Lead Solution Architect - NCA - G7

Manchester Digital; London; On-site; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A public sector agency is seeking a senior architect to provide hands-on architectural support throughout the solution lifecycle, ensuring designs meet governance standards. Candidates should have extensive experience in systems integration, cloud architectures, and be effective in cross-functional team environments. The role is based in London with competitive compensation and benefits.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience designing and assuring end-to-end technical solutions.
• Deep knowledge of cloud architecture and systems integration.
• Proven ability to work with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on architecture support throughout the solution lifecycle.
• Translate requirements into technical solution designs.
• Ensure all designs comply with internal governance.

Skills

Systems integration

Cloud architecture models

Modern application design patterns

Cross-functional teamwork

Architecture governance

Job description

£67,609 London additional £4,218 and RRA allowance up to £3,000
Published on

Full-time (Permanent) £67,609 London additional £4,218 and RRA allowance up to £3,000
Published on 12 September 2025 Deadline 5 October 2025

Location

Belfast; Birmingham; Bristol; Calder (Normanton); Leicester; London*; Warrington

For roles based in London, your contractual place of work will be Stratford. While the Stratford site is expected to become operational from November 2025 – March 2026, you will be required to carry out your contractual duties from Vauxhall or another reasonable location on a temporary basis during the interim period. Please note that, as Stratford will be your contractual place of work, any subsequent move from a temporary location will not entitle you to payments for travel time or costs under the Relocation and Excess Travel Policy.

About the job

Job summary

The Digital Data and Technology (DDaT) Directorate is responsible for creating a cutting-edge technology and information environment that connects, empowers and enhances our Officers’ crime fighting capabilities.

We are responsible for defining and delivering our data and technology strategy, policy and architecture, building and sustaining resilient services which are critical to our mission success. We work closely with our operational teams to help them do their job in the most effective and efficient way, understanding their challenges and combining this with emerging technologies/techniques to obtain and exploit data in innovative ways to ensure we stay ahead of the criminals who are committing some of most serious crimes and inflicting harm to our society.

Are you ready to join the team?

If you would like to find out more about this role and the application process we will be holding a virtual opening evening via MS Teams on Wednesday 17th September 2025 at 6.00pm. This event is by invitation only. To register, please click on the following link: DDaT VIRTUAL EVENT. You will be asked for your name and email address. Please ensure that you spell your email address correctly. Registration will close on Tuesday 16th September at 12:00pm. You will not be able to register after this date and time. Please see our Privacy Policy for details on how your data is handled.

The Digital Data and Technology (DDaT) Directorate is responsible for creating a cutting-edge technology and information environment that connects, empowers and enhances our Officers’ crime fighting capabilities.

We are responsible for defining and delivering our data and technology strategy, policy and architecture, building and sustaining resilient services which are critical to our mission success. We work closely with our operational teams to help them do their job in the most effective and efficient way, understanding their challenges and combining this with emerging technologies/techniques to obtain and exploit data in innovative ways to ensure we stay ahead of the criminals who are committing some of most serious crimes and inflicting harm to our society.

Are you ready to join the team?

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide hands-on architecture support throughout the full solution lifecycle, from early discovery through to implementation and transition into service.
• Translate business, user and operational requirements into feasible, pragmatic technical solution designs that balance long-term sustainability with delivery constraints.
• Ensure all solution designs align with enterprise architecture principles, patterns and standards, and comply with internal governance and assurance processes at each relevant stage.
• Lead design assurance activities, proactively managing trade-offs between time, cost, security, performance and risk, and ensuring solutions meet both functional and non-functional requirements.
• Champion secure-by-design principles across all solutions, ensuring security requirements are identified early, embedded throughout the design process, and compliant with Agency and government standards.
• Guide engineering and delivery teams to implement solutions in line with approved architectures, offering direction on technical decisions, integration approaches and issue resolution.
• Act as a senior design authority across multiple programmes, workstreams and supplier environments, providing clear technical oversight and decision-making support.
• Promote architectural reuse, technical consistency, and coherence across platforms and services, helping to build a stable, secure and adaptable technology landscape for the Agency.

Person specification

• Extensive experience designing and assuring end-to-end technical solutions for complex, multi-disciplinary delivery programmes, ensuring solutions are fit for purpose, deliverable and aligned to strategic objectives.
• Deep knowledge of systems integration approaches, cloud architecture models (including hybrid and multi-cloud), and modern application design patterns that enable flexibility, scalability and maintainability.
• Proven ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams including business analysts, engineers, testers, product managers and security specialists to land viable, value-driven solutions in real-world delivery environments.
• Strong understanding of architecture governance processes and assurance frameworks, with the ability to ensure compliance, manage risk and maintain alignment with enterprise strategy and technical standards throughout the delivery lifecycle.

Desirable criteria, only to be assessed in the event of a tie break:

• The ability to stay up to date on technology trends and approaches.
• Can demonstrate and understanding of organisational objectives and external drivers, for example, legislation or financial constraints.
• The ability to design and document solutions so they can be implemented by the organisation.
• The ability to manage risks and decisions in a transparent way.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture

Technical skills

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

• Extensive experience designing and assuring end-to-end technical solutions for complex, multi-disciplinary delivery programmes, ensuring solutions are fit for purpose, deliverable and aligned to strategic objectives.
• Strong understanding of architecture governance processes and assurance frameworks, with the ability to ensure compliance, manage risk and maintain alignment with enterprise strategy and technical standards throughout the delivery lifecycle.