Senior Technical Architect
Summary
Senior Technical Architect in GDS's Insights and Analytics team, owning the data infrastructure that turns GOV.UK data into actionable intelligence: designing scalable, secure data platforms on Google Cloud (BigQuery) and AWS, setting architecture standards, and mentoring engineers. Hybrid role based in Bristol or Manchester.
- Job grade: Grade 7
- Contract type: Permanent
- Business area: GDS - GOV.UK
- Type of role: Digital, Information Technology
- Working pattern: Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time, Compressed hours
- Number of jobs available: 1
Location
About the job
Job summary
The Government Digital Service (GDS) is the digital centre of government. We are responsible for setting, leading and delivering the vision for a modern digital government.
Our priorities are to drive a modern digital government, by:
1. joining up public sector services
2. harnessing the power of AI for the public good
3. strengthening and extending our digital and data public infrastructure
4. elevating leadership and investing in talent
5. funding for outcomes and procuring for growth and innovation
6. committing to transparency and driving accountability
We are home to the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (I.AI), the world-leading GOV.UK and at the forefront of coordinating the UK’s geospatial strategy and activity. We lead the Government Digital and Data function and champion the work of digital teams across government.
We’re part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and employ more than 1,000 people all over the UK, with hubs in Manchester, London and Bristol.
The Government Digital Service is where talent translates into impact. From your first day, you’ll be working with some of the world’s most highly-skilled digital professionals, all contributing their knowledge to make change on a national scale.
Join us for rewarding work that makes a difference across the UK. You'll solve some of the nation’s highest-priority digital challenges, helping millions of people access services they need.
Former DSIT recruitment campaigns are continuing as usual, but candidates should be aware that following the Government’s announcement on the changes to some civil service departments, roles will be subject to the machinery of government moves and will ultimately be in one of the new departments. We will provide more information if you are selected for a role. This work remains of high importance to the civil service, and we thank you for your continued interest.
Job description
As a Senior Technical Architect in the Insights and Analytics team, you will take ownership of the infrastructure that transforms GOV.UK data into actionable intelligence. You will have significant autonomy to define the architectural strategy, designing robust, scalable data platforms that enable the team to unlock insights from the UK’s most critical online services.
Beyond the technical build, you will champion the effective use of GOV.UK data by serving as a key bridge between your team and the wider GDS technical community. You will be responsible for designing and implementing policies and processes that ensure data infrastructure is both resilient and aligned with government standards, fostering a culture of technical excellence in how we collect, process, and derive value from the information our users trust us with every day.
As a Senior Technical Architect you’ll:
- be responsible for technical and architecture leadership and decision making, assuring robust, secure, and scalable technical architectures for complex data-intensive systems
- work with product and delivery managers to plan and prioritise the teams work
- ensure the activities and work of the team technically align across workstreams and meet the required standards
- be responsible for designing an end to end data infrastructure that meets the expanding needs of data users across GOV.UK
Person specification
We’re interested in people who:
- have extensive experience designing and assuring large-scale, resilient technical architectures for complex data platforms
- bring a deep understanding of modern data engineering principles, including pipeline orchestration, data modelling, and infrastructure as code
- are confident translating complex business and user requirements into secure, scalable, and performant technical solutions
- possess expert-level knowledge of Google Cloud Platform (GCP), specifically in leveraging BigQuery for data warehousing and analytics, alongside a solid working familiarity with AWS
- demonstrate strong experience with web data collection methodologies, including hands-on proficiency with Google Tag Manager (GTM) and Google Analytics (GA) to support data-driven decision-making
- communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders to build consensus and drive technical direction
- are passionate about mentoring engineers and architects, contributing to a supportive culture of continuous improvement and technical excellence
Benefits
There are many benefits of working at GDS, including:
- flexible hybrid working with flexi-time and the option to work part-time or condensed hours
- a Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
- 25 days of annual leave, increasing by a day each year up to a maximum of 30 days
- an extra day off for the King’s birthday
- an in-year bonus scheme to recognise high performance
- career progression and coaching, including a training budget for personal development
- a focus on wellbeing with access to an employee assistance programme
- job satisfaction from making government services easier to use and more inclusive for people across the UK
- advances on pay, including for travel season tickets
- death in service benefits
- cycle to work scheme and facilities
- access to an employee discounts scheme
- 10 learning days per year
- volunteering opportunities (5 special leave days per year)
- access to a suite of learning activities through Civil Service learning
Any move to Government Digital Service from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at
Office attendance
The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.
DSIT does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).
Things you need to know
Artificial intelligence
Selection process details
The standard selection process for roles at GDS consists of:
- a simple application screening process - We only ask for a CV and cover letter of up to 750 words. Important tip - please ensure that your cover letter includes how you meet the skills and experience listed in the “person specification” section above
- a 20 minute screening call
- an 80 minute video interview including a 15 minute presentation, the brief will be sent 5 days in advance
Please upload your SC and Cover Letter as one document.
Depending on how many applications we get, there might also be an extra stage before the video interview, for example a phone interview or a technical exercise.
In the event we receive a high volume of applications, we will conduct the initial sift against the lead criteria which is:
- possess expert-level knowledge of Google Cloud Platform (GCP), specifically in leveraging BigQuery for data warehousing and analytics, alongside a solid working familiarity with AWS
In the Civil Service, we use Success Profiles to evaluate your skills and ability. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, increases performance and improves diversity and inclusivity. We’ll be assessing your technical abilities, skills, experience and behaviours that are relevant to this role.
For this role we’ll be assessing you against the following Civil Service Behaviours:
- making effective decisions
- developing self and others
- seeing the bigger picture
- communicating and influencing
We’ll also be assessing your experience and specialist technical skills against the following skills defined in the Government Digital and Data Capability Framework for the Senior Technical Architect role:
- architect for the whole context
- community collaboration
- making architectural decisions
Want to know more about who Government Digital and Data are? Click Here
Recruitment Timeline
Sift completion: 30th October 2026
Phone Screens: w/c 9th November 2026
Panel interviews: w/c 16th November 2026
Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.
A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.
Sponsorship
DSIT cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DSIT holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.
Security
Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.
Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.
For meaningful checks to be carried out, you will need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time, to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. Whilst a lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance, and expectation of UK residency may range from 3 to 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements needed for the role may result in the withdrawal of provisional jobs offers.
Location
Whilst this role's location is Bristol/Manchester, if you are a current Civil servant working in DSIT and based in London you are also able to apply for this role. If you are successful, you will retain your current location and pay.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
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
Working for the Civil Service
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).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : gdsrecruitment@dsit.gov.uk
- Email : gdsrecruitment@dsit.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : gdsrecruitment@dsit.gov.uk
Further information
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission by email: info@csc.gov.uk Or in writing: Civil Service Commission, Room G/8 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ.
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