At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the architecture for innovative end-user infrastructure and drive digital transformation.
- Company: Join Defra, a key UK government department focused on a sustainable future.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working options, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with a focus on innovation and mentorship.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on the environment while shaping the future of technology.
- Qualifications: Extensive experience in IT architecture and strong technical leadership skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Bristol, London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Reading, Warrington, York
Defra is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world‑leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day‑to‑day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.
Digital, Data, Technology and Security (DDTS) is the trusted team for digital across the entire Defra Group. We have around 1000 colleagues across DDTS and our ambition is to make it easier and faster than ever for people to interact with Defra. If you are ready to drive innovation and push boundaries, we want to hear from you. Join us and together we will create a great place for living, and a green and healthy future for all.
You will provide senior technical leadership for DEFRA’s End User Infrastructure estate, covering devices, endpoints, operating systems, application delivery, and modern workplace platforms across a predominantly Microsoft‑based environment. You will lead the architecture for complex and high‑risk services and change initiatives, defining domain standards, patterns, and roadmaps aligned to enterprise strategy, security requirements, and cross‑government standards. This includes operating across a mixed estate of modern platforms and legacy technologies, ensuring continuity of user services as the organisation transitions away from legacy delivery models.
Working Across Multidisciplinary Teams, You Will:
- Lead and assure technical designs and architectural decision‑making, particularly where services operate across device, operating system, and application runtime boundaries.
- Guide teams and suppliers to deliver coherent, secure, operable, and value‑for‑money solutions across both modern and legacy environments.
- Identify and manage architectural risks across multiple services, including those arising from legacy platforms, dependencies, and unclear ownership.
- Communicate complex technical issues clearly to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders, particularly where user experience is impacted by cross‑domain dependencies.
- Support and develop architectural capability through mentoring and collaboration.
This role suits an experienced Technical Architect who can balance strategic thinking with hands‑on design leadership in a complex organisational environment, including operating in situations where technology, ownership, and dependencies are not always fully defined.
Responsibilities:
- Define and maintain the domain architecture for End User Infrastructure, including principles, patterns, standards, transition states, and roadmaps for modernisation across device, operating system, and application delivery layers.
- Lead the technical design of high‑impact and high‑complexity EUI services and changes, justifying and communicating design decisions clearly, including decisions required to support legacy application behaviour.
- Guide and assure the work of other architects, delivery teams, and suppliers, ensuring designs fit the broader strategy for government and Defra while remaining operable for end users.
- Identify and manage architectural risks affecting multiple teams or domains, including risks associated with legacy platforms, cross‑domain dependencies, and transitional states.
- Provide leadership within the architecture community, including mentoring, coaching, and setting expectations for architectural quality in the EUI domain.
Skills And Experience:
- Significant experience of complex IT programme and service architecture in infrastructure and end user domains, including dependency management and multi‑supplier delivery in environments where services span devices, operating systems, and application delivery.
- Strong hands‑on expertise in one or more relevant technology areas, such as endpoint management, end user devices, operating system deployment, enterprise application delivery, digital workplace platforms, or identity‑related client technologies, combined with a broad understanding of adjacent infrastructure domains.
- Experience working within a predominantly Microsoft‑based environment, including Windows operating systems, Microsoft Office estates (including legacy, non‑Microsoft 365 versions), and Azure‑based workplace platforms.
- Experience supporting and designing for legacy application environments, including applications that have been centralised into virtual platforms (e.g. Citrix) due to compatibility or sustainability constraints.
- Experience defining and maintaining domain standards, principles, patterns, and roadmaps, including transitional architectures that support migration away from legacy platforms (e.g. Citrix) towards modern alternatives such as Azure Virtual Desktop or other DaaS solutions.
- Experience making architectural decisions on application delivery models, including determining whether services are best delivered via local installation (e.g. Company Portal), virtualised environments, or hybrid approaches.
- Experience of architectural assurance, supplier challenge, options analysis, and evidence‑based decision‑making in a complex organisational environment.
- Experience of working with security, operational, service, commercial, and delivery stakeholders to shape coherent end‑to‑end designs.
- Strong understanding of secure‑by‑design approaches, government security expectations, and the operational realities of live service change.
- Experience of mentoring, coaching, and leading other architects or technical specialists through influence rather than line management.
Lead Technical Architect in London employer: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Defra is an exceptional employer, offering a unique opportunity to contribute to the UK's environmental and agricultural sectors while working in a collaborative and innovative digital environment. With a strong focus on employee growth, Defra provides extensive training and mentoring opportunities, ensuring that team members can thrive in their careers while making a meaningful impact on society. The inclusive work culture fosters creativity and teamwork, making it an ideal place for those looking to drive change and enhance public services across various locations including Bristol, London, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Contact Details:
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Recruitment Team
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We think this is how you could land Lead Technical Architect in London
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We think you need these skills to ace Lead Technical Architect in London
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Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills:In IT consulting, it's all about problem-solving, so make sure your CV highlights your analytical skills and any relevant projects you've tackled. Mention specific technologies or methodologies you've used to resolve issues or improve processes; this shows you can think critically and deliver results, which is vital for us at Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
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✨Brush Up on Your Technical Skills
For an IT consulting role, be ready to demonstrate your technical prowess. You might face questions on systems integration, cloud technologies, or even troubleshooting specific software. If you have experience with tools like AWS, Azure, or even specific programming languages, make sure you can talk about them fluently.
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Since IT consulting often involves teamwork and client interactions, expect behavioural questions that assess your interpersonal skills. Be prepared with examples that demonstrate your adaptability, communication skills, and how you handle client feedback. Before the interview, think of situations where you worked closely with clients to create effective IT strategies or changes.
