Lead Technical Architect

Location: Staining

Pay up to £99,836, plus 28.97% employer pension contributions, hybrid working, flexible hours, and great work life balance. Are you ready to shape how data architecture works at scale across services used by millions of people every day? As a Lead Technical Architect, you'll join our Data & Analytics (D&A) function in DWP Digital - the team responsible for designing, delivering and evolving the platforms and services that unlock the value of data across the organisation.

We're undergoing significant transformation, moving towards cloud-native data solutions while managing highly sensitive data, complex integrations, and live services. You'll lead architecture that ensures data is secure, scalable and works seamlessly end-to-end, helping deliver better outcomes for citizens across the UK. We are recruiting into two Lead roles. One is a hands-on leadership role within Data Enablement, shaping solution design and leading technical teams.

The other is a cross-cutting assurance role, responsible for ensuring all layers of the data architecture work together coherently and meet government-wide standards. Whichever role you join, your impact will be significant - shaping strategy, influencing senior stakeholders and driving architectural decisions  scale of what we do is extraordinary, and our purpose is unique. We'd love you to join us.

What skills, knowledge and experience will you need? Experience bringing together data from lots of different systems, including real-time and batch processing Strong understanding of ETL/ELT tools and how data is extracted, transformed and loaded into platforms Knowledge of data warehousing, data lakes, reporting and analytics tools, and how they fit together Ability to design architecture across cloud, on-prem and hybrid environments, considering security, networking and integration Experience applying architecture principles, standards and reusable design patterns Experience working with delivery teams across the full lifecycle, from early design through to live running services Ability to turn business needs into clear, structured technical designs that stakeholders understand Experience using architecture models or diagrams to explain and shape solutions You and your role You'll operate at the highest level of technical leadership within Data & Analytics, helping shape how data is designed, integrated and delivered across DWP.

In one role, you'll work within our Data Enablement Layer, leading solution architecture for data products and services. You'll collaborate with engineers, product teams and other architects to design solutions that meet user needs and align with DWP standards. This is also a people leadership role, where you'll coach, guide and build capability across the team. In the second role, you'll operate across the entire Data & Analytics architecture, focusing on assurance and coherence.

Our data landscape can be thought of as layered - covering ingestion, storage, processing and consumption - but users experience seamless services end-to-end.

Your role is to ensure those layers work together as a joined-up whole: driving consistency in technologies and patterns, identifying gaps, and making sure solutions are not designed in isolation. You'll also play a key role in aligning architecture with cross-government standards, ensuring solutions stand up to external scrutiny and assurance. Across both roles, you'll engage with senior stakeholders, influence strategic direction, and solve complex architectural challenges.

You'll support delivery teams to adopt best practice and emerging technologies, and ensure that everything we build is secure, scalable and designed with users in mind. This is a role for someone who enjoys working at scale, thrives in complexity and wants to make a tangible impact on services that millions of people rely on. Details. Wages. Perks.

Location:

You'll join us in one of our brilliant digital hubs in Blackpool, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle or Sheffield, whichever is most convenient for you. Hybrid Working:
We work a hybrid model - you'll spend some time working at home and some time collaborating face to face…