Lead Enterprise Architect

Job summary

Can you shape and lead enterprise and business architecture that translates organisational strategy into clear capabilities, roadmaps and outcomes, influencing decisions at the most senior levels?

Do you have deep experience in business and enterprise architecture, with the credibility to advise senior leaders, align complex stakeholder groups and guide large scale transformation across an organisation?

If you thrive on working in complex environments, balancing strategic intent with practical delivery, and leading architectural thinking that helps organisations change with confidence, we would love to hear from you!

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency - Department for Transport Careers

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Lead Enterprise Architect to join our Architecture function. This role will play a pivotal part in shaping the strategic direction and maturity of business and enterprise architecture across the agency, ensuring that architectural practice effectively supports business strategy, transformation and capability delivery.

As Lead Enterprise Architect you will act as a senior advisor and leader, influencing strategic decision making, guiding architectural practice and supporting cross-functional teams to deliver value. You will work closely with business stakeholders and technical teams to develop and maintain integrated architecture artefacts, business capability models and roadmaps that articulate both current and future state views of the agency’s operations. Your focus will include business architecture, data, information flows and governance, alongside technology and solution architecture.

This is a senior role requiring strong leadership, excellent stakeholder engagement skills and an ability to operate effectively across business, policy and technical communities within the agency.

Strategic Architecture and Leadership

• Lead the definition and delivery of enterprise architecture strategy, ensuring alignment with organisational goals and priorities.
• Provide high-level architectural guidance that interprets business strategy into coherent architecture roadmaps and business capability models.
• Horizon scan for trends, risks and opportunities that could influence future architectural decisions and organisational capability.
• Promote architectural standards, principles, patterns and frameworks across the agency.

Business Architecture Focus

• Develop and maintain business architecture artefacts that represent the agency’s capability landscape, business processes, information needs and organisational interdependencies.
• Work with business and policy leads to articulate, analyse and optimise business capabilities in support of policy outcomes and transformation initiatives.
• Use business capability insights to influence strategic planning, investment decisions and prioritisation of change activity.

Stakeholder Engagement and Communication

• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with senior stakeholders across business, digital, data and technology domains.
• Communicate complex architectural concepts clearly to technical and non-technical audiences, ensuring common understanding.
• Facilitate discussions to align stakeholders around architectural direction and trade-offs.

Team Leadership and Collaboration

• Lead, mentor and support other enterprise architects and architectural practitioners to foster architectural excellence.
• Support enterprise-wide architectural governance, assurance and decision-making processes.
• Work collaboratively with delivery teams to integrate architectural thinking into planning, development and implementation activities.

Risk and Assurance

• Identify and assess architectural risk, advising on mitigation strategies that balance agility, value and operational resilience.
• Ensure integration of security, data protection, compliance and risk considerations into architectural work.

Your responsibilities will include but aren't limited to:

• Network and communicate with senior stakeholders across enterprises and seek opportunities for improvement.
• Support at least one community or team, or a combination of both.
• Find and use best practice and emerging technologies and approaches
• Lead teams including enterprise architects and help them understand how to deliver the team’s objectives to meet organisational goals.
• Horizon scan for influences or risks.
• Support successful delivery of the long-term strategy.
• Take a leading role in the overall direction of business and digital capabilities.

Great line management is important to us as an organisation, and we will equip and support line managers to develop the skills they need. We aim to empower line managers to create teams where people can flourish and deliver excellent outcomes for the public.

For further information on the role, please read the attached role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Open Sessions: Would you like to find out more about the role, the team and what it’s like to work in our department? If so, we are organising an open session where you can virtually 'meet the team' on Tuesday 3rd March 2026 at 12:00pm. Sign up here.

Person specification

• We're looking for an experienced enterprise architect with a strong focus on business architecture and strategic design
• A confident leader able to set direction, influence senior stakeholders and guide architectural decisions
• A clear and effective communicator who can explain complex concepts to technical and non technical audiences
• A strategic thinker who sees the bigger picture and understands how architecture enables outcomes
• Collaborative in approach, with a strong interest in mentoring and developing others

The role is part of the Government Digital and Data profession and utilises an enhanced Capability–Based Pay Framework which provides access to a Digital and Data allowance.

The base pay is £57,515. In addition to this the role includes a Digital and Data allowance of up to £24,915.

The value of allowance awarded will be based on an assessment of your skills and experience as demonstrated through the selection process. Here are more details on the pay framework.

Working for the DVLA Digital Team

At DVLA, licensing is just the start. Every project you implement, touch and deliver has a ripple effect that’ll wash across the nation. Here the work you’re doing has the capacity to change the way 50 million people interact with our services. As we aim to keep our roads some of the safest in the world, our innovative, transformative digital-led services help optimise a nation of individuals and business every single day.

To see how our people are transforming our digital services, head over to our DVLA Digital Services Blog and, to understand more about the great opportunities and benefits of working at DVLA read our Inside DVLA blog.

Additional Information

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

This role is full time only. Full time roles at DVLA consist of 37 hours per week.

This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (the location cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

If you have a question about hybrid working, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role. To contact the vacancy holder, please use the job contact details listed under ‘Contact point for applicants’.

Visa Sponsorship

Please take note that DVLA does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

Security Clearance

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check. To allow for meaningful checks to be carried out, candidates will be required to have at least 5 years continuous residency in the UK. All applicants for this role must ensure that they meet this minimum residency requirement - if you do not, your application will be withdrawn.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture

Technical skills

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

• Architecture Communication – Expert
• Architect for the Whole Context – Expert
• Making Architectural Decisions – Practitioner
• Strategy Design – Expert

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,515, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency contributes £16,662 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Passionate, reliable and always willing to push yourself and those around you, you’ll continue to seek improvement in your own role and challenge us too. Because we pride ourselves on how we approach your development. From training courses to specialist skills workshops and opportunities to grow your expertise, we thrive when you thrive. You can find out more about all of the above here alongside a full list of our benefits:

• Best in class learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues
• Generous employer contribution of 28.97%, depending on chosen pension scheme
• Digital communities with clear career frameworks
• On-site gym plus personal training available (membership applies)
• On-site nursery, restaurants and coffee bar
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).
• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
• Free Parking.

There are many more opportunities and great benefits of working at DVLA, visit our Careers website for further information.

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, Experience and Technical skills.

How to apply:

Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's qualifications, skills, and potential fit within our organisation.

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Sift of CV

Stage 2: Video Interview

Stage 3: Interview and Assessment

You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.

Stage 1: Sift
As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a CV to Inspire People (our Recruitment Partners) which outlines your experience and suitability for the role (based on the experience points outlined in the essential criteria on this advert).

Upon receipt of your CV, DVLA Hiring Managers will complete a sift. Please note; the sift will be completed on a rolling basis whilst the campaign is still live and so there is potential for feedback to be shared with you (on your application) before the advert closes.

To apply please click 'Apply at advertiser's site' at the bottom of the page. For this role you will need to submit a CV. Within your CV please provide detailed evidence of your experience of the following essential criteria:

• Significant experience working as a senior enterprise business architect, leading business architecture activities across complex organisations or portfolios

• Proven ability to develop and use business architecture artefacts, such as capability models and target operating views, to influence strategic decision making and investment priorities

• Strong experience engaging with senior stakeholders, translating organisational strategy into coherent architectural direction and roadmaps

If invited to interview, this may consist of a range of question types. These could include questions around behaviours and how you would respond in any situation as well as specific examples of things you have done.

The sift will take place on: 12th March 2026

Stage 2: Pre-recorded video interview

If at sift your application is successful, you will be invited to the first stage of the interview process (hosted by Inspire People), where you will be asked to complete a pre-recorded video interview (this again will be based on the experience points outlined in the essential criteria on this advert).

If you are successful at this stage, you will be invited to a final stage interview and be conducted by DVLA Hiring Managers.

Stage 3 Interview and Assessment

If invited to interview, this may consist of a range of question types. These could include questions around behaviours and how you would respond in any situation as well as specific examples of things you have done.

The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include:

• An interview

Behaviours

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture

Technical Skills

• Architecture Communication – Expert
• Architect for the Whole Context – Expert
• Making Architectural Decisions – Practitioner
• Strategy Design – Expert

Final stage interviews will take place from 23rd March 2026.

Please note that we will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change.

This interview will be conducted remotely via Microsoft Teams, details of which will be provided, should you be selected for interview.

Please familiarise yourself with the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Frameworkas you will be tested on elements of these during the interview stage.

The Department for Transport alongside other Government Departments recruit using Success Profiles. This means for each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate in order to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

For further information on Success Profiles visit our Careers website.

Further information on the selection process

Feedback on your application can only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

We will also hold a 12-month reserve list for this role, which may lead to potential opportunities beyond the role you applied for. You can read more about our reserve lists here.

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.

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 : Zymante Gintalaite
• Email : Zymante@inspirepeople.net

Recruitment team

• Email : Zymante@inspirepeople.net

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website Here

Attachments

Role Profile Opens in new window (pdf, 210kB)DVLA Digital Job Brochure - V1 2025 Opens in new window (pdf, 2038kB)