G7 Technical Architect

Job summary

The COBR Directorate protects the UK from crises. Our work is varied, fast paced and always interesting. We work across the emergency management cycle, including to prepare for and resolve crises, learn lessons and make effective decisions. You will be part of COBR’s National Situation Centre team, working with colleagues across government to combine data and expertise to unlock timely insights for a safe, secure and prosperous UK.

We are looking for a Technical Architect to own the data and cloud architecture for The COBR’s National Situation Centre’s crisis response platform. You will lead the integration of bespoke software with COTS solutions across our AWS ecosystem. This is not a developmental role; we require a seasoned architect with strong, hands-on technical skills who can immediately uplift the team's capabilities. If you have a proven track record of designing scalable data architectures this platform will provide your next major challenge.

This role supports the implementation of the National Situation Centre’s commitments under HMG’s Biological Security Strategy (BSS). The BSS focuses on two flagship capabilities: the National Biosurveillance Network (NBN), which is being developed on the National Situation Centre’s interactive National Security Risk Assessment software RaIN; and the Biothreats Radar (BTR), which is being developed on the National Situation Centre’s x-HMG DASH.

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Leading the technical design of systems and services, justifying and communicating design decisions
• Assure other services and system quality, ensuring the technical work fits into the broader strategy for government
• Regularly collaborate and find agreement with senior stakeholders, providing direction and challenge
• Be proactive in identifying problems and translating these into non-technical descriptions that can be widely understood
• Mentor and coach junior colleagues in the National Situation Centre’s technology team

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

Technical skills:

• Lead technical architecture experience in secure, multi-supplier environments
• Ability to produce clear, defensible architectural artefacts (HLDs, SoRs, strategies)
• Solution Shaping and Solution Architecture Experience.
• Understanding of Data Architecture and distributed models
• Experience with API-led integration, event-driven architectures, and schema standardisation
• Understanding and experience of designing solutions for cloud environments.
• Understanding of Containerisation Technologies.

Architect for the whole context

• Align your work with the work being done by other architects and technical professionals
• Track emerging issues, strategies, roadmaps, patterns and technologies over time to assess opportunities and risks to your work
• Identify how other teams contribute to delivering outcomes through change

Architecture communication

• Listen to the needs of technical and business stakeholders
• Create and use different architecture representations to communicate effectively, achieving agreement with technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Provide support in discussions about architectural topics within a multidisciplinary team

Community communication

• Contribute to the work of others
• Motivate and empower teams
• Create the right environment for teams to work in, and can identify the best team makeup depending on the situation
• Recognise and deal with issues

Making architectural decisions

• Work with others to make architectural design decisions characterised by managed levels of risk and complexity
• Identify and address architectural risks relevant to your team or domain, for example, business, data, or security
• Engage with architectural governance and assurance to effectively manage decisions and risks, with support

Strategy design

• Support the development of a strategy or vision that aligns with organisational objectives
• Challenge requirements and assumptions, and identify opportunities to develop strategy
• Support the implementation of a strategy or vision, for example, by using a roadmap or plan
• Use architectural principles, patterns, and constraints when appropriate

Technical design throughout the life cycle

• Create technical designs characterised by managed levels of risk, impact, and complexity
• Provide guidance and support to teams using technical designs throughout the life cycle
• Adapt a technical design if needed during delivery
• Work with well-understood technology and identify appropriate patterns

Additional information:

Cabinet Office policy is that a minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. For some roles, due to their nature and the business need, this may be up to 100%. Requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Technical Architecture fundamentals

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £62,988, Cabinet Office contributes £18,247 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

The candidate will be invited to undertake an online cognitive ability assessment and a technical test. Candidates will be issued a test invite link separately after their application is submitted, and the details of the test.

Application process

As part of the application process there will be a three stage assessment. Candidates must be successful at each stage of the process to progress to the next.

Stage 1: Initial Sift

A review of the candidates CV and 500 word statement of suitability.

The statement should be based on the Candidate Profile found in the job description and we want candidates to convey their passion for technology.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the Personal Statement

Selection process

Stage 2: Online Assessment

This stage comprises an online cognitive ability assessment and a technical test, for which a test invite link and test details will be sent to you separately after your application has been submitted. This will cover:

1. Critical Thinking
2. Problem Solving
3. Time Management
4. Architecture

Stage 3: Interview

During the interview we will assess you against these behaviours:

• Leadership (lead)
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

We will also assess Strengths at interview.

We will assess you against the following technical skills:

• Technical Architecture fundamentals

Technical Architecture fundamentals are the basic concepts of architecture. These may include architecture patterns, scalability, security, justifying system components, explaining tradeoffs and producing appropriate documentation and designs.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – w/c 27/07/2026

Expected interview date/s – w/c 03/08/2026

Interview location - Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put 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 cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.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 an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Cabinet 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

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.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

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.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

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 theCivil 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.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).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 : neil.phillips@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
• Email : neil.phillips@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then in the first instance you should contact Government Recruitment Service by email at : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk. For further information on the Recruitment Principles and bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/.

Attachments

Cabinet-Office-Employee-Offer Opens in new window (docx, 762kB)Cabinet Office Terms and Conditions - External 2025-02-20 Opens in new window (docx, 83kB)