Technical Architect

Job summary

Looking to shape the future of Digital Services?

Technical Architect opportunities in DWP.

Are you from a strong technical background and ready to take your next career step?

Do you want to help design and deliver modern IT solutions that make a real difference to millions of people?

If you have the aptitude, curiosity, and ambition to develop into or as a Technical Architect, this could be the opportunity you’ve been looking for.

Why Join DWP?

As part of a multi‑disciplinary, collaborative team, you’ll:

• Support the architecture design of IT products and services at national scale.
• Work closely with experienced Technical Architects and engineers, contributing to the design and implementation of approved solutions.
• Help shape modern, user‑centred digital services that support millions of DWP claimants.
• Play a key role in some of the largest and most complex digital transformations in Europe.

This is a hands‑on role where you’ll learn by doing, developing both your technical depth and architectural thinking.

What We’re Looking For

We’re keen to hear from people with experience in, or exposure to, areas such as:

• Application design, with evidence of hands‑on involvement or delivery.
• IT architecture and modern technology approaches, including: Public cloud computing, Microservices, Domain‑driven design and Event‑based architectures.
• Engineering foundations, including: Software engineering standards and patterns and Development experience or close collaboration with developers.
• Proven technical problem‑solving skills in fast‑paced, evolving environments.

You don’t need to already be a Technical Architect — we’re looking for potential, capability, and the drive to step into the role.

Your Impact

These roles support the design, oversight, and architecture governance of IT solutions that underpin critical DWP services. Your work will help ensure systems are secure, scalable, resilient, and designed around user needs.

An Exciting Time to Join

You’ll be joining DWP at a pivotal moment — shaping not only your own IT career, but also the future of digital public services.

If you’re ready to move beyond pure engineering and help influence how systems are designed at scale, we’d love to hear from you.

Build your future. Architect change. Deliver digital services that work for everyone.

Job description

A DWP Technical Architect is responsible for the design and build of technical architecture.

At this role level, you will:

• Undertake structured analysis of technical issues, translating this analysis into technical designs that describe a solution.
• Be consulted about design and provide design patterns.
• Identify deeper issues that need fixing.
• Look for opportunities to collaborate and reuse components, communicating with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Person specification

When giving details in your employment history and personal statement you should highlight your experience in line with essential criteria below:

• Application design across on-prem, cloud and hybrid environments involving networking, security, presentation, middleware, database, and integration aspects.
• Architecture design informed through use of principles, patterns, technical radars, practices and standards.
• Architecture design working with project delivery teams within agile, waterfall and hybrid environments throughout the lifecycle - from concept to go-live.
• Translating business requirements into technical solutions with traceability that can be demonstrated to stakeholders.
• Architecture design through use of architecture modelling techniques and tools to devise and represent.

If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact Mark.Harbottle@dwp.gov.uk

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership
• Working Together

Technical skills

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

• Architect for the whole context
• Architecture communication
• community collaboration
• Technical design throughout the life cycle

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,447, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £12,876 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We also have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:

• Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
• Generous annual leave – at least 25 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro–rata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
• Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
• Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
• Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
• Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.

Hybrid Working

This role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work.

If a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for the role and for you, you will normally be required to spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted working hours from your DWP office.

If you have a disability, caring responsibilities, or other circumstances that may affect your ability to meet the minimum office attendance requirement, please discuss this with us using the contact details in this advert.

Salary Information

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

Pay for this role is £44,447 to £46,547, subject to candidate type. In addition to this, the role can attract a Government Digital and Data allowance of up to £16,473. Please see additional info below regarding candidate type. The value of allowance awarded will be based on an assessment of your skills as demonstrated in the selection process. Government Digital and Data Allowance is a discretionary non-consolidated, non-pensionable allowance.

External applicants

Pay for this role is £44,447 plus a Government Digital and Data Allowance of up to £16,473, subject to our assessment of capability at interview.

Our offer to successful candidates will be based on our assessment of your capability based on the evidence you provide at interview against the listed Technical Skills for the role. There is no negotiation at offer stage.

Internal and OGD applicants

Pay for the role is from £44,447 to £46,547, you may also be eligible for a Government Digital and Data Allowance of up to £16,473, subject to our assessment of capability at interview.

Existing Civil Servants who secure a new role on lateral transfer should maintain their current base salary.

Existing Civil Servants who gain promotion should either move to the bottom of the grade pay scale or receive a 10% increase to their base salary; whichever would be the greater.

In addition to your base salary a Government Digital and Data Allowance may be payable based on our assessment of your capability. Our offer to successful candidates will be based on the evidence you provide at interview against the listed Technical Skills for the role. There is no negotiation at offer stage.

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.

Stage 1: Application

Your application will consist of three parts:

1. A Personal Details application form.

2. Employment history - this should contain your work experience and any skills, qualifications and accomplishments relevant to the jobs you have completed based on the essential criteria.

3. Personal statement - up to1250 words. This statement should be used to provide examples of how you meet the essential criteria listed in the Person specification.

The sift panel will use the information in your employment history and personal statement to assess your experience, skills and knowledge against the essential criteria.

You will be provided with one combined overall assessment score for both your CV and Personal Statement.

Important Information

• You will be asked to complete your employment history. Any information that you would customarily share on a CV should therefore be entered onto the application form.
• Personal details that could be used to identify you including your name, contact details and address must be removed for your application to be considered.
• If your employment history/personal statement contains any personal details your application will be withdrawn.

Stage 2: Interview 1

If you’re successful at sift stage you will be invited to a video interview via Microsoft Teams.

You will be asked to do a 10-minute presentation. Your presentation should focus on the following:

How does your experience demonstrate an ability to operate as a Technical Architect in DWP?

Your presentation must address any key relevant experience in:

• Designing applications in various environments.
• Applying architectural principles.
• Working with delivery teams across the lifecycle.
• Translating business requirements into traceable technical solutions.
• Using modelling techniques and tools to communicate your designs?

Stage 3: Interview 2

If you are successful at Stage 2 you will be invited to a video interview via Microsoft Teams.

There, you will be assessed against the following Behaviours and Technical Skills:

Behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership
• Working Together

Technical Skills:

• Architect for the whole context
• Architecture communication
• Community collaboration
• Technical design throughout the life cycle

Skills A to Z - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework

As part of the stage 2 interview, we will also ask you questions in relation to the following technical skills:

Making Architectural Decisions – Working

Strategy Design – Working

The above 2 technical skills will not count towards the final interview outcome and instead will be used as part of our overall capability assessment process, which helps determine the salary and allowance offer that is to be made to successful candidates.

Interviews will take place from the end of June 2026. Sift and Interview dates to be confirmed.

Further Information:

If high application volumes are received, the benchmark for candidates to proceed to the next stage may be raised. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to advance all candidates applying under the DCS who meet the minimum standard. However, we may only progress those candidates who best meet the required standards.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

All successful candidates and those placed on reserve will be posted in merit list order by location.

For these vacancies, we strongly recommend that applicants consult with an immigration specialist or qualified advisor to assess their eligibility for Visa Sponsorship before deciding to apply. Please note that while we consider sponsorship requests in accordance with current DWP guidance and Home Office policy, sponsorship cannot be guaranteed.

Further information

Find out more about Working for DWP

For Hints and Tips on completing your application visit Applying for jobs at DWP Digital.

Reasonable Adjustment

At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: Contact Government Recruitment Service via DigitalRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” 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.

For further information on reasonable adjustments, terms and conditions and how we recruit visit the How we recruit page.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.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 : Mark Harbottle
• Email : Mark.Harbottle@dwp.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles. If you wish to make a complaint, please find further details here: https://careers.dwp.gov.uk/how-we-recruit/.

Attachments

DWP Terms and Conditions January 2024 Opens in new window (docx, 17kB)Success-Profiles-Candidate-Overview-Accessible-Version Opens in new window (docx, 220kB)