Technical Architect, Police & Public Protection Technology (PPPT) - HO - SEO

Location

Cardiff, Croydon, Glasgow, Manchester, Sheffield, Southport

About the job

Job summary

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

As a Technical Architect (SEO), you will design and build robust technical architectures to address complex organisational challenges. You will undertake a structured analysis of technical issues, translating this analysis into well-defined technical solutions. You’ll identify underlying problems, look for opportunities to collaborate and reuse components and communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders. In this role, you will also build trusted partnerships with diverse teams, ensuring alignment across multiple technologies, business areas, and locations.

Due to business requirements this post is available on a full time/flexible working basis. Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. Where this is the case, employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in the office. Applicants can raise any queries to the email address at the bottom of the advert.   

We value diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from the widest diversity of backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. We encourage applications from women, people with disabilities and LGBT+ as they are currently under-represented in the Home Office at this grade level. Appointments will be made on merit based on fair and open competition.

Job description

The Police and Public Protection Technology Portfolio (PPPT), part of the Home Office’s Digital Data and Technology (DDaT), delivers digital solutions for policing and public protection. Serving all UK police forces and over 20 law enforcement agencies, PPPT designs, builds, and supports major transformation programmes like NLEDP and HOB. It also maintains critical systems such as the Police National Computer (PNC) and Police National Database (PND), and leads infrastructure upgrades like LECN and LECP. Within PPPT, the National Communications Data Service (NCDS) ensures communications data is accessible and operationally valuable amid ongoing technical and business change. 

You will transform business requirements into secure, scalable, and future-proof technical architectures in this role. You’ll work in agile, collaborative environments to design and deliver services that meet user needs and strategic goals. You will guide stakeholders through technical decisions, ensuring alignment with governance and assurance processes, and championing continuous improvement and innovation.

You will be knowledgeable in AWS systems and products; knowledge of other cloud providers would also be beneficial. You will have an understanding and ideally experience in managing and administering AWS based infrastructure platforms providing an enabling function to a business unit. It would be beneficial to have knowledge and experience in the Telecommunications domain particularly in the underlying networks and systems.

Person specification

Key responsibilities

Analyse existing systems to recommend improvements or new technologies that address organisational needs and enhance security.
Contribute to solution design by creating and reviewing technical patterns, ensuring alignment with broader departmental or cross-government strategies.
Support integration of new systems into existing infrastructures, documenting precise technical approaches and standards.
Own one or more digital components, guiding design, implementation, and continuous improvement throughout the delivery lifecycle.
Collaborate across teams and suppliers to identify reusable components, reduce technical debt, and drive consistent architectural practices.
Evaluate outcomes of projects or solutions, capturing best practices, lessons learned, and opportunities for further innovation.
Adhere to governance requirements and assurance frameworks, ensuring solutions meet relevant policies, standards, and compliance requirements.

Essential skills

You’ll have a demonstrable passion for technical architecture, with experience in:

Designing and delivering quality services with strong technical grounding.
Driving innovation and continuous improvement in solution design.
Navigating complex landscapes of technologies, suppliers, and cross-government teams and multidisciplinary teams.
Applying agile development and DevOps principles, following robust engineering standards.
Shaping or contributing to technical roadmaps and strategies as well as experience in architectural toolsets, principals and patterns.
Understanding and implementing relevant technical requirements in associated technologies.

SFIA capability framework  

Skills for the Information Age (SFIA) is the technical framework that sets the standard capability and development of all levels in the Home Office. This is a link to the capability framework:  All skills A - Z English (sfia-online.org)  

We use set SFIA technical skills to form our interview questions and we will assess you against these technical skills during the selection process.  

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

SFIA Technical skills:

Strategy & Architecture:

Strategy and Planning

Strategic Planning (ITSP) – Level 3
Innovation (INOV) – Level 3
Enterprise and Business Architecture (STPL) – Level 3
Solution Architecture (ARCH) – Level 3

Advice & Guidance

Consultancy (CNSL) – Level 3
Specialist Advice (TECH) – Level 3

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:

Solution Architecture (ARCH – Level 3)
Strategic Planning (ITSP – Level 3)