Principal Technical Architect

Job summary

The Home Office works to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counter-terrorism, policing, crime, drugs policy, immigration and passports.

Home Office Digital designs, builds and develops services for the rest of the department and for government. Every year our systems support up to 3 million visa applications, checks on 100 million border crossings, up to 8 million passport applications and deliver 140 million police checks on people, vehicles and property.

Responsible for strategic architectural assurance and governance across Enterprise Services portfolio. Ensures alignment with organisational standards, compliance, and technology strategy. Provides oversight of service architecture, validates technical designs, and drives best practices for operational efficiency. Collaborates with stakeholders to optimise service delivery and identify opportunities for innovation and continuous improvement.

Join Enterprise Services Technology to shape high‑impact, cross‑government solutions. As a Principal Technical Architect, you’ll lead strategy, drive modernisation, and influence decisions across diverse programmes. The role offers wide scope, meaningful purpose, and the ability to align teams and technology to deliver secure, scalable, user‑focused public services.

Job description

As Principal Technical Architect, you will define and execute the technical strategy for your responsibility, collaborating with senior leadership and diverse teams to ensure alignment with organizational, cross-departmental, and government-wide objectives. You will proactively seek opportunities to leverage emerging technologies - such as cloud and AI - and ensure that technical solutions are secure, user-focused, and capable of adapting to evolving business needs.

You will lead the design and review processes for complex systems and infrastructure, championing architectural best practices and governance. By bridging technical and business perspectives, you will resolve high-risk issues and shape initiatives that drive transformation. Your role includes guiding and inspiring other architects, facilitating professional growth, and establishing an environment where innovative thinking thrives.

Key responsibilities:

• Own and deliver the overarching technical strategy, guiding architectural decisions that balance risk, complexity, and delivery timelines.
• Lead governance and assurance processes, ensuring solutions remain secure, robust, and aligned with enterprise architecture principles.
• Collaborate with senior stakeholders to advocate for digital transformation initiatives, influencing decisions through clear, data-driven insights.
• Mentor and guide architects and engineering teams, nurturing a culture of excellence, innovation, and continuous learning.
• Oversee integration of new systems, developing detailed plans that align with broader organisational and cross-government strategies.
• Assess current systems to identify areas for improvement, analyse potential risks, and promote emerging best practices in the field.
• Facilitate stakeholder discussions, serving as the key escalation point for complex or high-risk design challenges.
• Drive continuous improvement, incorporating lessons learned into future strategies and ensuring consistency in architecture across multiple domains.

The successful candidate will need to be adaptable and willing to work flexibly across the wider team as required, performing additional duties reasonably expected within the scope of the grade.

Line Management

You will manage a team, providing timely feedback, leadership and help in developing their capability and career, supporting and empowering staff to achieve their best potential, aspiring to make HOD an inclusive, enjoyable, and diverse team to work within whilst facilitating development as an individual.

Travel

Occasional travel may be required to other work locations within the UK according to business needs and may include overnight stays. All related costs will be reimbursed in line with Home Office policy.

Working Pattern

This role is available on a full-time basis with the option of compressed hours working. This role is also suitable for part-time working hours, with a minimum requirement to work 4 days / 28 hours per week due to business requirements.

Person specification

Essentia Criteria

• Demonstrated leadership in delivering complex and innovative technical architectures at scale, fostering a collaborative, inclusive environment that empowers teams to contribute diverse perspectives and technical excellence.
• Ability to apply strategic foresight to anticipate emerging technologies, using evidence‑based analysis to identify opportunities for improvement, transformation, or optimisation that benefit a wide range of users.
• Experience working across diverse technology landscapes, including cloud services, multi‑vendor environments, and cross-departmental teams, ensuring effective coordination and respectful, inclusive collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders and suppliers.
• Strong understanding of engineering principles, agile methodologies, DevOps practices, and secure‑by‑design approaches, enabling the delivery of robust, resilient, and accessible solutions that meet the needs of all users.
• Proven track record of delivering technical solutions to agreed timescales and within scope, balancing budget, security, accessibility, sustainability, and quality considerations in line with equal opportunities and fair recruitment practices.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to explain complex technical information clearly and respectfully to different audiences, supporting informed decision‑making.
• Experience owning and developing technical roadmaps and strategies, ensuring alignment with organisational objectives, user needs (including those of under‑represented or disadvantaged groups), and evolving industry best practice.

The essential skills listed above are reflective of the Home Office Government Digital and Data Profession Career Framework (based on the industry standard SFIA8 framework- Use the levels of responsibility to understand what would be expected for each technical skill listed). Please see below for the relevant skills for your role:

Strategy & Architecture:

• Strategy and Planning
  • Strategic Planning (ITSP) – Level 4
  • Innovation (INOV) – Level 4
  • Enterprise and Business Architecture (STPL) – Level 4
  • Solution Architecture (ARCH) – Level 5
• Advice & Guidance
  • Consultancy (CNSL) – Level 5
  • Specialist Advice (TECH) – Level 4

Desirable Criteria

• Championing best practices, inspiring teams to adopt improved processes, scaled agile frameworks, or commodity market products where appropriate.
• Experience in HR activities, including recruitment, performance assessments, and professional development of technical staff.

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

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

• Strategic Planning (ITSP) – Level 4
• Innovation (INOV) – Level 4
• Enterprise and Business Architecture (STPL) – Level 4
• Solution Architecture (ARCH) – Level 5
• Consultancy (CNSL) – Level 5
• Specialist Advice (TECH) – Level 4

Benefits

In addition to your salary, a career with the Home Office offers a range of benefits, including:

• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
• 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service to 30 days.
• Eight days of public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
• Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office.
• 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 Home Office Pay Framework Allowance Careers page 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. The pay ranges for this role are National: £76,117 - £83,729 and London: £80,237 - £88,261. 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.
• See more of our benefits on our careers website.

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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.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

We will endeavour to conduct the selection process in line with the dates indicated below, but cannot guarantee that these will not, where necessary, be revised.

1. Application – by 30th March 2026

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• CV
• Personal Statement (maximum 1250 words).
• Evidence of the Behaviours Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions, Communicating and Influencing (maximum of 250 words per Behaviour).

Your CV should consist of your career history, and skills/experience, including any key achievements in each role. Your CV will be scored against the experience required for the role as noted within the essential criteria.

The Personal Statement should be aligned to and demonstrate how you meet the skills and experience set out in the essential criteria, detailed in the job description.

For guidance and information on how to construct your application (CV, Personal Statement and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers website.

2. Sift – commencing 1st April 2026

The sift will be held on the Personal Statement, CV and Behaviours Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions and Communicating and Influencing.

Should a high volume of applications be received, an initial sift will be conducted on the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift will then be progressed to a full sift that will consist of all the remaining elements submitted (CV and Behaviours Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions, and Communicating and Influencing). Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the initial sift will not have their remaining submitted elements scored and will only receive a sift score for that assessed at the initial sift.

3. Interview – week commencing 27th April 2026

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview that will be Behaviours (as listed in the job advert) and Technical Skills based questions.

The interview will take place on MS Teams.

For guidance on the Technical skills, please refer to the SFIA8 framework levels of responsibility

For guidance and information on what to expect and how to prepare for an interview, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers.

Problems during the application process

If you experience problems accessing this advert, or you think you’ve made a mistake on an initial application, please contact hocandidates.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, including the vacancy reference, at least two working days before the vacancy closes. Further information can be found on our website.

Do not create or attempt to submit another application, online test or use a different Civil Service Jobs account to proceed as this would be in violation of the candidate declaration.

Further Information

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.

Location preferences

You can select up to three locations in order of preference. Please ensure that these are locations you are prepared to travel to. If you are offered a role at one of your preferred locations and you decline, your application will be withdrawn.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. There is no guarantee that being held on a reserve list will lead to a job offer. Further information can be found on our website.

Candidates judged to be a near miss at interview may be offered a post at the grade below the one advertised without the need to go through a further selection process, providing the role has the same Success Profiles elements and essential skills. There is no guarantee that further such vacancies will arise.

Standards

All Civil Servants are expected to comply with the Civil Service Code, and its core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.

Additional Security Checks

As well as successfully obtaining UK Security Vetting clearance, candidates will be subject to a range of additional checks. The range of checks carried out will depend on whether you are a current Home Office employee, existing civil servant or an external new entrant as well as the role requirements. The level of Criminal Record Check required for this role is Basic. Further details are included in the Notes to Candidates.

Non-Police Personnel Vetting (NPPV)

You should currently hold, or be willing to obtain, Non-Police Personnel Vetting (NPPV) Level-3 vetting (including financial checks). This is essential for the role. For further information visit About the Police National Vetting Service , Warwickshire Police.

Formal offers of employment will not be made until successful candidates have obtained both NSV clearance and NPPV3 clearance.

For existing Civil Servants: Please note that failure to obtain NPPV3 Clearance may trigger a formal review of your National Security Vetting Clearance (NSV). Depending on the nature of the information identified, this could result in your NSV being revoked.

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 HOrecruitment.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 interview, or if you're 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 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.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 : Home Office Resourcing Centre
• Email : HORCCampaignTeamHSGPSGandMBG@homeoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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

Further information

If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Civil Service recruitment principles and you wish to make a complaint, then contact the Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

candidate_information_v16_January_2026 Opens in new window (pdf, 429kB)2025-11-17 Pre-employment Checking - Document Requirements (V17) Opens in new window (pdf, 231kB)