Senior Technical Architect (Azure) in Manchester

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

You will work within the Technology Design team as a Senior Technical Architect for Azure, you will lead the architecture, design, governance and assurance of Azure services across MHCLG, providing technical direction across critical services and transformation programmes. Working alongside other Senior Technical Architects, you will help shape cloud strategy, turn organisational goals into practical technical solutions, promote good practice and improve the Azure estate. MHCLG are committed to supporting professional development, learning and certification.

We welcome applications from people with different backgrounds and experiences.

Find out more about our Digital teams and what they are working on through our MHCLG Digitalblog . Please note that MHCLG do not offer visa sponsorship and applicants will need a valid visa for the duration of your employment.

You will lead for Azure platform technical architecture, standards, reference patterns, roadmaps and assurance. You will set standards, patterns and roadmaps for secure, consistent and cost-effective cloud delivery, and provide direction, assurance and governance throughout the service lifecycle. You will work with stakeholders to balance business, technical, security and operational needs, and support architects and engineers to develop their skills. The role works closely with Enterprise Architecture but does not sit within the Enterprise Architecture team.

As a Senior Technical Architect, you’ll:

• Own Azure architecture principles, standards and reference patterns.
• Set technical direction for secure, scalable and resilient Azure solutions.
• Develop target architectures, roadmaps and technology strategies.
• Provide architecture assurance and governance throughout the service lifecycle.
• Lead architecture for cloud migration, modernisation and transformation.
• Make and communicate architectural decisions, balancing business, technical, security and operational considerations.
• Identify and manage architectural, operational and security risks.
• Govern Azure platform patterns, landing zones and operating models.
• Maintain architecture artefacts, decision records, roadmaps and technical standards.
• Guide engineering teams in implementing approved architectural designs.
• Provide technical architecture support for procurement and suppliers.
• Improve Azure services, platforms and operating practices.
• Mentor technical professionals and promote knowledge sharing.

Person specification

As a Senior Technical Architect, you’ll have:

• Knowledge of Azure networking, identity, security, governance and platforms.
• Experience designing, supporting or governing Azure solutions at scale.
• Experience supporting cloud transformation, migration or modernisation programmes.
• Ability to develop target architectures, roadmaps and technology strategies.
• Experience implementing secure-by-design, cloud-native architectures.
• Strong understanding of architecture governance, assurance and risk management.
• Ability to explain technical concepts clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience producing architecture documents, decision records and technical standards.
• Ability to balance business, operational, security and technical needs in architectural decisions.
• Experience working across teams and coordinating multiple workstreams.

These criteria are helpful but not essential. We welcome applications from people with transferable skills gained in other sectors or through different career paths. You do not need experience of every technology listed, and equivalent practical experience is valued alongside formal certification.

• Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification.
• Experience in government, regulated or large enterprise environments.
• Knowledge of Azure Landing Zones, Cloud Adoption Framework and Well-Architected Framework.
• Experience with Bicep, Terraform or ARM Templates.
• Knowledge of DevSecOps, CI/CD and cloud automation.
• Familiarity with Azure DevOps, APIM, Entra, Databricks, Fabric or GitHub.
• Understanding of NCSC principles and government digital standards.
• Experience building architecture communities and mentoring technical professionals.

Government Digital and Data is a community of experts leading digital transformation in government, creating more efficient services that have a meaningful impact on people’s lives.

Theprofession has technical specialists of all levels and backgrounds. They share a commitment to put users first and deliver world-leading government products and services.

Job roles within the profession range from trainee to Senior Civil Servants who lead on the very future of government itself.

Working in Government Digital and Data

Building the government of tomorrow

The UK government is recognised as a global leader in digital transformation. Government Digital and Data experts design, build and manage essential services that impact millions of peoples lives daily.

With an unprecedented number of digital transformation projects underway, the potential to help solve complex problems and shape our society’s future is enormous.

Examples of Government Digital and Data roles:

• User Researcher
• Content Designer
• Software Developer
• Delivery Manager
• Business Analyst
• Product Manager
• Technical Architect

As a Government Digital and Data specialist you will be working at the cutting edge of how people interact, and are empowered by government.

You’ll work in collaborative multidisciplinary teams on a range of projects and services that focus on user needs and deliver real value to society. You’ll be part of a cross-government profession with clearly defined career paths, support and learning and development.