Solutions Architect

About this role

Solutions Architect • Help children have the best start in life through high quality education & care. • Improve outcomes for children and families in early education and care. • Join an expert team working across governments at the national level.

About ACECQA We want children in Australia to have the best start in life through quality education and care.

We provide national leadership on the implementation of the National Quality Framework ( NQF ) and collaborate with the Australian and state and territory governments to:

• implement changes that benefit children birth to 13 years-of-age and their families • monitor and promote the consistent application of the Education and Care Services National Law across all states and territories • support the early childhood education and care sector to improve quality outcomes for children • We strive for innovation and continuous improvement and are committed to keeping the sector and the community informed with the latest developments in early childhood education and care.

ACECQA is committed to being a child-safe organisation, implementing the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and actively promoting the safety and wellbeing of children.

The Role The Solutions Architect is responsible for designing and guiding technology solutions for medium-sized projects in a Microsoft Azure environment. The role ensures solutions are secure, scalable, supportable, and aligned with business needs, using technologies such as Azure, Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, and the Power Platform. The Solutions Architect provides high-level design guidance, assesses solution options, and supports delivery teams in implementing effective solutions. The role focuses on overall solution architecture and cloud enablement, while ensuring alignment with security, technology standards, and operational requirements. This role also supports proof-of-concept activities and validates proposed technologies and approaches.

This role is full-time and fixed term to 30 June 2027 at ACECQA Band 6/7 ($130,608-$167,283).

Key Accountabilities ·    Solution Design & Architecture

• Provide solution architecture input for mid-level projects and initiatives, with a focus on Azure-based infrastructure, platform services, integration, security, and non-functional requirements. • Design end-to-end solutions using Microsoft technologies (Azure, M365, Dynamics 365, Power Platform), ensuring they are scalable, secure, resilient, and aligned with enterprise architecture standards. • Develop solution architectures, high-level designs (HLDs), and detailed technical specifications. • Define and recommend appropriate architecture patterns for cloud-hosted solutions, including hosting, networking, identity, integration, data flow, and operational support models.

·     Azure Cloud Platform Guidance

• Provide subject matter guidance on the effective use of Azure services and cloud-native patterns. •   Recommend suitable Azure infrastructure and platform components based on project requirements, risk profile, and operational needs. • Promote the adoption of proven cloud design principles, reusable patterns, and standard approaches across projects. • Advise on infrastructure and environment considerations including networking, connectivity, identity, access, resilience, monitoring, backup, and disaster recovery. • Support alignment with cloud governance, security, and platform standards.

·         Stakeholder Engagement • Collaborate with business stakeholders to understand strategic objectives and translate into technical solutions. • Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on technology decisions. • Facilitate workshops, design reviews, and architecture governance forums.

·        Delivery & Implementation Oversight • Work with development and delivery teams to provide architecture guidance throughout the project lifecycle. • Support teams in resolving design issues, trade-offs, and technical risks without taking ownership of detailed application-level design or coding decisions. • Participate in design reviews, architecture discussions, and project checkpoints to ensure architectural intent is maintained through delivery.

·        Security & Compliance • Ensure cloud solutions comply with ISM cloud security principles and relevant certification requirements (e.g., IRAP) • Ensure all solution designs incorporate security-by-design principles aligned with the Australian Government ISM and Microsoft security frameworks. • Implement Zero Trust principles across solution architectures • Ensure compliance with regulatory, privacy, and organisational policies. • Work closely with cybersecurity and risk teams.

·         Proof of Concept & Option Validation • Undertake proof-of-concept, prototype, and technical evaluation activities to assess the suitability of proposed solutions, tools, and patterns. • Compare solution options and provide recommendations based on architecture fit, cost, complexity, supportability, security, and scalability. • Identify implementation risks, assumptions, and dependencies early, and recommend mitigation strategies. • Use POCs and technical assessments to improve confidence in solution direction and support informed decision-making.

·        Innovation & Continuous Improvement • Identify opportunities to leverage emerging Microsoft technologies and capabilities.   • Drive continuous improvement in architecture standards, tooling, and processes. • Promote reuse of architectural patterns and components.