This role is a full-time opportunity to join the Local Peoples team on a permanent basis, with your first engagement supporting the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) within the Information Management and Technology Division. Local Peoples partners with Federal Government agencies to deliver high-quality design, digital, and architectural services that support national operations and global service delivery.
For this engagement, you will join DFAT’s Business Engagement and Design Section to contribute to the design, governance, and assurance of end-to-end ICT solutions across complex secure environments. Beyond this project, you will have the opportunity to contribute to impactful digital and architectural projects across the Australian Public Sector.
About the First Project (DFAT – Senior Solution & Domain Architect)
You will work as part of a multi-disciplinary architectural team responsible for developing technology designs, reference architectures, patterns, and roadmaps that support DFAT’s global operations. You will also participate in architectural governance forums such as the Design Authority (DA) and Architecture Review Board (ARB), ensuring technical designs align with DFAT’s standards, strategy, and security requirements.
This project requires deep domain expertise in one or more areas:
- Network Architecture
- Cloud/Application Architecture
- Infrastructure Architecture
- Data Architecture
This work is hybrid (Canberra-based), with interstate/remote candidates considered case by case.
Responsibilities
- Design and develop scalable, efficient, secure, and cost-effective solutions aligned with DFAT business, functional, and technical requirements.
- Create architectural deliverables including high-level designs, detailed designs, conceptual architectures, solution overviews, integration patterns, and technical assessments.
- Analyse and define interfaces, data flows, and integration points across systems spanning on-prem, private cloud, hybrid cloud, and SaaS environments.
- Lead the evaluation, selection, and recommendation of technologies, platforms, and tools suitable for DFAT’s security and operational context.
- Produce reference architectures, landscape views, capability models, and domain roadmaps for current and future-state environments.
- Provide architectural governance and assurance through participation in DFAT’s DA and ARB forums.
- Ensure designs align with DFAT frameworks, templates, standards, principles, and security guidelines.
- Collaborate across technical and non-technical stakeholders to validate requirements, review designs, and support implementation teams.
- Perform technical analysis and assessments to support procurements, including product comparisons and risk assessments.
- Promote adherence to architecture practices, non-functional requirements, security patterns, and quality assurance expectations across DFAT projects.
Qualifications
- TOGAF or equivalent architectural certification (or ability to obtain).
- Demonstrated ongoing professional development through technology certifications, training, or relevant study.
- Strong expertise in one or more domains: network, cloud/application, infrastructure, or data.
- Demonstrated experience producing architecture documentation within structured governance environments.
Essential Criteria
- Minimum 5 years working within the ICT industry.
- Minimum 2 years producing solution architecture and/or system design documentation.
- Experience working on secure government systems.
- Experience across complex ICT environments with diverse technologies and integration challenges.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
- Active NV1 security clearance (mandatory).
Desirable Criteria
- Experience working in complex global ICT environments.
- Experience applying the Information Security Manual (ISM) and Essential Eight via practical design approaches.
- Experience with cloud computing, hybrid architectures, and complex connectivity and integration patterns.
- Experience working across a diverse mix of on-prem, private cloud, hybrid cloud, and SaaS technologies.
Residency and Clearance
- Must hold an active NV1 security clearance.
- Must be an Australian Citizen.
- Candidates located in the ACT are preferred, however interstate/remote candidates may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Who are Local Peoples?
Local Peoples is a strategic research and design studio based in Melbourne and Canberra.
Our mission is to design healthy, resilient and resourceful communities. We are proud to be a certified B-Corporation with a strong focus on our social, environmental and economic impact.
We work across brand and digital design, place and experience design,, content and community engagement. Our key partners include state and local government, social enterprises, universities and large commercial organisations. All are experiencing complex challenges right now and we believe that design research, thinking and delivery can help to solve these challenges and make positive change for people and the planet.
We produce www.mattersjournal.com, a publication and community of 100K+, which focuses on design-led social innovation and impact.
Why join Local Peoples?
- Representative and inclusive - we are dedicated to building an inclusive and accessible workplace for people from diverse backgrounds
- Impact driven - work towards achieving real impact for people and the environment
- Fantastic culture - driven by a welcoming, supportive and collaborative team environment
- Professional support for design excellence- benefit from being a part of one of Australia’s fastest growing design and delivery communities
- Flexible working arrangements - including the ability to work remotely
- Market rate salaries - attractive remuneration packages in line with the market rate
- Adaptable employment types - including the preference for permanent, but will consider contracting
Local Peoples proudly supports the LGBTQ+ community, neurodiverse individuals, and First Nations people. We are committed to creating inclusive spaces where everyone, regardless of their identity, feels valued and respected. Together, we strive for equality and a positive future for all.
Local Peoples works, creates, and plays on the lands of the Wurundjeri, Bunurong, and Wathaurong peoples of the Kulin Nation, land which has never been ceded. We thank them for caring for this land for over 40,000 years and recognize and pay our deepest respect to Elders past, present, and emerging. This always was and always will be Aboriginal land
Department
Delivery
Role
Solution Architect
Locations
Canberra
Remote status
Hybrid
About Local Peoples
Local Peoples works, creates and plays on the lands of the Wurundjeri, Bunurong and Wathaurong peoples of the Kulin Nation, land which has never been ceded. We thank them them for caring for this land for over 40,000 years and recognise and pay our deepest respect to elders past, present and emerging. This always was and always will be Aboriginal land.