Principal Technical Architect

UK Home Office; Liverpool; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Meaningful Work

Career Growth

Flexible Working

Diversity and Inclusion

Additional Benefits

Job summary

A government organization is seeking a Principal Technical Architect to own and deliver the technical strategy for high-impact programs. This role involves mentoring architects, driving innovation, and ensuring security across solutions. The ideal candidate will have experience leading complex architectures, managing diverse technology landscapes, and facilitating stakeholder engagement. This position offers hybrid work options and is crucial for contributing to national security and public service initiatives.

Qualifications

• Demonstrable passion for Technical Architecture.
• Experience in managing third-party suppliers and cloud environments.
• Ability to translate technical concepts into actionable insights.

Responsibilities

• Own and deliver technical strategy guiding architectural decisions.
• Lead governance processes ensuring secure and robust solutions.
• Mentor architects and engineering teams, nurturing culture of excellence.
• Oversee integration of new systems aligned with organisational strategies.
• Assess systems for improvement and promote emerging best practices.
• Facilitate discussions on complex design challenges.
• Drive continuous improvement in architecture across multiple domains.

Skills

Leadership in delivering complex technical architectures

Strategic foresight

Experience managing diverse technology landscapes

Knowledge of engineering principles and agile methods

Track record of delivering solutions on time

Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills

Ownership of technical roadmaps

Job description

Overview

Principal Technical Architect role at UK Home Office. You will serve as a senior design authority, responsible for setting and governing the technical strategy across complex, high-impact programs. You will lead the architectural vision, identify opportunities for digital transformation, and optimise solutions to address organisational and cross-government needs. You will collaborate with senior stakeholders to balance risk, complexity, and outcomes, and mentor other architects to align technology choices with broader strategies and emerging best practices. You will drive innovation, security, and scalability to shape the future of public services on an enterprise scale.

This role defines and executes the technical strategy for your responsibility, collaborating with senior leadership and diverse teams to ensure alignment with organisational, cross-departmental, and government-wide objectives. You will proactively leverage emerging technologies, such as cloud, AI, and IoT, and ensure that technical solutions are secure, user-focused, and capable of adapting to evolving business needs. You will lead design and review processes for complex systems and infrastructure, champion architectural best practices and governance, and resolve high-risk issues to drive transformation. You will guide and inspire other architects and foster an environment where innovative thinking thrives.

What You’ll Do:

• Own and deliver the overarching technical strategy, guiding architectural decisions that balance risk, complexity, and delivery timelines.
• Lead governance and assurance processes, ensuring solutions remain secure, robust, and aligned with enterprise architecture principles.
• Collaborate with senior stakeholders to advocate for digital transformation initiatives, influencing decisions through clear, data-driven insights.
• Mentor and guide architects and engineering teams, nurturing a culture of excellence, innovation, and continuous learning.
• Oversee integration of new systems, developing detailed plans that align with broader organisational and cross-government strategies.
• Assess current systems to identify areas for improvement, analyse potential risks, and promote emerging best practices in the field.
• Facilitate stakeholder discussions, serving as the key escalation point for complex or high-risk design challenges.
• Drive continuous improvement, incorporating lessons learned into future strategies and ensuring consistency in architecture across multiple domains.

Essential skills

The essential skills are used to assess your demonstrable passion for Technical Architecture. The following skills or demonstrated experience are expected to be highlighted in your CV and personal statement:

• Shown leadership in delivering complex, innovative technical architectures at scale, inspiring technical excellence and forward-thinking design.
• Strategic foresight to anticipate future technologies and identify opportunities for transformation or optimisation.
• Experience managing diverse technology landscapes, including third-party suppliers, cloud environments, and cross-departmental teams.
• Deep knowledge of engineering principles, agile methods, DevOps, and secure-by-design approaches, ensuring robust, resilient solutions.
• Track record of delivering solutions on time and within scope, balancing budget, security, and quality considerations.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills, translating complex technical concepts into clear, actionable insights.
• Ownership of technical roadmaps and strategies, ensuring solutions align with enterprise objectives and evolving user needs.

Benefits

• Meaningful Work: Contribute to critical national security and public service initiatives.
• Career Growth: Benefit from tailored development frameworks and professional communities.
• Flexible Working: Hybrid work options to balance professional and personal life.
• Diversity and Inclusion: A workplace where your background and talents are celebrated.
• Additional Benefits: Learn more about our broader benefits program and policies.

Additional Information

• This role requires SC clearance. To meet national security vetting requirements, you must typically have been resident in the UK for at least five years. Visa sponsorship is not available.