At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design of secure, resilient digital services for millions across the UK.
- Company: Join DVLA, a mission-driven agency modernising technology for public services.
- Benefits: Enjoy hybrid working, competitive salary, generous pension contributions, and 25 days leave.
- Other info: Flexible culture with opportunities for learning and career development.
- Why this job: Shape the future of national digital services and influence architectural standards.
- Qualifications: Strong background in architecture, cloud solutions, and excellent communication skills.
The predicted salary is between 57515 - 80530 ÂŁ per year.
Become part of a mission‑driven digital team helping to build secure, resilient services used by millions across the UK. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), in partnership with Inspire People, is seeking a Lead Technical Architect with strong experience across infrastructure and cloud technologies, architectural governance, and the ability to lead technical design across complex digital services. Based in Swansea on a permanent appointment, this role offers hybrid working with a minimum 60% office‑based in Swansea and a base salary of £57,515 plus a Digital and Data allowance of up to £24,915, plus 29% employer pension contribution plus excellent Civil Service benefits.
Shape the Future of Digital Services at DVLA. DVLA delivers national‑scale digital services that support the safe and lawful use of vehicles across the UK, reaching millions of citizens and businesses every year. As DVLA continues to modernise its technology landscape, the organisation is investing in strong technical architecture capability to ensure services are secure, well‑governed, scalable and aligned to wider government strategy.
As a Lead Technical Architect, you will work across DVLA’s IT Services Directorate and business teams, collaborating closely with engineering squads to design, assure and deliver modern digital solutions. You will play a key role in shaping architectural patterns, influencing technical decisions and mentoring other architects.
As a Lead Infrastructure Architect you will:
- Lead the technical design of systems and services, justifying and clearly communicating design decisions
- Define and assure solution architectures, ensuring alignment with enterprise and government architecture strategy
- Work collaboratively with engineering teams to deliver new solutions and transition them into live service
- Establish and apply architectural governance, ensuring consistency, quality and security by design
- Assure service and system quality, identifying risks, dependencies and cross‑domain impacts
- Explore opportunities for cross‑government alignment and reuse
- Provide leadership and mentoring to other architects and technical colleagues
- Engage with senior stakeholders, communicating technical concepts to both technical and non‑technical audiences
Essential skills for the Lead Infrastructure Architect include:
- A strong architectural and technical background, having worked in an architect or technical lead role delivering enterprise‑scale solutions
- Experience designing and building cloud‑native or hybrid solutions
- Strong understanding of networking concepts including LAN, WAN and WLAN
- Experience with identity and directory services, including Entra Active Directory, hybrid Active Directory and Microsoft 365
- Knowledge of cloud adoption principles, such as Microsoft’s Azure Cloud Adoption Framework
- Experience applying data security principles to protect sensitive data
- Experience creating and maintaining solution designs in an iterative and collaborative manner
- Strong experience of architectural governance and assurance
- Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills
Desirable skills for the Lead Infrastructure Architect include:
- Experience with unified communications and omni‑channel contact centre solutions
- Experience working in government or other regulated environments
- Experience mentoring architects or senior engineers
- Familiarity with Agile delivery and modern CI/CD practices
In return, you can expect a flexible working culture, including:
- Hybrid working with a minimum 60% office‑based in Swansea
- Flexible working patterns to support work–life balance
- A Civil Service pension with employer contributions of c.29%
- 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays and a privilege day
- Access to learning, development and digital career frameworks
This role offers the opportunity to shape and assure technology that supports nationally significant public services. You will work at scale, influence architectural standards across DVLA, and contribute directly to the organisation’s long‑term digital transformation. If you want to help shape nationally significant digital services at DVLA, apply via the link and one of the Inspire People team will be in touch.
Lead Infrastructure Architect in Swansea employer: Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
Contact Detail:
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Infrastructure Architect in Swansea
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend meetups, webinars, or even just grab a coffee with someone who works at DVLA. Building relationships can open doors that a CV just can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! When you get the chance to chat with potential employers, be ready to discuss your past projects and how they relate to the role. Use specific examples that highlight your experience with cloud technologies and architectural governance.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by researching DVLA's current digital services. Understand their mission and how your skills can help shape their future. This shows you're genuinely interested and ready to contribute to their goals.
✨Tip Number 4
Don't forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you're serious about joining the team and ready to make an impact on national-scale digital services.
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Infrastructure Architect in Swansea
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience with infrastructure and cloud technologies. We want to see how your skills align with the role of Lead Infrastructure Architect, so don’t hold back on showcasing your relevant projects!
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: As a Lead Infrastructure Architect, you’ll be mentoring others and leading technical design. Use your application to demonstrate your leadership experience and how you've influenced architectural decisions in past roles. We love seeing examples of collaboration and mentorship!
Communicate Clearly: You’ll need to engage with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, so make sure your application reflects your ability to communicate complex ideas simply. We appreciate clarity and conciseness, so keep it straightforward and impactful!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website for the best chance of getting noticed. It’s the easiest way for us to track your application and ensure it reaches the right people. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!
How to prepare for a job interview at Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
✨Know Your Architecture Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in architectural principles and cloud technologies. Be ready to discuss your past experiences in designing and delivering enterprise-scale solutions, especially those that align with the DVLA's mission of secure and resilient services.
✨Communicate Clearly with Stakeholders
Practice explaining complex technical concepts in simple terms. You’ll need to engage with both technical and non-technical audiences, so being able to bridge that gap will show your versatility and leadership potential.
✨Showcase Your Collaborative Spirit
Prepare examples of how you’ve worked with engineering teams to deliver solutions. Highlight your experience in mentoring others and how you’ve contributed to architectural governance, ensuring quality and security by design.
✨Be Ready for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that assess your problem-solving skills in real-world scenarios. Think about challenges you've faced in previous roles, particularly around risks and dependencies, and how you navigated them to achieve successful outcomes.