Senior Security Architect

Overview

DWP’s Identity & Trust team is building a strategic platform that enables safe, secure and seamless communication between citizens and the services they rely on. We are looking for a Senior Security Architect to provide specialist security leadership, architectural direction and hands‑on guidance across a range of identity verification projects. This high‑impact role directly shapes how DWP protects citizens, services and data at a national scale.

• Lead security architecture design and modelling techniques, tools and standards for identity verification platforms.
• Provide architectural guidance for application and cloud security across complex environments.
• Drive secure‑by‑default thinking, refine patterns and help teams make confident, informed security decisions.
• Influence long‑term identity solutions, strengthening trust and secure access in DWP and across public services in the UK.

• Security architecture design and modelling techniques, tools and standards.
• Application and cloud security across complex environments.
• Experience in enterprise‑scale IT, in at least one recent Security Architect role within a large, complex national or multi‑national organisation.
• Network security; strong understanding of network protocols (e.g. TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF) and experience securing routers, switches, firewalls and load balancers.
• Threat analysis and mitigation using tooling such as SIEM, IDS/IPS, and endpoint detection systems.
• Encryption & cryptography expertise (e.g. SSL/TLS, IPsec, Kerberos, VPNs, PKI) including securing data in transit and at rest.
• Strong knowledge of AuthN/AuthZ technologies such as OIDC, OAuth, JWT and SAML.
• Knowledge of cloud‑native technologies (e.g. Docker, Kubernetes, Istio) and CI/CD tooling (e.g. Jenkins, Git Lab).

Location:

Digital hubs in Blackpool, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle or Sheffield (hybrid model – some time at home, some in a hub). Hybrid working – spend time collaborating face‑to‑face in a hub.

• Pay up to £83,917 (£57,946 salary + Government Digital and Data Allowance up to £25,971).
• Pension: 28.97% employer contributions, worth up to £16,786 per year.
• Holidays: 26 days rising to 31 days over time, plus up to 3 extra days off per month on flexi‑time and all public holidays.

• Flexible working including flexible hours.
• Time off volunteering and charitable giving.
• Interest‑free loans to buy a bike or a season ticket.
• Sports and social activities.
• Professional development, coaching, mentoring and career progression opportunities.

• DWP 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.
• Best Place to Work in Digital category in the Computing Digital Technology Leaders awards 2025.
• Best Public Sector Employer at 2025 Women In Tech Employer Awards.

The application and selection process is just two stages:
Apply and Interview (a single stage online interview).