At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design of impactful digital services for millions across the UK.
- Company: Join DVLA, a key player in digital transformation and public service.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, generous pension, flexible working, and excellent career development.
- Other info: Be part of a supportive team driving innovation in a dynamic environment.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in digital services while working with cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: Experience in software architecture or engineering, with strong technical skills.
Transform digital services that affect over 53 million people across the UK! The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) are looking for Lead Technical Architects to support major digital change across a range of high-volume services. You will work closely with engineering and delivery teams on technical design, helping to improve existing systems, deliver new digital services and support future change across areas such as vehicles, payments, identity and customer-facing platforms.
Permanent role, hybrid working from Swansea (60% office-based), salary of up to £82,430 (inc allowances, based on skills and experience) plus 29% employer pension contribution and excellent Civil Service benefits.
About role: As a Lead Technical Architect, you will be responsible for the technical design of systems and services across one or more DVLA product areas. You will work closely with engineering squads, lead engineers, delivery managers, business analysts and programme architects to develop practical designs that can be understood, delivered and maintained.
You will work on impactful projects such as the Electronic Vehicle Excise Duty programme, known as EVED - a major programme of work linked to upcoming legislative change. The work will include a mix of new development, changes to current national systems and integration between existing and new services.
You will produce high-level designs, support solution briefs, document technical decisions and work with squads to make sure designs are clear before development begins. The role would suit someone with an engineering background who has moved into architecture, or an experienced technical architect who enjoys working closely with delivery teams.
Responsibilities:
- Own and evolve products across web, mobile and API platforms, staying close to how systems are built, maintained and improved.
- Design and build end-to-end technical solutions, including database schema, APIs, frontend, mobile interfaces and third-party integrations.
- Work directly with cloud-based technologies such as Azure and AWS, alongside C#, .NET, SQL, React, React Native, TypeScript, Node.js and Vue.
- Improve high-volume transactional systems, including payment flows, locking mechanisms, reconciliation, webhooks and data integrity controls.
- Support delivery through sprint planning, backlog management, code reviews, CI/CD improvements and test-driven development, while mentoring engineers and staying hands-on across the stack.
Essential skills:
- Architectural or engineering background.
- Experience designing or delivering enterprise and cloud-based software systems such as AWS.
- Knowledge of cloud-native design, data security and protecting sensitive information.
- Ability to create solution designs collaboratively and iteratively with delivery teams.
- Strong technical skills across end-to-end design, governance, assurance and engineering support.
- Strategic thinker who can balance business, product and technical priorities.
- Strong communicator, able to work with senior leaders, engineers, testers and non-technical stakeholders.
Desirable skills:
- Experience working in a large, complex or regulated environment.
- Background in government, public sector or high-volume digital services.
- Experience working closely with Agile software engineering squads.
- Exposure to architecture governance, design assurance or technical standards.
- Comfortable using design and technical tools such as Draw.io, C4, Mermaid, PlantUML, Git or Markdown.
Benefits:
- Alongside your salary of £57,515 - £82,430, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency contributes £16,662 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
- Best in class learning and development tailored to your role.
- An environment with flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.
- Generous employer contribution of 28.9%, depending on chosen pension scheme.
- Digital communities with clear career frameworks.
- On-site gym plus personal training available (membership applies).
- On-site nursery, restaurants and coffee bar.
- 25 days holiday (plus bank holidays), increasing by 1 each year (up to 30) & 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King's birthday.
- 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
- Free parking.
Why join?
DVLA is entering a significant period of digital and legislative change, with a major new programme of work coming into play across its vehicle services. You'll be joining at an early stage, helping to support the technical design behind services that are used by millions of people across the UK. You'll join a friendly and supportive architecture team that is moving towards a more collaborative, product-led and cloud-native way of working, with opportunities to stay close to engineering, modern tooling, AI coding assistants and future digital services.
Apply now or contact Inspire People in complete confidence.
Technical Architect in Swansea employer: All The Top Bananas
My Four Wheels is an exceptional employer, offering a rewarding career as a Trainee Driving Instructor with flexible working hours and the potential to earn up to £50,000+ annually. With comprehensive training provided through our new Training Academy, employees benefit from ongoing support and resources, ensuring a fulfilling journey towards becoming a qualified instructor while enjoying the satisfaction of teaching locally in Westfield, Surrey.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Technical Architect in Swansea
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at All The Top Bananas or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to All The Top Bananas.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like All The Top Bananas.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like All The Top Bananas that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at All The Top Bananas.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at All The Top Bananas and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at All The Top Bananas
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If All The Top Bananas uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
