Lead Technical Architect

DWP Digital; West Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 87,000 - 106,000; Full time

Job summary

DWP Digital is seeking a Lead Technical Architect to shape the architecture of the Health Assessment Service (HAS), guiding design and governance of modern digital solutions for PIP eligibility.

You will lead across cloud, on‑prem and hybrid environments, influence stakeholders, and ensure secure, resilient and user‑centred services used by millions. This role sits within HAS and offers hybrid working across UK hubs.

Qualifications

• Experience designing complex technical solutions across cloud, on-prem, and hybrid.
• Translate business needs into clear technical designs and explain to stakeholders.
• Create and communicate architecture designs using recognised modelling approaches.

Responsibilities

• Define architectural direction across HAS and ensure alignment with DWP strategy.
• Provide technical leadership across delivery teams and guide decisions.
• Mentor architects and develop architecture capability within the organisation.
• Collaborate with product, engineering, delivery and design teams.

Skills

Complex solutions

Architectural principles

Stakeholder communication

Modelling architectures

Event-driven design

Microservices & APIs

Job description

Do you want to define the technical architecture behind services that help millions of people access vital health and disability benefits?

We're looking for a Lead Technical Architect to join DWP Digital's Health Assessment Service (HAS), leading the design and governance of modern digital architecture that supports the assessment of eligibility for benefits including Personal Independence Payment (PIP). You'll play a critical role in one of DWP's most important transformation programmes, helping to create secure, resilient and user-centred digital services that make a real difference to people's lives.

As a senior leader within HAS, you'll work alongside product, engineering, delivery and design colleagues to shape technical strategy, influence technology decisions and ensure solutions align with DWP's long-term architectural vision. You'll provide technical leadership across multiple delivery teams, driving consistency, quality and innovation while supporting the delivery of complex services at scale.

This is an opportunity to lead architecture within one of the UK's largest digital estates. You'll solve complex technical challenges, mentor architects, influence senior stakeholders and help deliver services used by millions of citizens every day.

What skills, knowledge and experience will you need?

• Designing complex technical solutions across cloud, on-premises and hybrid environments, considering networking, security, integration, databases and application services.
• Using architectural principles, standards, patterns and best practice to guide technology decisions and solution design.
• Working closely with delivery teams throughout the full project lifecycle, from early discovery and design through to live service.
• Turning business needs into clear technical solutions and explaining design decisions to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Creating and communicating architecture designs using recognised modelling approaches, tools and techniques.
• Designing event-driven solutions using patterns such as publish-subscribe and data streaming.
• Designing microservice and API-led architectures that enable scalable, maintainable and well-integrated digital services.

You and your role

As our Lead Technical Architect, you'll set the architectural direction and help shape the digital platforms that support health and disability benefit assessments across the UK. Working as part of the HAS senior leadership team, you'll ensure solutions are aligned to DWP's wider strategy while providing the technical leadership needed to deliver modern, secure and resilient services at scale.

You’ll work across multiple delivery teams to design cohesive solutions and guide complex technology decisions. From cloud-based platforms and event-driven architectures to microservices and API-led integrations, you’ll help teams build services that are consistent, scalable and capable of supporting millions of users while meeting demanding delivery timelines.

Just as importantly, you’ll develop architecture capability across the organisation. You’ll mentor architects, drive best practice, influence senior stakeholders and help teams navigate complex technical challenges.

Location:

You’ll join us in one of our brilliant digital hubs in Blackpool, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester or Newcastle, whichever is most convenient for you.

Hybrid Working:

We work a hybrid model - you'll spend some time working at home and some time collaborating face to face in a hub.

Pay:

We offer pay up to £96,683. That's £75,026 salary plus a Government Digital and Data Allowance of up to £21,667 subject to our assessment of your capability at interview.

Pension:

You’ll get a brilliant civil service pension with employer contributions worth 28.97%, worth up to £21,735 per year.

Holidays:

A generous leave package starting at 26 days rising to 31 days over time.

You can also take up to 3 extra days off a month on flexi-time. You’ll also get all the usual public holidays.

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

• Flexible working including flexible hours and flex-friendly policies
• Time off volunteering and charitable giving
• Bring your authentic self to work with 'I Can Be Me in DWP'
• Discounts and savings on shopping, fun days out and more
• Interest-free loans to buy a bike or a season ticket, so it's even easier for you to get to work and start making a difference
• Sports and social activities
• Professional development, coaching, mentoring and career progression opportunities.

And we have an award-winning environment and culture:

• DWP have been recognised as 2024 Diversity Employer of the Year at the Computing Women in Tech Excellence awards
• Diverse and Inclusive Leadership at Digital Leaders Awards 2024
• Commended as Best Place to Work in Digital category in the Computing Digital Technology Leaders awards 2025
• Recognised as one of the Best Public Sector Employers at 2025 Women In Tech Employer Awards

Process

We know your time is valuable so our application and selection process is just two stages:

Interview:

a two-stage interview online.