Senior Security Architect

Job summary

It is an exciting time for HM Land Registry (HMLR) as we continue on a major transformation programme. HMLR's ambition is to become the world’s leading land registry for speed, simplicity and an open approach to data.

HM Land Registry's existing software systems and services form part of the critical national infrastructure, safeguarding land and property ownership valued at £7 trillion. This enables over £1 trillion worth of personal and commercial lending to be secured against property across England and Wales.

We are now looking for two Senior Security Architects to join our Transformation and Technology directorate,

Check out the video below to find out what it is like working in Digital Careers at HM Land Registry.

Job description

As a Senior Security Architect, you will play a key role in shaping secure, robust, and future‑focused technology solutions for HM Land Registry. You will take a strategic, top‑down view of our technical landscape to identify required change and assess the impact on both current and future systems. Using your expertise, you will solve complex problems and work with architects and engineers across multiple domains to develop “best fit” solutions that balance security, user needs, cost, and long‑term sustainability.

You will collaborate with a range of teams and stakeholders, providing clarity where details are uncertain and helping to align business strategy, business capabilities and technical direction. You will draw on a broad understanding of technologies, tools and processes to design, review and improve secure system architectures, ensuring our services meet security, legal and legislative requirements.

A key part of your role will be translating complex security concepts into clear, meaningful information for both technical and non‑technical audiences. You will recommend security controls, advise on risk, and communicate the implications of vulnerabilities and design decisions. You will build strong working relationships across HM Land Registry, external suppliers and other government departments to support effective security governance.

You will maintain an up‑to‑date understanding of emerging technologies, industry developments and cross‑government initiatives, helping ensure our services remain secure, modern and resilient. Your work will span the full security lifecycle, from early design considerations and architectural patterns through threat modelling, risk mitigation and the assurance of live services.

Additional Information:

• This post is subject to Security Clearance, including background checks. As a result, a minimum of five years’ UK residency is essential.

Person specification

This job is based upon the expected skills for a Security Architect role as defined on Government and Data Profession Capability Framework

To be successful in this role, you will have evidence of:

• Communicating with a range of technical and non-technical stakeholders in appropriate mediums to convey technical concepts and risks, as well as a deep security understanding whilst effectively responding to challenge.
• Designing secure systems, by designing and reviewing system architectures using patterns and principles.
• Enabling and informing risk-based decisions, by working with risk owners, advising on risk impact and tolerance, whilst also able to describe different risk methodologies and proportionality of risk.
• Keeping actively informed of industry developments to make creative and cost-effective use of emerging technologies and tools, aligned with business goals and user needs and defining a secure configuration for the technology.
• Understanding security architectures and identifying vulnerabilities to prevent and respond to cyber breaches, whilst also able to describe the effect of a vulnerability on a system design
• Identifying and protecting an organisation's assets, where you have needed to interpret and apply an understanding of policy and process, business architecture, and legal and political implications to assist the development of technical solutions or control.

Due to the nature of the role regular travel to other HM Land Registry offices will be required, including some overnight stays.

For more information about the role and the full Person Specification, please see the attached Job Description.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,400, HM Land Registry contributes £16,628 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

#WeAreHMLR

At HM Land Registry our vision is a world leading property market as part of a thriving economy and a sustainable future. We are unique in terms of the economic and social impacts of our work, our ability to make a positive difference to the lives of our customers, our sense of mission, and our great people. They are the foundation of all we have achieved and all we aspire to in the future. We want our people to feel proud to work for HM Land Registry and able to fulfil their full potential.

We have a strong and positive culture, a commitment to inclusivity, an emphasis on continuous learning and development, and flexible ways of working. We offer competitive pay and annual leave, attractive pension options and a wide range of other benefits.

• We have integrity – we value honesty, trust and doing the right thing in the right way.
• We drive innovation – we are forward-thinking, embrace change and are continually improving our processes.
• We are professional – we value and grow our knowledge and professional expertise.
• We give assurance – we guarantee our services and provide confidence to the property market.

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 and Experience.

To apply, you will need to complete the short application form and copy and paste your CV onto the online application form detailing your qualifications, experience and work history.

Your CV will be assessed against the essential technical and experience criteria detailed in the attached Job Description.

The Personal Statement section (in no more than 750 words) should be used to outline your wider skills and experience for the role and detail how you meet the essential experience criteria listed below:

• Communicating with a range of technical and non-technical stakeholders in appropriate mediums to convey technical concepts and risks, as well as a deep security understanding whilst effectively responding to challenge.
• Enabling and informing risk based decisions, by working with risk owners, advising on risk impact and tolerance, whilst also able to describe different risk methodologies and proportionality of risk.
• Designing secure systems, by designing and reviewing system architectures using patterns and principles.

Please review your application form before clicking ‘submit’ – once you have submitted, you will not be able to amend your application. Ensure your application form is received by the closing date for receipt of applications – this is 23:55pm on the advertised date.

The sift will take place shortly after the closing date. If successful at shortlisting stage, you will be invited to attend a virtual interview and deliver a pre-prepared presentation, from week commencing 04 May 2026. Further details will be provided on invitation to interview.

The blended interview will assess the essential technical skills, experience and behaviours listed in the Job Description.

Please note that we will not be testing any of the desirable criteria throughout this process.

Candidates may refer to notes within their interview, but they should be used as a prompt only.

HMLR is accredited to the Disability Confident Scheme, which denotes organisations which have a positive attitude towards disabled people. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria at the shortlisting stage may be invited to attend an interview. If you require the panel to consider a reasonable adjustment or there is anything else you would like the panel to take into consideration, you are asked to notify us of this at application stage where possible or during the process as soon as it becomes a requirement.

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that we will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa where a role is in a certain business critical category. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a skilled worker visa.

You must ensure you have the appropriate right to work in the UK before applying.

You can find more information on how we use your personal data on our website.

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 : Wayne Mcnaught
• Email : Wayne.McNaught@landregistry.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : hrresourcingteam2@landregistry.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance to the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, please email hrresourcingteam2@landregistry.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from HM Land Registry then you may take your complaint to the Civil Service Commission: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/making-complaint/

Attachments

SEO+ Senior Security Architect Job Description final Opens in new window (pdf, 230kB)Transformation & Technology Candidate Pack 2026 Opens in new window (pdf, 2131kB)