Technical Architect

Job summary

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has a clear mission - to grow the economy. Our role is to help businesses invest, grow and export to create jobs and opportunities right across the country. We do this in three ways.

Firstly, we help to build a strong, competitive business environment, where consumers are protected and companies rewarded for treating their employees properly.

Secondly, we open international markets and ensure resilient supply chains. This can be through Free Trade Agreements, trade facilitation and multilateral agreements.

Finally, we work in partnership with businesses every day, providing advance, finance and deal-making support to those looking to start up, invest, export and grow.

The Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) directorate develops and operates tools and services to support us in this mission. The team have been nominated four times in a row for ‘Best Public Sector Employer’ at the Women in Tech awards and won the award in 2025!

About the role

We are seeking a Technical Architect to join our growing, collaborative team. This role offers the opportunity to shape the technical direction of services, influencing design decisions from early discovery through to live operations.

As a DBT Technical Architect, you will guide the development of user-centred, digital services that meet the needs of citizens, businesses and government. You will work closely with multidisciplinary teams, applying agile methods and modern engineering practices to deliver secure, scalable, and maintainable solutions.

You will be responsible for the overall technical design of services, ensuring they meet user needs, align with organisational goals, and adhere to time and budget constraints. You will also contribute to portfolio-level strategy and governance, helping to shape the future of digital delivery at DBT.

Our technology stack includes Python/Django, Node.js/React within cloud services such as AWS and Azure. We optimise our architecture for change, enabling continuous improvement and innovation.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys solving complex problems, influencing technical direction, and fostering inclusive, high-performing teams. Above all, you will be motivated by the opportunity to improve public services and challenge the status quo where needed.

Job description

You will:

• Define and champion the technical strategy for services, ensuring alignment with user needs, business goals, and DDaT standards.

• Lead technical specialists across multiple projects, solving complex architectural challenges.

• Design and assure open-source, user-centred systems in agile environments.

• Own the technical design and evolution of services, including integration and interoperability.

• Provide technical governance and present designs to boards such as the Technical Design Authority.

• Build cloud solution designs and ensure they meet quality, security, and performance standards.

• Collaborate with architects across DBT to ensure alignment and coherence.

• Horizon scan for emerging technologies and assess their relevance to DBT.

• Contribute to the architecture community, sharing knowledge and mentoring peers.

• Support recruitment and capability development within the technical architecture profession.

Person specification

It is essential that you have:

• Proven experience in designing and implementing secure cloud solutions using AWS and/or Azure with a track record of successful project delivery.

• Proven experience as a senior / lead developer who is/has transitioned into the role of a technical architect, possessing expert knowledge in at least one programming language.

• Experience producing HLD’s and gaining approval through Governance Boards (Architecture Review board, Technical Design Authority, etc..)

• Experience in collaborating with development teams to translate HLDs into Low Level Designs (LLDs), ensuring alignment with standards.

• Proven ability to lead technical teams and deliver user-focused services in agile environments.

• Demonstrated ability to articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences, ensuring understanding and alignment across diverse stakeholders.

• Proven experience with API-driven architecture, data modelling, and relational databases.

It is desirable that you have:

• A willingness to learn new technologies and select the most appropriate tools for the task, seeing technology as an enabler.

• Experience using Python/Django and/or NodeJS/React.

Behaviours

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Leadership
• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills

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

• Architect for the whole context
• Architecture communication
• Community collaboration
• Making architectural decisions
• Strategy design
• Technical design throughout the life cycle

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

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.

At the interview stage for this role, you will be asked to demonstrate relevant Technical Skills and Behaviours listed above from the Success Profiles framework. These are role specific and in line with the DDaT Capability Framework.

You will also be asked to deliver a 10-minute presentation on an architecture you have worked on.

How to apply

As part of the application process you will be asked to upload a two-page CV and complete a 750-word personal statement outlining how you meet the essential skills and experience listed above. You can use bullet points and subheadings if you prefer.

Sift will be from week commencing 9th March

Interviews will be from week commencing 16th March

Please note these dates are indicative and may be subject to change.

If there is a high volume of applications, we will sift looking at your CV only. You may then be progressed to full sift or straight to interview.

How we offer

Offers will be made in merit order based on location preferences. If you pass the bar at interview but are not the highest scoring you will be held on a 12-month reserve list in case a role becomes available. If you are judged a near miss at interview, you may be offered a post at the grade below the one you applied for.

This role requires SC clearance. DBT’s requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet this requirement will result in your application being rejected and your offer will be withdrawn.

Checks will also be made against:

• departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)

• UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records

• your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency

• security services record

• location details

More about us

This role can only be worked from within the UK, not overseas. If you are based in London, you will receive London weighting. DBT employees are contracted to work in a hybrid pattern, spending 2-3 days a week (pro rata) in the office. Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DBT, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.

You can find out more about our office locations, how we calculate salaries, our diversity statement and reasonable adjustments, the Recruitment Principles, the Civil Service code and our complaints procedure in the candidate pack attached to this advert.

Find out more about life at DBT, our benefits and meet the team by watching our video or reading our blog!

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 : DDaT Recruitment
• Email : ddat.recruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : ddat.recruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DBT by email at Resourcing@trade.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Civil Service Commission Complaints

Attachments

DDaT Candidate Pack Aug 25 - Final (3) Opens in new window (pdf, 506kB)