Senior Solution Architect

The Recording & Transcription Program is a Court-led transformation initiative modernising recording and transcription services across the Courts through improved technology, service delivery, operating arrangements and governance. This is a 6-month contract based in Melbourne. Reporting to the Senior Program Manager and working closely with the TOPS Project Manager, Service Designer and Business Analyst. The Solution Architect leads the end-to-end solution and integration architecture and design for the Transcript Ordering and Payment System (TOPS). The role converts approved service, user and business requirements into a secure, accessible, modular, supportable and procurement-ready solution design that guides platform assessment, tendering, evaluation, implementation, assurance, deployment and transition to operations. The position provides authoritative technical and design leadership across application, integration, data, identity and access, payments, security, privacy, hosting, records, reporting, environments, deployment and operational support. The successful candidate will develop architecture options and reusable patterns, define measurable non-functional requirements, maintain traceability from user needs to solution components, and communicate complex design decisions clearly. The role must balance user experience, accessibility, Court controls, confidentiality, interoperability, delivery risk, cost, scalability and whole-of-life supportability, while preserving a standalone TOPS delivery path and future compatibility with CourtPath and the Modern User Portal. Key duties and responsibilities Duties Define and govern the TOPS target solution architecture, architecture principles, solution boundaries, capabilities, components, transition states and roadmap, including charging-enabled and charging-disabled operating scenarios. Lead end-to-end solution design across portal, workflow, application, integration, data, identity and access, payments, notifications, reporting, audit, hosting, environments, deployment and operational-support domains. Assess current-state Microsoft Forms, Lists, Power Platform and related systems, interfaces, constraints, technical debt, dependencies and reuse opportunities, and define practical migration or coexistence approaches. Translate service blueprints, user journeys, business processes and requirements into logical and physical solution designs, architecture patterns, standards, technical specifications and traceable design decisions. Define and obtain agreement to measurable non-functional requirements covering security, privacy, accessibility, performance, availability, scalability, resilience, disaster recovery, auditability, records, data residency, maintainability and supportability. Design integration and information-flow approaches for CourtPath (inhouse developed internal case management system), identity, payment, banking, notification, reporting, document, records and Transcript Service Provider services, including APIs, events, data exchange, error handling and reconciliation. Define secure identity, authentication, authorisation and role-based access patterns for internal and external users, including restricted, confidential and sensitive matter scenarios and approved transcript access. Develop supplier-neutral platform and architecture options, make-or-buy assessments and recommendations that clearly describe costs, risks, trade-offs, dependencies, vendor lock-in, implementation implications and whole-of-life value. Produce procurement-ready architecture and design artefacts, including context, capability, component, integration, data, security and deployment views; interface requirements; technical schedules; evaluation criteria; and vendor response requirements. Provide technical leadership during market engagement, tender clarification, evaluation, demonstrations, due diligence and supplier mobilisation, and assess proposed solutions against mandatory service, technical, accessibility and assurance requirements. Work with service design, product, business analysis, operations, cyber security, privacy, information management, records, finance, legal and assurance specialists to resolve cross-domain design issues and manage residual risks. Establish design governance and quality controls, maintain architecture and design decision records, assumptions, dependencies, risks and requirements traceability, and present recommendations to governance and assurance forums. Guide and assure detailed design, backlog refinement, configuration or development, integration, environments, testing, migration, cutover, rollback, operational readiness, documentation, knowledge transfer and transition to BAU support. Capabilities Solution architecture and design leadership: Demonstrate successful leadership of at least two complex digital, transactional or workflow solutions from discovery through implementation or operational transition. Evidence should show personal accountability for the target architecture, resolution of major design decisions, management of delivery constraints and achievement of agreed business, user and technical outcomes. Architecture modelling and traceability: Provide examples of producing fit-for-purpose current-state, target-state and transition architecture across application, integration, data, identity, security, infrastructure, deployment and support domains. Evidence should demonstrate approved artefacts, a maintained decision record and traceability from priority requirements and risks to solution components and acceptance criteria. Integration, data and identity design: Demonstrate delivery of a solution involving at least three material system or external-service integrations using APIs, events, messaging or controlled data exchange. Evidence should address interface ownership, data mapping and validation, authentication and authorisation, error handling, reconciliation, audit logging, monitoring and recovery. Non-functional requirements and assurance: Demonstrate how measurable non-functional requirements were defined, baselined and verified for security, privacy, accessibility, performance, availability, scalability, resilience, disaster recovery, records, data residency, maintainability and supportability. Evidence should identify relevant thresholds or service measures, assurance findings, treatments and approval outcomes. User-centred and service-aligned solution design: Provide an example of translating user research, service blueprints, process designs and business rules into a coherent technical solution. Evidence should show collaboration with product, service design, business analysis and operational stakeholders, validation of priority journeys, accessibility considerations and resolution of conflicts between user, operational and technical needs. Options analysis, procurement and vendor evaluation: Demonstrate development and assessment of at least three viable solution or platform options using transparent weighted criteria. Evidence should address cost, risk, security, interoperability, implementation effort, scalability, vendor lock-in and whole-of-life support, and show how the recommendation informed an investment, procurement or supplier-selection decision. Design governance and delivery assurance: Demonstrate establishment or operation of architecture governance through regular design reviews, decision and exception management, technical-debt control and supplier assurance. Evidence should show how detailed designs and delivered components were assessed against the approved architecture and how material deviations, defects or risks were resolved before release. Judgment, communication and influence: Provide examples of preparing concise architecture recommendations and presenting them to executive, governance and technical audiences. Evidence should demonstrate clear explanation of options and trade-offs, timely escalation of material Experience Experience with Australian Government digital services, courts, legal technology, regulated transactional services or systems handling sensitive and restricted information. Relevant architecture certification such as TOGAF, Azure Solutions Architect Expert or equivalent, supported by practical use of recognised architecture and design methods. Working knowledge of the Australian Government Architecture, Digital Experience Policy, accessibility requirements and digital assurance processes. Experience with Microsoft Azure, Power Platform, Microsoft 365, identity services, API management, integration platforms, payment gateways and vendor-hosted software-as-a-service solutions. Experience designing modular solutions that can operate in staged states, use configurable business rules and integrate with future enterprise platforms without creating unnecessary delivery dependencies. Experience supporting accessibility, security, privacy, records, financial-control and digital-assurance assessments in an Australian Government environment. Criteria The buyer has specified that each candidate must provide a one page pitch to address all criteria specified. This is equal to 5000 characters. Essential criteria 1. EXPERIENCE • Extensive experience working as a Solution Architect for large scale transformation projects/programs with minimum # years in Federal (preferred) or State Government entities delivering similar projects of complexity / scale / security requirements. 2. EXPERTISE • Demonstrated experience and understanding of the Australian Government Architecture and Digital Experience Policy. • Effective stakeholder consultation and consensus-building skills. • Ability to translate insights and research into clear recommendations that influence decision-making. • Experience designing and documenting architecture solution artefacts. • Strong communications skills to present complex concepts to all levels of users, executive leadership and the judiciary. 3. COMPLIANCE • Candidates must be Australian Citizens, located in Australia and with minimum baseline security clearance. • Candidates/Service Provider must declare any business relationships/partnerships with any registered seller/s on BuyICT with respect to any potential or perceived conflict of interest. • Declare percentage and/or which aspects of the response was written by AI. Desirable criteria 1. Experience within the courts and judicial sector and designing court transcription ordering portals. 2. Relevant tertiary qualifications and architecture certifications will be well regarded. Opportunity summary Sellers can submit Up to 3 candidates Number of sellers invited More than 10 Number of candidates submitted Fewer than 10 RFQ closing time 02 Weeks 02 Days 00 Hours Send us feedback About Accessibility Privacy Terms of use Disclaimer and copyright An initiative of the Digital Transformation Agency The Australian Government acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and the Elders past and present. © Commonwealth of Australia