Technical Architect

Job summary

MI5 keeps the country safe from serious threats like terrorism and attempts by states to harm the UK, its people, and its way of life. We carry out investigations by obtaining, analysing and assessing intelligence, and we work with a range of partners, including MI6 and GCHQ, to disrupt these threats. Through our protective security arm, we provide advice and guidance to government, businesses, and other organisations on how to keep themselves safe. A role in MI5 means you’ll do unique and challenging work within a supportive and encouraging environment, making a real difference to UK national security.

You’ll be working under the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework (GDDPCF), which recognises and rewards specialist expertise. Find out more about the framework at the following link: Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework (GDDPCF).

Job description

Architecture and technology leadership are crucial to MI5’s ability to move at pace and deliver the strategic technology change we need to stay ahead. We need technology leaders to help set and deliver our ambitious technology strategy. We are moving into a product-centred organisation and, as we evolve in this direction, we need senior technologists to help us develop our capabilities, ensuring we make the best use of recent innovations in technology while also pushing these boundaries even further with our internal engineering teams. MI5 makes use of modern approaches and cloud technologies such as AWS and Azure, as well as on-premises platforms and long-established technologies and frameworks.

The role involves leading and managing technical architecture at both the product and product-group level, including the delivery and prototyping of new, secure, scalable, and robust capabilities. It also includes owning and managing technical risk for the product groups you’re accountable for, while supporting our product teams in their technical decisions and designs.

A key part of the role is setting the strategic direction for our products and technologies, guiding decisions on the future of products, platforms or services, and enabling the decommissioning of legacy ones.

Working closely with engineers and senior stakeholders, you’ll ensure alignment of vision and act as a force multiplier to increase delivery pace, manage technical and compliance risk, and maintain coherence across the organisation’s wider product landscape. This helps to ensure systems work effectively together and that capability investments deliver maximum value.

Bridging the gap between technical and non-technical stakeholders, you’ll work with a range of technical specialists, including engineers, product professionals, and senior mission stakeholders, to make decisions on risk and technology strategy. You’ll also share the collective responsibility for keeping the country safe and demonstrate a commitment to continually developing yourself and others. Providing the appropriate level of support, leadership and direction where required to aid the development and growth of others, taking various forms including coaching and mentoring across the technical community. You’ll also bring constructive challenge, respecting the views and experience of colleagues while ensuring the right approaches, guardrails, standards, policies and governance are in place across the delivery lifecycle.

Technical architects tend to be ‘T’-shaped, meaning they maintain both broad technical knowledge and one or more technical specialism, in depth. These specialisms may include software development, data architecture, security, cloud technologies and others.

MI5’s architecture community (guild) is supportive and inclusive. It is responsible for designing and delivering real-world architectural solutions to strategic requirements from a range of business areas across the organisation and partner agencies. Whether delivering a platform for analysing data systems to support investigations, providing compliance services that ensure legal operation, or developing tools that enhance developer experience, the work presents unique and fascinating challenges.

Due to the nature of our work, most teams are office based. Limited opportunities to work from home may be available, but these are not guaranteed and depend on the business need.

Person specification

We’re looking for passionate technology leaders who are excited to take the initiative, be creative, and drive business change. You’ll have a technical background (e.g., data science, software engineering, or security engineering) and experience leading multiple successful product deliveries using methodologies such as agile throughout the full delivery lifecycle.

You’ll have experience turning business problems into technical designs, including designing complex solutions and evaluating the merits of different technical and commercial options and approaches.

You can lead the development of technology roadmaps with empowered product teams, ensuring that delivery meets the needs of the business. You’ll also ensure that their system architectures are robust, scalable, and secure, with appropriate system design and integration points (e.g. APIs) to deliver a high-quality user experience.

You bring experience in guiding and supporting less-experienced colleagues, helping to build capability and foster a collaborative, high-performing environment.

We also value your passion for continuous learning and good communication skills, as you collaborate, share ideas and experience, and produce high-quality architectural artifacts to support communication.

Benefits

Training and development

We’re committed to developing our staff and recognise this will look different for everyone. We’ll use the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework as a compass to provide guidance and tools to support you. There’ll be opportunities to gain qualifications and pursue specialist pathways, as well as undertake tailored training, coaching and mentoring. Individuals can also attend hackathons and have up to 20% innovation and personal development time.

As you develop, grow, and maintain your technical skills, you’ll have the opportunity to progress through the GDDPC Framework pay points. You’ll need to regularly demonstrate and accredit your skills based on the framework. If you don’t maintain the required skills, you’ll be given the opportunity and support to rectify this, as you could otherwise revert to a lower level of capability and pay.

Rewards and benefits

You’ll receive a starting salary of £79,969, with an opportunity to qualify for additional allowances and a skills-related payment under the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework, plus other benefits including:

• 25 days’ annual leave, automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days of public and privilege holidays
• Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
• A dedicated development budget
• An interest-free season ticket loan
• An excellent pension scheme
• A cycle to work scheme
• Facilities such as a gym, restaurant and on-site coffee bars (at some locations)
• Paid parental and adoption leave.

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

Equal opportunities

At MI5 diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: those with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce such as women, those from an ethnic minority background, people with disabilities and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Find out more about ourculture, working environment and diversity on our website.

We’re Disability Confident

MI5 is proud to have achieved Leader status within the Department for Work and Pensions’ Disability Confident scheme. This initiative encourages employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain, and develop disabled people. As a Disability Confident Organisation, we aim to ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants who best meet the essential criteria for this position will be offered an interview, where it is practical for us to do so. (This is known as the Offer of an interview.)

To secure an interview for this role, you must meet the minimum criteria, all of which are assessed at the application sift. These criteria (in order of application process) are:

• Demonstrate a technical background, e.g. data science, software engineering or security engineering
• Demonstrate experience of turning business problems into technical designs, including designing complex solutions and evaluating the merits of different technical and commercial options and approaches
• Demonstrate experience of leading multiple successful product deliveries, developing technology roadmaps with empowered product teams, as well as guiding and supporting less-experienced individuals

There is a wide range of extra support available throughout the recruitment process to enable you to do your best, see our website for information on reasonable adjustments we can offer.

What to expect

Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:
1. application sift, assessing your motivation for applying to the organisation and your suitability for the role
2. candidates who pass the sift will be invited to an online HR interview, where you will be asked questions relating to your motivation and our core competencies
3. those who progress from the HR interview will be invited to a face-to-face technical skills-based interview. This will be based on the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework for the role and will draw upon your experience
4. successful candidates will then receive a conditional offer of employment, subject to vetting

Please note you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Your application may take around 6 to 9 months to process, including vetting, so we advise you to continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer.

Before you apply

To work at MI5, you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. Read about our eligibility criteria.

This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. Find out more about the vetting process.

Please note we have a strict drugs policy. Once you start your application, you must not take any recreational drugs, and you’ll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.

Before you apply, we advise you to consider setting up a separate email address for your contact with us, to ensure your personal and application correspondence remain separate. Try to avoid including identifying information in your email address, such as your first and/or surname or date of birth. This is good practice and will help you manage your application with us more securely.

The role is based in London, so you’ll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before applying. An interest-free loan via our benevolent fund is available to assist with relocating into privately rented accommodation to take up the offer of employment.

We offer reasonable reimbursement of travel costs for candidates attending in-person appointments during the recruitment and vetting process. Full details will be provided with your interview or assessment invitation.

Reimbursement is discretionary and will only be made in line with the Candidate Expenses Policy, as amended from time to time. Candidates must book their own travel, using the most economical option, and provide original hardcopy receipts for reimbursement.

Please note, that you should launch your application only from within the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to apply. Applying from outside the UK will impact our ability to progress your application. You should not discuss your application other than with your partner or a close family member.

Right to withdraw statement:

Please be aware that we reserve the right to bring forward the closing date for this role once a certain number of applications have been received. Please be mindful of this and submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.

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 developed vetting (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

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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

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 : The Recruitment Team
• Email : careers@recruitmentoffice.org.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : careers@recruitmentoffice.org.uk

Further information

https://www.mi5.gov.uk/careers?adhoc_referrer=59118510006&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23210820146&gbraid=0AAAAACnugvSqncMEaTN0tOKwWqpI-EWXE&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvLiJv9CkkwMVe4RQBh3AWDO7EAAYASAAEgLU3_D_BwE