Contents Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information Location Manchester, Sheffield About the job Job summary The Digital Data and Technology (DDaT) profession enable the Home Office to keep the UK safe and secure. They do this by designing, building, and running the services that help people apply for visas or passports, support policing and counter-terrorism operations, and protect the UKs borders. Team members have specialised knowledge and a calling to build on it. We want the best people to come to the Home Office and work in the diverse roles and communities theyre passionate about. This is how we produce exceptional outcomes. Metis is the Home Offices implementation of Oracle Fusion Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. The Lead Technical Architect will provide governance to ensuring that design standards are adhered to. Due to business requirements this post is available on a Full Time/Job Share/Flexible Working basis. Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. Where this is the case, employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in the office. Queries can be raised to the address at the bottom of the advert. We value diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from the widest diversity of backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. We encourage applications from women, people with disabilities and LGBT as they are currently under-represented in the Home Office at this grade level. Appointments will be made on merit based on fair and open competition. Job description A Lead Security Architect is responsible for driving the secure design and development of solutions for one or more major business sectors within the department. They lead the security engagement for all projects within their portfolio ensuring that the departments security design standards are adhered to. As a Lead Security Architect, you will provide an out-reach service to your business areas to advise on security requirements and solutions to enable technical teams to make security decisions, ensuring the effective use of common tools and products. You will collaborate with peers both within and outside of your Portfolios to identify new opportunities for exploiting emerging technologies and support the development of architectures, patterns and approaches to support their safe use in accordance with the departments risk appetites. At all times your goal is to help ensure delivery of systems that meet the desired business outcomes with security decisions and controls being proportionate to the risk. You will build effective partnerships with diverse teams across multiple locations and technologies, and effectively communicate security and risk implications across technical and non-technical stakeholders. You will manage other Security Architects, covering critical review architecture referencing National Cyber Security Centre NCSC guidelines. You will also be responsible for their training and development. Person specification Your main day to day responsibilities will be: Contributing to the vision, principles and strategy set down by the Principal Security Architect ensuring it reflects the needs of your portfolio as well as the wider department. Overseeing the security engagement for projects within your business sphere and cooperating with colleagues to find common solutions to similar challenges across all business lines. Driving secure by design by promoting security as an aspect of quality, ensuring that program, project and service managers own this responsibility. Following developments in the security and technology industry to ensure that the technology landscape is kept secure in line with industry standard. Recommending security controls and identifying solutions that support a business objective, working out subtle security needs and understanding the impact of decisions, balancing requirements and deciding between approaches. Providing specialist advice and recommending approaches, interacting with senior stakeholders across departments and influencing a wide range of people across larger teams and communities to execute security standards, policies and principles. This will include advising on key security related technologies and assessing the risk associated with proposed changes. Essential skills: Youll have a demonstrable passion for Security Architecture, with the following skills or strong experience in: Leading and evaluating the secure design of major products, services and input to complex solutions, challenging outmoded concepts and driving improvements with innovative, creating precedents and setting direction. Making and guiding effective decisions on risks, based on information assurance risk assessment methodology, explaining clearly how the decision has been reached. Applying security concepts to a technical level across multiple projects, working with security tools, network security infrastructure technologies, and information security management frameworks (e.g. ISO 27001, NIST). Working with penetration testing and effectively translating cyber risk analysis into standards, patterns and approaches to enable the safe exploitation of current and emerging technologies. Understanding NCSC information security guidance and architecture patterns. Understanding architecture methodology e.g. SABSA, TOGAF. SFIA capability framework Skills for the Information Age (SFIA) is the technical framework that sets the standard capability and development of all levels in the Home Office. This is a link to the capability framework: All skills A - Z English (sfia-online.org) We use set SFIA technical skills to form our interview questions and we will assess you against these technical skills during the selection process. SFIA levels of responsibility Use the SFIA Levels of responsibility to understand what would be expected for each Technical Skill listed below. SFIA Technical skills Strategy & Architecture: Strategy and Planning Strategic Planning (ITSP) Level 3 Solution Architecture (ARCH) Level 5 Innovation (INOV) Level 3 Enterprise and Business Architecture (STPL) Level 3 Advice & Guidance Consultancy (CNSL) Level 4 Specialist Advice (TECH) Level 4 Technical skills We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process: Strategic Planning (ITSP) Level 3 Solution Architecture (ARCH) Level 5 Innovation (INOV) Level 3 Enterprise and Business Architecture (STPL) Level 3 Consultancy (CNSL) Level 4 Specialist Advice (TECH) Level 4 Benefits Alongside your salary of £60,300, Home Office contributes £17,468 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. Why work for us A highly competitive pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% 25 days annual leave on appointment rising 1 day per year up to 30 days, plus 8 days public holidays and 1 day for the Kings Birthday. Flexible working options to enable you to achieve the work life balance that is right for you including; Full time, part-time, flexi time, compressed hours and job sharing. A hybrid working model of a minimum 60% of your contracted hours in the workplace and 40% remote. Training and development opportunities tailored to your role, including access to technical and professional accreditations. Access to funded qualifications (subject to approval) A capability allowance reviewed annually. A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity. Enhanced parental leave schemes. Annual performance-based bonus and recognition awards. This link is to a short guide to employee benefits: Benefits - Home Office Careers Things you need to know Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Experience and Technical skills. As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a Personal Statement (1000 words max) and a CV which will be marked. Please note your personal statement should include all your relevant experience that relates to our essential skills criteria listed in the advert and role description. Use STAR format in your examples. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. Remove information that identifies you (for example your name, age or place of education) so that you will be judged on merit alone and not your personal background, circumstances, race or gender. (Do NOT include e-mail addresses or links to online profiles, resumés, or prior work, either personal or business. Active links or e-mail addresses will result in your application being rejected). Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. All applications are screened for plagiarism, copying, and generating of examples/ answers from internet sources including Artificial intelligence. If detected, the application may be withdrawn from the process. Further action, including disciplinary action, may be considered in such cases involving civil servants. Providing false or misleading information would be contrary to the core values of honesty and integrity expected of all civil servants. Sift stage The sift will be held on the Personal Statement and CV. Please read the Essential skills for this position carefully. We will only consider those who meet the listed requirements. Interview stage Candidates reaching the required standard will then be invited to attend a final interview. The interview will assess your Technical Skills (SFIA Framework) using technical-based questions. Sift and interview dates Sift will commence from 21st January 2025. Interviews will commence from 05th February 2025. (Subject to the Panels operational requirements/priorities) Interviews will be conducted remotely via MS Teams. We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates. Further information Reserve List A reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position. Similar roles Job offers to this post are made based on merit. We often have similar roles available at different grades. If a candidate is suitable for a similar role or a lower grade than they have applied for, we may offer the candidate that role without the need to go through a further selection process providing the role has the same competencies and essential skills. Capability and Skills allowance The advertised role is part of the Home Office Government Digital and Data Profession. This role has access to a Digital Capability-Based Allowance. Applicants who are successful at interview will be invited to complete a Capability and Skills Assessment post-interview. Any allowance awarded will be based on the assessment of your capability against the six skills advertised for this role. Please see the attached candidate pack for more information. The allowance values are set by the Home Office, subject to remaining in a qualifying role, and are non-pensionable. This allowance is non-contractual, subject to an annual review and could be withdrawn at any time. For both new entrants and existing civil servants, the total compensation offer is a combination of base salary and, if applicable, a capability-based allowance. New entrants to the Civil Service will start on the pay range minimum. For existing civil servants, our policies on level transfer and promotion will apply. Working at the Home Office If you are successful in this position and choose to accept the provisional offer for this role, you will be removed from all other Home Office reserve lists at the same grade. Every day, Home Office civil servants do brilliant work to develop and deliver policies and services that affect the lives of people across the country and beyond. To do this effectively and fairly, the Home Office is committed to representing modern Britain in all its diversity, and creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best. We are flexible, skilled, professional and diverse. We work to recruit and retain disabled staff and area Disability Confident Leader. We are proud to be one of the most ethnically diverse departments in the civil service. We are a Social Mobility Foundation top 75 employer. New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band. Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the IFD will be refused employment. For further information please see the attached notes for candidates which must be read before making an application. Existing Civil Servants should note that some of the Home Office terms and conditions of employment have changed. It is the candidates responsibility to ensure they are aware of the Terms and Conditions they will adopt should they be successful in application and should refer to the notes for candidates for further details. Transfer Terms: Voluntary. If you are invited to an interview you will be required to bring a range of documentation for the purposes of establishing identity and to aid any pre-employment checks. Please see the attached list of Home Office acceptable ID documents. Any move to the Home Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk. You will need to meet the nationality requirements for this role and obtain the necessary security clearance to take it up. For meaningful security checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. Learn more on our website. Security Checks - Home Office Careers For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. Reasonable Adjustments If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: Contact Government Recruitment Service via grscabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs Complete the Assistance Required section in the Additional Requirements page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you are deaf, a language service professional If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the Contact point for applicants section. Feedback Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window). See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks. Nationality requirements This job is broadly open to the following groups: UK nationals nationals of the Republic of Ireland nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020 Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy. Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window). Apply and further information This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. Contact point for applicants Job contact : Name : AC Recruitment Email : ACRecruitmenthomeoffice.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : HOrecruitment.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk Further information If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance HORecruitment.GRScabinetoffice.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission. Attachments candidate_information_v12_December_2024 Opens in new window (pdf, 658kB) PFA Candidate Pack Opens in new window (docx, 89kB) Framework Version 8 SFIA Opens in new window (pdf, 1483kB) Pre-employment Checking - Document Requirements (V14) 12-08-2024 Opens in new window (pdf, 464kB) Share this page Print Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn GMail