriate – earlier for a fully qualified person with their and the employers agreement, or later if approvals cannot be immediately completed.

INITIAL COMMITMENT LENGTH WILL NORMALLY BE 24 MONTHS WITH THE POTENTIAL TO EXTEND

NB: Where the Anticipated Start date has already passed, the start date will be ASAP

Eligibility for FTRS/ADC

Any member of the Maritime Reserves (RNR, RMR) or the Royal Fleet Reserves (RFR) (Ex-Regular Reserve) may volunteer to undertake a period of FTRS/ADC in accordance with the following:

Maritime Reserves:.

Members of the Maritime Reserves require a Final Date in Service beyond the expected period of the commitment they are applying for. Applicants who do not have sufficient service remaining are to submit an application for EOS with transfer to List-4 status prior to applying for the role.

EOS with transfer to List-4 Applications are to be submitted to (NAVY PEOPLE-CM RES CPO) Nicholas.Hatton869@mod.gov.uk with a cc address of (NAVY PEOPLE-CM RES FTRS WO1) Daz.Bale225@mod.gov.uk, stating the specific role applied for, for which an EoS with transfer to List-4 is sought. FTRS applications received that do not have a concurrent EOS with transfer to List 4 application in progress will be rejected during the initial sift process.

Applications for EOS with transfer to List 4 status will not be accepted within 8 weeks of the applicant’s current Final Date in Service.

RFR (Ex-Regulars):

Ex-Regular personnel whose RFR liability has run out will be re-instated in the RFR to take up FTRS/ADC.

Applicants undertaking a period of FTRS/ADC must be suitably qualified by rank/rate, specialisation, qualifications and experience to fill the posts for which they apply.

Applications will be accepted from reservists who hold a rank/rate one or more above the advertised rank/rate or hold a rank/rate one below the advertised rank/rate.  

• Applicants one rate below may be interviewed at the discretion of the FTRS Cell/Line Manager and may be employed in the acting higher rate (excluding the advertised rate of WO2 or WO1) if they are suitable, qualified, meet current promotion regulations in all respects and are selected to do so. Otherwise, may be given the opportunity to carry out the role in their substantive rank/rate; the payment of Substitution Pay (SUPA) may be considered by the employer.
• Applicants of a higher rank/rate prepared to serve in a position at a lower rank/rate than their current or former substantive rank will wear uniform, and be paid, at the Upper Rank/Rate’ level appropriate to that of the position on JPA. Exceptions will not normally be considered.

Ex-Regular Reserves of an equivalent rank from the Army or Royal Air Force are required to join the Maritime Reserves (RNR/RMR) before being eligible to apply.

Applications from those above normal FTRS/ADC retirement age (60) will be considered by exception.

Medical/Dental

Applicants must also be medically fit, and meet the minimum medical category required for the level of commitment, to fulfil the duties which their Commitment will require them to undertake.

• A medical form to confirm MedCat and suitability to be employed is required to be returned within 2 weeks of commencing the role, or the commitment may be revoked.

Personnel who have been discharged via the RN Medical Board of Survey (MOBS) or the RN Medical Employability Board (MEB), do not have a RFR liability and are therefore unable to be considered for any FTRS/ADC/VERR role.

Only personnel on FTRS(FC) commitments will be entitled to the full range of Service Medical and Dental support. Those on lower levels will be entitled to emergency medical support whilst on duty.

Pension Issues. 

Personnel who qualify for a service pension should take financial advice from Defence Business Services (DBS) Reserves/Re-employment Pensions Department on the effect that undertaking FTRS service has on their pension, EDP, Resettlement Grant or Terminal Benefits.

Additional guidance can also be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pensions-and-compensation-for-veterans. Of particular note is reference to the ‘Effect of Re-employment’ on Commutation and, for those leaving on a ‘preserved’ pension, the Resettlement Grant. Other organisations such as the Armed Forces Pension Society or the White Ensign Association may also be able to offer advice, but it is stressed that only DBS can provide an authoritative answer.

Transition between TCoS. 

Personnel taking this appointment from other TCoS should consider the impact on any accrued entitlements, such as leave, resettlement etc and should seek specialist guidance where required as certain entitlements are TCoS specific and may not be retained or transferred on transition between TCoS. 

Naval Core Training (NCT), Individual Training Requirement (IRT) and Defence Mandated Training (DMT)

 Personnel on FTRS commitments are required to maintain currency in NCT, IRT and MDT in alignment with the rest of the RN/RM. The successful applicant will be expected to complete all modules and have them recorded on JPA within 2 months of commencing employment. This is an employer’s responsibility to monitor. 

• RNFT/PES

Personnel on FTRS Limited/Home/ADC/VERRs commitments are exempt the RNFT/PES, unless they are a member of the RNR/RMR who should remain in date.

 Annual Salary and Leave. 

Pay will be in accordance with the pay scales published for the Armed Forces annually, and as governed by JSP 754.  Leave entitlement is detailed in JSP 760. Note, you are not able to carry forward leave from a Regular commission/engagement when commencing an FTRS Commitment or from one FTRS Commitment role to another FTRS Commitment role.

Allowances.

Entitlement to allowances is in accordance with JSP 752 however the following should be noted:

Get you Home (Travel)                  Only paid to qualifying personnel on FTRS(FC)

Home Duty Travel                          Only paid to qualifying personnel on FTRS(FC), and those on FTRS(LC), (HC) and ADC are eligible to HDT if they are assigned to Inner London (defined as a five mile radius of Charing Cross). 

Accommodation.

Personnel serving on FTRS(FC) TCoS are entitled to Single Living Accommodation (SLA) and Service Families Accommodation (SFA) as per Regular entitlements. 

Personnel serving on FTRS(LC/HC)/ADC TCoS are only eligible to occupy surplus Single Living Accommodation (SLA), at non-entitled rates.

Personnel serving on VeRR TCoS are not entitled to service accommodation.

Applications for this job are to be submitted via SERVE please click the APPLY button below.