Lead Security Architect (Digital Architecture and Design)

The Scottish Government; Glasgow, City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

The Scottish Government is seeking a Lead Security Architect in the Digital Architecture and Design Division to set security direction for major digital platforms across Scotland. You will influence decisions at senior levels and work with multidisciplinary teams to design secure services at scale.

You will combine strategic thinking with hands-on architectural leadership, embedding security by design and managing risk in a rapidly evolving threat landscape while enabling secure, scalable

Qualifications

• Experience leading security architecture for large digital platforms.
• Strong communication with senior stakeholders and multidisciplinary teams.
• Knowledge of cloud security, secure-by-design and DevSecOps practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead the security architecture design of nationally significant digital platforms and services, communicating and justifying key design decisions.
• Own and communicate the security architecture vision, principles and strategy, maintaining standards across programmes.
• Influence senior stakeholders and multidisciplinary teams on security architecture decisions across projects, programmes and organisations.
• Decipher complex security requirements, balancing risk, usability and delivery needs to implement proportionate controls.
• Lead quality assurance activities and act as the escalation point for security architecture matters.
• Ensure security solutions are aligned with operational security requirements and support cyber threat responses.
• Support secure-by-design delivery practices, including DevSecOps tooling and automation.
• Collaborate across the Digital Directorate to build security capability and adoption of common platforms.
• Contribute to governance and assurance activity, including Technical Design Authority and security design authorities.

Skills

Security architecture

Stakeholder comms

Cloud security

DevSecOps

Job description

Help shape the security foundations of digital public services used across Scotland.

The Impact You'll Make

Join the Scottish Government's Digital Architecture and Design Division and play a leading role in securing nationally important platforms, including payments, digital identity, cloud services and application delivery. Digital Architecture and Design leads architecture and technology, promoting digital principles to deliver efficient, accessible services aligned with Scotland's Digital Strategy. Through reuse, interoperability, standards and shared platforms, we enable joined-up, secure, resilient and future-proof services, while championing user-centred design and accessible content that makes information easier to find, use and maintain. To see how these principles translate into user-facing services, please explore Access to public services in Scotland, Scotland's online gateway to public services. Our teams are building common platforms and reusable components that help public sector organisations deliver services more efficiently, securely and consistently for people across Scotland. The work is complex, high profile and has genuine public impact. You will play a pivotal role in supporting delivery of our Digital Strategy for Scotland and the new Public Service Reform (PSR) Strategy, helping to drive innovation and transformation across Scotland's public sector.

The Role

As Lead Security Architect, you will set the security direction for major digital platforms, influence decisions at senior levels and work with multidisciplinary teams to design secure services at scale. You will combine strategic thinking with hands‑on architectural leadership, helping teams manage risk, embed security by design and respond to a rapidly evolving threat landscape. Your expertise will help ensure digital services remain secure, sustainable and aligned with organisational goals while supporting Scotland's wider digital transformation. You will work closely with our Cloud Engineering, Application Development and Component Based Service Delivery Teams.

Our Architecture Practice

Our architecture practice brings together people, technology and strategy to help create a fair, green and digitally inclusive Scotland. We provide the architectural foundations that allow government teams to deliver secure, scalable and sustainable digital services that improve the lives of people across Scotland. Our vision is to create a trusted architectural foundation that empowers government to deliver better digital outcomes through collaboration, consistency and the adoption of best practice.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to apply your expertise to challenges that matter. In return, we offer the chance to work on meaningful national programmes alongside experienced digital professionals, supported by flexible hybrid working, a 35‑hour working week, strong pension provision, a Government Digital and Data (GDD) pay supplement and a healthy work‑life balance. See here and below for further details.

Responsibilities

• Lead the security architecture design of nationally significant digital platforms and services, communicating and justifying key design decisions.
• Own and communicate the security architecture vision, principles and strategy, maintaining security standards and baselines across programmes.
• Influence senior stakeholders and multidisciplinary teams on security architecture decisions across projects, programmes and organisations.
• Decipher complex security requirements, balancing risk, usability and delivery needs to implement proportionate controls.
• Lead quality assurance activities and act as the escalation point for security architecture matters.
• Ensure security solutions are aligned with operational security requirements and support effective responses to cyber threats.
• Support secure‑by‑design delivery practices, including DevSecOps approaches, security tooling and automation.
• Collaborate across the Digital Directorate to build security capability and support adoption of common platforms.
• Contribute to governance and assurance activity, including Technical Design Authority, Security and Privacy Design Authority and service assessments.
• Provide leadership and, where required, line management support for Security Architects and Analysts.