Lead Technical Architect (Digital Architecture and Design) 5498 in Scotland

The decisions you make as an architect can shape how millions of people access public services. We are looking for a Lead Technical Architect to join our Digital Architecture and Design division and help design and deliver the platforms, services and technology foundations that support Scotland's digital future. This is a senior architecture role spanning national platforms, shared services, and major digital transformation programmes. You'll work with senior stakeholders and multidisciplinary teams to solve complex architecture challenges, guide critical technology decisions supporting the delivery of accessible, secure, sustainable and scalable digital services that enable millions of interactions each year.

Our architects work across identity, platform, cloud, integration and digital service architectures, supporting some of the most complex technology environments in the Scottish public sector. The role offers exposure to modern cloud-native platforms, shared government capabilities, digital identity services, enterprise integration and large-scale service transformation. You'll work in multidisciplinary teams alongside engineers, delivery managers, designers and product specialists to solve complex public sector challenges.

You'll provide leadership throughout the lifecycle of digital services, from early discovery and design through to implementation and assurance, helping balance delivery with Scottish Government objectives, user needs, and long-term service outcomes. Unlike many architecture roles focused on a single product, platform or programme, you'll work across a broad portfolio of services, shared capabilities and transformation initiatives supporting wider ambitions. This role offers the opportunity to contribute to major national programmes and help shape the future direction of digital public services across Scotland.

The Role

As a Lead Technical Architect, you’ll provide architectural leadership across national digital services, platforms, and shared capabilities, helping teams solve complex technical challenges and deliver secure, sustainable services.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and review processes for new solutions and services, evidencing the inclusion of Secure by Design principles within the technical designs you produce, oversee, and approve.
• Create optimal technical designs through an iterative process, aligning user needs, system requirements, security considerations, and organisational objectives.
• Contribute to the overall technical strategy and roadmap for the department within your area of expertise.
• Present recommendations for technologies and improvement opportunities to senior leaders, based on technical expertise and analysis of business and system requirements.
• Be recognised as a subject matter expert, contributing to the development of architectural practice and helping shape a coherent strategy across cybersecurity, cloud, data centre, storage, networking, mobile and infrastructure user experience.
• Manage, coach and mentor Technical Architects, helping to strengthen architecture capability across the organisation.
• Develop and document technical designs for the integration and implementation of solutions, working across GDD, business areas, and delivery teams.
• Act as a key contributor to architecture governance activities, promoting effective working methods and the consistent application of technical architecture standards.
• Ensure technical designs meet security and operational requirements.
• Evaluate implemented solutions, identifying lessons learned and opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Provide feedback to leadership and support the adoption of lessons learned and best practice in future delivery and integration plans.

Person specification

Success profiles are specific to each job, and they include the mix of experience, skills and behaviours candidates will be assessed on.

Experience

• Lead Criteria 1: An ability to understand the complex landscapes of technologies and the required collaboration with 3rd party suppliers, internal and cross-government teams across multiple projects to deliver successful outcomes in line with business and technical requirements.
• Lead Criteria 2: To be successful, you should also be able to balance potentially conflicting requirements and interests, negotiate a consensus, and justify your architectural design decisions.
• Managing Human Resource activities, including interviewing, selection/hiring, and conducting performance assessments.
• You should have the experience, skills and personal qualities that allow you to be effective whilst working unsupervised in a dynamic environment with fluid priorities and high levels of uncertainty.

Technical Skills

This role is aligned to the Technical Architect Job Role within the Architecture Job Family. These skills are assessed by technical assessment, designed to represent the role. Candidates reaching this stage will receive a Technical Assessment Candidate Pack which outlines the specific skills to be assessed, plus the method of assessment.

Behaviours

• Seeing the Big Picture (Level 4)
• Making Effective Decisions (Level 4)

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

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.