Lead Technical Architect

Job summary

Do you want to work collaboratively designing modern IT architecture for some of the largest digital transformations in Europe?

Do you want to help support millions of our claimants by designing user-friendly digital services?

If so, these roles may be perfect for you!

We are looking for experienced Lead Technical Architects who are confident working on products and services in a complex digital environment, where you’ll be supporting major initiatives within DWP Digital.

You will collaborate with colleagues and stakeholders across DWP Digital to support the delivery of solutions, creating options and recommendations, and providing expert advice to drive technology choices.

The roles will include the design, oversight and architecture governance of IT solutions that support DWP customers.

This is an exciting time to join us. You’ll shape the future and support our mission to deliver exceptional products and services that work for everyone.

Job description

A Lead Technical Architect (Solutions) leads at the highest level and is responsible for making sure the strategy is agreed and followed.

At this role level, you will:

• network and communicate with senior stakeholders across organisations.
• proactively seek opportunities for digital transformation.
• support multiple teams, finding and using best practice and emerging technologies.
• inspire other architects and help them understand how to deliver the goals of the organisation.
• be responsible for governance, solving complex and high risk issues or delivering architecture design.
• will be responsible for the design and implementation of the Health Assessment Service (HAS) which is a key enabler for assessing claimants eligibility for a number of Health benefits including Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
• you will be a key member of the HAS senior leadership team, working with product, delivery, engineering, design and others to drive the delivery of HAS.
• you will work with multiple delivery teams within Health and Disability and also external DWP teams responsible for delivering common capabilities for multiple areas of the department.
• you will ensure that the design and implementation of HAS is consistent with the departments strategy and vision, you will help teams build services consistently.
• you will drive cross team discussions and ensure designs are cohesive and consistent and are delivered within aggressive timescales.
• you will work closely with engineering colleagues to ensure that services have clear domain separation.
• you will be responsible for managing and mentoring architects within HAS ensuring they have the support and guidance they need. You will ensure the architecture team is working together and communicating in an effective way. You will encourage cross collaboration with architects outside of HAS facilitating the many integrations with other services within the department.

Person specification

When giving details in your employment history and personal statement you should highlight your extensive practical experience in line with essential criteria below:

• Architecture design across on-prem, cloud and hybrid environments involving networking, security, presentation, middleware, database, and integration aspects.
• Architecture design informed through use of principles, patterns, technical radars, practices and standards.
• Architecture design working with project delivery teams within agile, waterfall and hybrid environments throughout the lifecycle - from concept to go-live.
• Translating business requirements into technical solutions with traceability that can be demonstrated to stakeholders.
• Architecture design through use of architecture modelling techniques and tools to devise and represent.
• Event-based architecture design, patterns (including pub-sub and data streaming), modelling techniques, tools and standards.
• Microservice and API-led architecture and integration design tools, techniques and best practice.

If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact [email removed].

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Architecture communication (Expert)
• Architect for the whole Context (Practitioner)
• Community collaboration (Practitioner)
• Making Architectural Decisions (Expert)
• Strategy Design (Practitioner)
• Technical Design throughout the life cycle (Expert)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £75,026, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £21,735 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

We also have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:

• Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
• Generous annual leave – at least 25 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro–rata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
• Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
• Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
• Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
• Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.

Hybrid Working

This role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work.

If a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for the role and for you, you will normally be required to spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted working hours from your DWP office.

If you have a disability, caring responsibilities, or other circumstances that may affect your ability to meet the minimum office attendance requirement, please discuss this with us using the contact details in this advert.

Salary Information

The role is part of the Government Digital and Data profession and utilises an enhanced Government Digital and Data Pay Framework linked to capability which provides access to a Government Digital and Data allowance.

Pay for this role is £75,026 to £80,267, subject to candidate type. In addition to this, the ro