Lead Security Architect

Government Recruitment Service; Cardiff; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A government agency in the UK is seeking a Lead Security Architect to direct secure architecture across services, ensuring compliance with national standards. The role involves analyzing threats, advising on mitigations, and championing security in agile delivery. Candidates should have experience in risk modeling and mentoring security professionals. This position offers a strategic influence in government IT security.

Qualifications

• Experience in directing secure architecture across high-value portfolios.
• Ability to analyze emerging threats and advise on mitigations.
• Proven track record in modeling risks for various audiences.

Responsibilities

• Direct secure architecture for services, ensuring compliance with standards.
• Champion security practices in agile delivery pipelines.
• Nurture and coach security architects and engineers.

Skills

Secure architecture

Risk modeling frameworks (ISO27005, NIST, STRIDE)

Cloud native guardrails

IaC scanning

Data protection

Job description

As a LeadSecurity Architect you will direct secure architecture across a portfolio worth hundreds of millions of pounds. Working with product owners, delivery managers and enterprise architects, you will ensure every new or changed service conforms to Home Office and NCSC standards while enabling rapid, user-centred delivery.

You will analyse emerging threats, advise on proportional mitigations, and produce or tailor reference patterns covering identity, network segmentation, container security, data protection, and monitoring. By modelling risks with frameworks such as ISO27005, NIST, or STRIDE, you will rationalise design choices to technical and nontechnical audiences and document them for reuse.

You will champion “secure by default” in agile pipelines, embedding IaC scanning, SAST/DAST, SBOM and cloud native guardrails, so security becomes a quality attribute owned by delivery teams.

Through communities of practice and one-to-one coaching, you will nurture SEO architects and engineers, acting as escalation point for complex design decisions.

Finally, you will cultivate relationships with external suppliers, government peers and industry forums to import good practice and influence future standards, ensuring Home Office services remain resilient, cost-effective and compliant.