Technical Architect

The Insolvency Service; Nottingham; Hybrid; GBP 57,000 - 74,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working arrangements

Civil Service Pension scheme

25 days annual leave (increasing to 30

Volunteering leave

Learning and development leave

Job summary

The Insolvency Service is seeking a Technical Architect to shape the future architecture of digital services used by citizens and businesses in the UK. You will define technical direction, standards and governance across a modernising Microsoft .NET/Azure estate, guiding delivery teams and engaging with senior stakeholders.

Based in a flexible, hybrid model across multiple UK locations, you will influence platform strategy while remaining close to engineering teams, driving secure, scalable and

Qualifications

• Software development background, preferably in .NET/C# environments.
• Experience turning business problems into technical designs across services with varying levels of risk, impact and complexity.
• Experience defining and applying architecture strategy, standards, patterns, policies and roadmaps.
• Experience of architecture governance, technical assurance and managing architectural risk across complex services.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts clearly and influence senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Define target architectures, technology direction and architectural roadmaps across Digital Services.
• Produce and maintain reference architectures, design patterns, technical standards and architecture decision records.
• Provide technical leadership and assurance across solution designs and major technology decisions.
• Collaborate with developers, engineering leads and delivery teams to balance technical quality with delivery needs.
• Engage with senior stakeholders to translate requirements into clear technical approaches.

Skills

Software development

.NET/C#

Architecture governance

Stakeholder management

Technical leadership

Tools

Microsoft Azure

Job description

Help define the future architecture of digital services used by citizens, businesses and intermediaries across the UK.

The Insolvency Service, in partnership with Inspire People, is looking for a Technical Architect to join its Digital Services team and help define the technical direction of a portfolio of live digital services as the organisation modernises its technology estate. Permanent role, salary £57,367 - £74,319 (based on assessment at interview), 29% employer pension contribution plus full Civil Service benefits. Flexible, hybrid working (60% in office across a month) from 9 UK locations - Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Exeter, Ipswich, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Nottingham. Croydon and Stratford are available to existing Insolvency Service employees only.

Open Session

If you would like to find out more about the role, the team and what it's like to work at the Insolvency Service, we are holding a Teams Hiring Manager Q&A session for this role where you can virtually meet the team on the 5th October 2026 at 10:30AM.

Job Summary of a Technical Architect

The Technical Architect will join Digital Services, part of Change and Technology Services within the Insolvency Service, supporting digital applications used by internal teams, external organisations and the general public.

Digital Services is undergoing a wider programme of modernisation across more than 10 live services, moving away from ageing applications, technical debt and a diverse legacy technology estate towards more consistent, maintainable Microsoft .NET and Azure-based services.

Working closely with the Principal Technical Architect, the role will help set technical direction across Digital Services, establishing architectural standards, principles and governance that enable delivery teams to build secure, scalable and resilient services.

This is a broad architecture role with the opportunity to influence technology roadmaps, service consolidation, platform strategy and future technical approaches while remaining close to engineering and delivery teams.

Responsibilities of a Technical Architect:

• Define target architectures, technology direction and architectural roadmaps across Digital Services.
• Produce and maintain reference architectures, design patterns, technical standards and architecture decision records.
• Provide technical leadership and assurance across solution designs, significant technology decisions and proposed change.
• Work closely with developers, engineering leads and delivery teams to resolve complex technical challenges and balance technical quality with delivery requirements.
• Engage with senior business and technical stakeholders, translating complex requirements into clear technical approaches and influencing decision-making.

Essential criteria for a Technical Architect:

• Software development background, preferably within .NET/C# environments.
• Experience turning business problems into technical designs across services with varying levels of risk, impact and complexity.
• Experience defining and applying architecture strategy, standards, patterns, policies and roadmaps.
• Experience of architecture governance, technical assurance and managing architectural risk across complex services.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts clearly and influence senior business and technical stakeholders.

Desirable criteria for a Technical Architect:

• Experience working with Microsoft Azure and supporting cloud transformation or migration programmes.
• Knowledge of clean architecture, reusable patterns and modern Microsoft development technologies.
• Experience of government digital standards, including the GOV.UK Service Manual and Technology Code of Practice.

Benefits:

Alongside the salary of £57,367 - £74,319, the Insolvency Service contributes £16,619 towards membership of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. The organisation supports a positive work-life balance and offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Flexible working arrangements and flexi-time
• 25 days annual leave, increasing to 30 days after 5 years’ service
• 8 public/bank holidays plus 1 additional privilege day
• Competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave
• 5 days paid learning and development leave
• 5 days paid volunteering leave
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Access to Workplace Wellness, the employee assistance programme offering confidential and independent support and advice

Additional Requirements

• Expectation is to spend 60% of working time in one of the advertised offices.
• The role operates under the flexible working hours agreement, supporting a positive work-life balance.
• The post is subject to SC level clearance, a requirement for which you must have resided in the UK for a minimum of 5 years.
• The Insolvency Service does not currently hold a Skilled Worker sponsorship licence and therefore cannot offer visa sponsorship for this role.

Why join

This is an opportunity to join the Insolvency Service at an important stage in its technology modernisation journey.

The Technical Architect will help transition a varied legacy estate towards a more focused and maintainable technology platform, reducing technical diversity and technical debt while improving the organisation’s ability to deliver future change.

With more than 10 digital services made up of around 40 technology components, the role offers genuine breadth and the opportunity to influence architecture across services used by citizens, businesses and intermediaries.

You will work closely with the Principal Technical Architect while having the autonomy to influence technical direction, introduce new ideas and develop your architecture capability. The team is also beginning to explore emerging technologies including AI and large language models, alongside access to wider cross-government engineering and architecture communities.