Security Clearance: BPSS minimum, SC desirable
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Role Summary
We are seeking a Technical Architect to lead the design and assurance of a large-scale, real-time data aggregation platform delivering open, secure and standards-compliant digital services for government, industry, and consumers.
This role will support the end-to-end architecture lifecycle, from Discovery through to BAU, ensuring the solution meets non-functional requirements for real-time data ingestion, validation, aggregation, and dissemination. The platform will be accessed by a wide spectrum of stakeholders, including commercial organisations, regulated entities, and government authorities.
You will collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams to deliver a cloud-native, API-first solution, incorporating multiple input channels and enforcing strict data quality, governance, and availability SLAs.
Requirements
Key Responsibilities
Discovery & Design
* Lead technical discovery, mapping the current state and identifying suitable architectural approaches for real-time data aggregation and distribution.
* Design secure, resilient architecture across infrastructure, applications, data pipelines, APIs, and user access.
* Evaluate and recommend technologies for multi-channel input (e.g. API, web, IVR, SMS) and automated validation against business rules and compliance thresholds.
* Produce architecture deliverables including HLDs, LLDs, interface specifications, data flows, security zones, and deployment models.
Alpha & Beta Phases
* Define and evolve prototypes for service components in line with government service standards.
* Architect the back-end for ingesting, cleansing, validating and aggregating structured data at national scale.
* Implement modular, microservices-based patterns supporting interoperability and scalable integration.
* Collaborate with DevOps teams to build CI/CD pipelines, test automation, IaC, and container orchestration.
* Define SLAs, KPIs, and technical acceptance criteria for Alpha and Beta service assessments.
* Support accessibility and usability alignment with WCAG and GOV.UK standards.
Public Launch & BAU
* Finalise architectural patterns for live rollout and BAU support, ensuring regulatory and security compliance.
* Define observability architecture, including real-time monitoring, logging, anomaly detection, and alerting.
* Support governance boards and internal service assessments through the provision of architectural documentation and assurance.
* Lead technical response to incidents, performance tuning, and compliance testing (e.g. penetration testing, accessibility audits, disaster recovery).
* Guide change control, scalability reviews, and future enhancements post go-live.
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Essential Skills & Experience
* Extensive experience (5+ years) as a Technical Architect designing and delivering digital platforms for public services, regulated data, or open data sharing.
* Strong background in cloud-native architecture (AWS/Azure/GCP), with hands-on understanding of:
o Event-based and batch data ingestion
o Secure API design, throttling, caching, OpenAPI standards
o High-availability architectures with resilience and failover
* Experience designing real-time data validation and aggregation systems, with rules-based logic, statistical quality checks, and audit trails.
* Familiarity with:
o Identity and access management frameworks (OAuth2, RBAC)
o Data lineage, metadata, governance and retention
o Service level management (SLAs, KPIs, thresholds, alerts)
* Strong understanding of NCSC principles, ISO 27001, OWASP Top 10, and secure development lifecycle.
* Experience engaging with product managers, designers, delivery leads, and QA/DevOps engineers in agile environments.
* Proven ability to align digital services with GOV.UK Digital Service Standard and support successful Alpha/Beta service assessments.
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Desirable Skills
* Experience with real-time public-facing data services, regulatory data platforms, or high-volume open data feeds.
* Experience of cross-departmental digital transformation, including interaction with enforcement bodies and data consumers.
* Knowledge of government assurance processes including internal governance boards, DPIAs, and service spend approvals.
* Exposure to observability tooling, data quality dashboards, and continuous service improvement practices.
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Qualifications
* Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience.
* Certifications such as TOGAF, AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, or equivalent.
Benefits
What We Offer
* The opportunity to lead a nationally significant data platform with real-world public impact.
* Work with experienced multidisciplinary teams delivering modern, secure, and accessible services.
* A hybrid working model supporting flexibility, collaboration, and focus on quality outcomes.
* Health Insurance and Employee Assistance Program