Principal Solution Architect

Job summary

Defra is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.

Digital, Data, Technology and Security (DDTS) is the trusted team for digital across the entire Defra Group.

We have around 1000 colleagues across DDTS and our ambition is to make it easier and faster than ever for people to interact with Defra. If you are ready to drive innovation and push boundaries, we want to hear from you. Join us and together we will create a great place for living, and a green and healthy future for all.

Find out more about DDTS:

Defra digital, data and technology blog

LinkedIn

Defra Jobs

We are Government Digital and Data Candidate Information Pack V3 - 1

Job description

Working as a Principal Solution Architect at DEFRA means supporting delivery of digital services that handle some of the most pressing issues our society faces,including climate change, sustainability, biodiversity and farming.

As well as working on meaningful projects, you can expect some great benefits such as a Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97% and flexible working options such as condensed hours, part-time and flexi time.

You will guide multi-disciplinary architects in one or more Outcome Delivery Groups, resolving complex problems and reporting to the Chief Architect. You will lead a team
of Lead and Solution Architects, providing vision and direction while balancing competing priorities.

You will manage vendor and supplier relationships to optimise DEFRA’s use of technology, data, and digital skills. This includes public-facing systems, internal platforms, scientific and analytical tools, geospatial systems, cloud services, and mobile operations.

The Delivery Architecture team is responsible for the IT solutions provided to DEFRA group and its executive agencies and arm’s length bodies. You will lead architecture in one or more Outcome Delivery Groups, supporting multiple programmes. You will define and deliver roadmaps in collaboration with stakeholders, ensuring successful delivery of complex systems while managing risk, cost, and strategic alignment.

Please note for this role you will require SC Clearance. To gain SC clearance all applicants are required to have been a UK resident for a minimum of 5 years. If this requirement is not met, the individual will not be able to progress their application further.

Person specification

Responsibilities:

• You will ensure solutions align with enterprise architecture, digital strategy, and policy goals while meeting business needs.
• Act as a senior technical advisor to policy, service owners, delivery managers, and executives.
• Chair the local Solution Design Authority (SDA) to align decisions with government principles and strategic priorities.
• Oversee technology choices, integration, and data flows to ensure quality and compliance with DEFRA and government standards.
• Support the Chief Architect in managing governance within the Delivery Group.
• Represent DEFRA to external bodies (e.g., GDS) to ensure its needs shape UK Government digital services.
• Act as a senior technical ambassador at cross-government forums to align with broader strategies.
• Update roadmaps for key domains based on business fit, risk, sustainability, and strategic direction.
• Provide leadership to architects and coordinate across teams to manage dependencies across business and technical domains.
• Anticipate future needs, mitigate risks, and balance competing priorities.
• Collaborate with innovation teams to explore and adopt emerging technologies through pilots and proofs of concept.
• Communicate delivery goals, investment priorities, and strategic direction to architects and stakeholders.
• Assure third-party and internal work meets DEFRA standards and practices.
• Champion architectural best practices and drive holistic architecture maturity.

Skills and Experience

• Extensive experience of working with and influencing suppliers and dependencies.
• Communicating with internal and external senior stakeholders.
• Extensive experience of estimating and contributing to project planning, dependency and risk maps from a technical perspective.
• Experience of successfully leading and delivering technological change within large organisations.
• Experience of analysing future technology needs from the proposals for user/digital services.
• Experience of producing roadmaps, business cases and other corporate investment plans.
• Experience of significant application modernisation/transformation
• Management of multiple technical domains at senior level, delegation of detail working to others, and management of dependencies.
• Agile orientated delivery mindset.
• Ability to plan, budget, forecast and estimate resources, time and costs.
• Ability to implement, own and lead governance and assurance activities.

Selection process

The Civil Service marks each element of the selection process on a merit basis. You can visit the gov.uk website for further information on the Civil Service rating scale.

Ensure you have tailored your CV and Personal Statement to the 'skills and experience' section of the job advert by providing examples on how you are suitable for the role using the STAR method.

Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your personal statement, how you meet these requirements, as the information you provide will form a key part when the panel is scoring your application.

For further information on STAR, you can check out our Hints and Tips document.

Application process

As part of the application process, you will be assessed on your experience. This will be evaluated by looking at your CV and personal statement, so please provide the following and ensure your experience is clearly demonstrated:

A CV
A 750 word Personal Statement: Referring to the 'skills and experience' sections of the job advert, please demonstrate how you are suitable for the role by providing relevant examples.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Sift

Sift will begin shortly after the advert closes.

Should t