Join to apply for the Solutions Architect role at Care Quality Commission

Grade A: £52,737-£66,197 (National Framework) or £58,409-£71,869 (London Framework – if you are London office based or homebased and live within the boundary of the M25). There is also an additional homeworking allowance of £581 per annum for those working from home. For exceptional candidates a higher salary may be available.

Contracted Hours: Full time 37 hours per week. We may be able to offer a variety of flexible working patterns. Contract Type: Permanent. Location: Home Based with regular visits to the office. Closing Date: 9 November 2025 at 11.59pm.

Make a difference

Every role at CQC contributes to our mission. If you’re looking for a new role in the Technology Directorate that gives a true sense of meaning and purpose, then you’ve found it! Our Architecture team plays a vital role in shaping the digital future of CQC, ensuring our infrastructure is secure, resilient, and ready for tomorrow.

Picture this

• Leading the design of a secure, scalable cloud platform to support the migration of legacy systems, enabling faster, more reliable services for users.
• Developing a cloud adoption roadmap that reduced operational costs while improving resilience and sustainability.
• Acting as a technical lead on a cross‑functional project to implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC), improving deployment speed and consistency across environments.

You’ll play a key role in the organisation by

• Designing and assuring cloud and infrastructure solutions that align with CQC’s digital strategy and enterprise architecture.
• Developing and maintaining infrastructure roadmaps, including transitions from legacy systems to modern platforms.
• Acting as the design authority for hosting, networking, identity, and platform services.
• Embedding security, resilience, and sustainability into all infrastructure designs.
• Collaborating with internal teams and external partners to ensure solutions are integrated, supportable, and deliver value for money.

Show Us

What we’re looking for in your application:

• Designed and delivered cloud infrastructure: You’ve led the design and implementation of cloud-based solutions (Azure essential) in complex environments, ensuring they are secure, scalable, and cost-effective.
• Applied automation and DevOps practices: You’ve used tools like Terraform or Bicep to automate infrastructure deployment and supported CI/CD pipelines for reliable delivery.
• Engaged stakeholders and translated technical concepts: You’ve worked with senior leaders and delivery teams to explain infrastructure strategies clearly and ensure alignment with business goals.

To progress your application, you’ll need to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK. Without a valid right to work you won’t be eligible for the role. We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. Some roles may also be subject to a satisfactory DBS check.

Next steps

If you apply, you’ll need to create a profile and complete an online application form. Your application will be completely anonymous. Please see our information for applicants for more details on the process. We contact every applicant to let them know the outcome of their application, so you will hear from us whether or not you are shortlisted.

You can read the full details of the role in the Job Description.

For an informal chat about the role contact – Andrew Collins, Deputy Director of Architecture; andrew.collins@cqc.org.uk. For general enquiries, please email recruitment@cqc.org.uk.

The Benefits

• Annual leave starting at 27 days per year, rising to 32.5 days with service, plus bank holidays (usually 8 days per year).
• Training and development opportunities.
• Wellbeing initiatives, such as gym discounts and meditation.
• NHS pension scheme, with around 14% employer contribution.
• Discount schemes (including eligibility for a Blue Light card, at a cost of £4.99 and valid for 2 years), reward vouchers, car leasing and more!

Equity for all

We know job descriptions can feel intimidating. Research shows they can cause some people to doubt whether they’re a good fit. This happens more often to people from under‑represented groups (e.g. ethnic minority backgrounds). If this role interests you, we encourage you to apply. Your unique perspective, skills, and experience could be exactly what we need.

We want every candidate to feel supported and able to do their best. If you need adjustments to our process, we’ll work with you to remove any barriers. Visit our accessibility page for more on this. If you’d like to chat, please contact recruitment@cqc.org.uk. Please note, if you have previously informed us of adjustments you need for interview or within your role these are not carried over and must be discussed for each individual application you make.

We promote a workplace where fairness, respect and inclusion are a priority. Diverse teams make our work better, help us deliver our mission and make our culture stronger. See our ED&I page for more about this.

We welcome applications from everyone, and colleagues can find support and community among our many employee networks. This includes people of any

• Age
• Sex
• Gender identity or expression
• Sexual orientation
• Religion or belief
• Ethnicity
• Disability

Values and vision

Excellence – being a high‑performing organisation.

Caring – treating everyone with dignity and respect.

Integrity – doing the right thing.

Teamwork – learning from each other to be the best we can.

We are a disability confident employer and a carer confident employer.

A Note on AI

AI tools can be great for research and refining ideas, but we want to learn about you. If you use AI or Chatbots to help you with your application, keep these points in mind:

• AI can support research, structuring and refining your writing, but your application must reflect your real skills and experience.
• Spell‑checking and condensing word counts are great ways to use AI effectively.
• Do not copy and paste AI generated answers. These will not help you stand out; remember we want to hear about your skills and experience.
• Providing false and insincere examples goes against our core values of honesty and integrity and may lead to your application being withdrawn or termination of your employment.