Details of standard:

Role profile: A Digital & Technology Solutions Specialist maintains digital and technology strategies through technology leadership; investigating, identifying and implementing technological strategic solutions. They direct digital technology provision by studying organisation goals, strategies, and practices and delivering and supporting strategic plans for implementing digital technologies. They are confident, competent and capable individuals able to apply leadership and change management skills to operate in a range of digital and technology related specialist roles. This standard is based upon a core set of knowledge, skills and behaviours that will be supplemented by one specialism detailed below.

Individual employers will set the selection criteria, but this is likely to include a degree at 2.1 or higher in a relevant subject, although some employers will accept other relevant qualifications or experience.

MSc Digital & Technology Solutions. Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the endpoint assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement the apprenticeships English and maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3 and British Sign Language qualification are an alternative to English qualifications for whom this is their primary language.

Duration: The typical duration for this apprenticeship is 18 months.

Review date: This standard will be reviewed in three years from the date of publication. 

Is able to:

• Identify, document, review and design complex IT enabled business processes that define a set of activities that will accomplish specific organisational goals and provides a systematic approach to improving those processes;
• Design and develop technology roadmaps, implementation strategies and transformation plans focused on digital technologies to achieve improved productivity, functionality and end user experience in an area of technology specialism;
• Deliver workplace transformations through planning and implementing technology based business change programmes including setting objectives, priorities and responsibilities with others in an area of technology specialism;
• Negotiate and agree digital and technology specialism delivery budgets with those with decision-making responsibility;
• Develop and deliver management level presentations which resonate with senior stakeholders, both business and technical;
• Professionally present digital and technology solution specialism plans and solutions in a well-structured business report;
• Demonstrate self-direction and originality in solving problems, and act autonomously in planning and implementing digital and technology solutions specialist tasks at a professional level;
• Be competent at negotiating and closing techniques in a range of interactions and engagements, both with senior internal and external stakeholders;
• Evaluate the significance of human factors to leadership in the effective implementation and management of technology enabled business processes;
• Develop own leadership style and professional values that contributes to building high performing teams;
• Apply broader technical knowledge combined with an understanding of the business context, and how it is changing, to deliver to the company’s business strategy;
• Demonstrate effective technology leadership and change management skills for managing technology driven change and continuous improvement;
• Create and implement innovative technological strategies to support the development of new products, processes and services that align with the company’s business strategy, and develop and communicate compelling business proposals to support these.

Core Technical Knowledge:

Knows and understands:

• The strategic importance of technology enabled business processes, and how they are designed and managed to determine a firm’s ability to compete effectively;
• The principles of business transformation and how organisations integrate different management functions in the context of technological change;
• The role of leadership in contemporary technology based organisations;
• Own employer’s business objectives and strategy, its position in the market and how own employer adds value to its clients through the services and/or products they provide;
• How to justify the value of technology investments and apply benefits management and realisation;
• How to monitor technology related market trends and research and collect competitive intelligence;
• The personal leadership qualities that are required to establish and maintain an organisations technical reputation.
• The role of leaders as change agents and identify contributors to successful implementation;
• Technology road-mapping concepts and methods and how to apply them;
• The role of learning and talent management in successful business operations

• Inspire and motivate others to deliver excellent technical solutions and outcomes
• Establish high levels of performance in digital and technology solutions activities
• Be results and outcomes driven to achieve high key performance outcomes for digital and technology solutions objectives
• Promote a high level of cooperation between own work group and other groups to establish a technology change led culture
• Develop and support others in developing an appropriate balance of leadership and technical skills
• Create strong positive relationships with team members to produce high performing technical teams

Specialism Occupations:

A Digital and Technological Solutions Professional will choose one of the following technical specialisms:

• Software engineering specialist
• Data analytics specialist
• Digital business and enterprise systems architecture specialist
• System test and assurance specialist
• IT strategy specialist
• IT business analysis specialist
• Network engineering specialist
• IT operations management specialist
• IT project management specialist
• Cyber security technology specialist
• IT / digital futures management specialist