At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the modernisation of payment systems impacting millions of citizens.
- Company: Join a top government digital team with a focus on innovation.
- Benefits: Competitive pay, generous pension contributions, flexible hours, and ample holiday leave.
- Other info: Enjoy a supportive culture with opportunities for professional growth and community involvement.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in public service while shaping future-proof payment architectures.
- Qualifications: Experience in designing microservice and API-led architectures is essential.
Pay up to £99,836, plus 28.97% employer pension contributions, hybrid working, flexible hours, and great work-life balance.
Do you want to lead on the modernisation of systems that deliver billions of pounds in payments every week to citizens who rely on our support? As a Lead Technical Architect in DWP Payments, you'll operate at one of the highest levels of architectural leadership within DWP Digital. Payments is one of the most critical service areas in government, responsible for ensuring accurate, reliable and timely payments to millions of people. We are one of the biggest payers in the UK, across benefits and pensions and we're modernising our payments estate. We are moving away from legacy systems and designing future proofed, event driven, API led architectures that are resilient, scalable and secure.
You'll guide the technical strategy for major transformation initiatives, shaping how our next generation payments platform will work. You'll provide expert architectural leadership across cloud, on premise and hybrid environments, and work with multidisciplinary teams to design and govern high risk, high impact solutions. You'll collaborate closely with delivery teams and senior stakeholders, offering clear options and recommendations that influence technology decisions at scale. This is an exciting time to join us. The scale is huge, the challenge is real, and the opportunities for impact are significant. You'll help transform the backbone of one of the UK's largest public services.
What skills, knowledge and experience will you need?
- You know how to design microservice and API led architectures, and you understand the tools, techniques and best practices behind them.
- You have hands-on experience with event-based architectures, including pub/sub models, data streaming and modern integration patterns.
- You can design architectures that span cloud, on prem and hybrid environments, and understand networking, security, middleware, databases and integration.
- You use architecture principles, standards and patterns to guide design, making sure solutions align with strategy.
- You've shaped or supported delivery across agile, waterfall and hybrid environments, from initial concept all the way to go live.
- You can take complex business needs and turn them into clear, traceable technical solutions that stakeholders can understand.
- You use architecture modelling techniques and tools to represent designs in a way that supports decision making.
You and your role
As a Lead Technical Architect, you'll have a strategic role shaping how our Payments team designs, builds and operates the platforms that deliver billions in payments safely and reliably. We're taking on a major modernisation - moving from complex legacy systems to modern cloud based, event-driven architecture. You'll help lead that change, ensuring our new platforms are robust, secure, flexible and future ready.
You'll work across multiple teams and programmes, guiding architectural direction, setting standards and ensuring solutions meet both technical and business needs. You'll inspire, mentor and support the architecture community, helping others grow and ensuring consistent and high quality design across the organisation. Leadership in this role means influence: setting strategy, supporting communities, guiding decisions and creating clarity in complex environments. You'll solve some of the biggest and most important challenges in government technology: modernising legacy payment systems, improving resilience, handling huge volumes of data, and ensuring that millions of people get the right payment at the right time. Your impact will be felt in the reliability and security of services that people depend on every day. This is a role for someone who thrives on complexity, embraces large-scale transformation and wants to leave a lasting legacy in public service.
Details. Wages. Perks.
Location: You'll join us in one of our brilliant digital hubs in Birmingham, Blackpool, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle or Sheffield, whichever is most convenient for you.
Hybrid Working: We work a hybrid model - you'll spend some time working at home and some time collaborating face to face in a hub.
Pay: We offer competitive pay of up to £99,836. That's £75,026 salary plus a Government Digital and Data Allowance of up to £24,810 subject to our assessment of your capability at interview.
Pension: You'll get a brilliant civil service pension with employer contributions worth 28.97%, worth up to £21,735 per year.
Holidays: A generous leave package starting at 26 days rising to 31 days over time. You can also take up to 3 extra days off a month on flexi-time. You'll also get all the usual public holidays.
We have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:
- Flexible working including flexible hours and flex-friendly policies
- Time off volunteering and charitable giving
- Bring your authentic self to work with 'I Can Be Me in DWP'
- Discounts and savings on shopping, fun days out and more
- Interest-free loans to buy a bike or a season ticket, so it's even easier for you to get to work and start making a difference
- Sports and social activities
- Professional development, coaching, mentoring and career progression opportunities.
And we have an award-winning environment and culture:
- DWP have been recognised as 2024 Diversity Employer of the Year at the Computing Women in Tech Excellence awards
- Diverse and Inclusive Leadership at Digital Leaders Awards 2024
- Commended as Best Place to Work in Digital category in the Computing Digital Technology Leaders awards 2025
- Recognised as one of the Best Public Sector Employers at 2025 Women In Tech Employer Awards
Process
We know your time is valuable so our application and selection process is just two stages:
- Apply: complete your application on Civil Service Jobs. There'll be full instructions when you click through.
- Interview: a two-stage interview online.
Click APPLY for more information and to start your application.
Lead Technical Architect in Birmingham employer: DWP
As a Lead Technical Architect at DWP Payments, you will be part of a forward-thinking team dedicated to modernising critical government payment systems that impact millions of citizens. With a strong emphasis on work-life balance, flexible working arrangements, and a commitment to employee growth through professional development opportunities, DWP offers an inclusive and supportive environment where your expertise can truly make a difference. Join us in one of our vibrant digital hubs across the UK and help shape the future of public service technology while enjoying competitive pay and generous benefits.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Technical Architect in Birmingham
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to current or former employees at DWP through LinkedIn. A friendly chat can give you insider info and maybe even a referral, which can really boost your chances.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by diving deep into DWP's recent projects and challenges. Show us that you’re not just familiar with the tech but also passionate about how it impacts people's lives. We love candidates who care!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your storytelling skills! Be ready to share specific examples of how you've tackled complex architectural challenges in the past. We want to hear about your thought process and how you led teams to success.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to showcase your leadership style! We’re looking for someone who can inspire and mentor others. Think about how you’ve supported your colleagues in the past and be ready to discuss it during the interview.
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Technical Architect in Birmingham
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your application to highlight how your skills and experiences align with the Lead Technical Architect role. Use keywords from the job description to show that you understand what we're looking for.
Showcase Your Experience:Don’t just list your previous roles; explain how your hands-on experience with microservices, event-driven architectures, and cloud environments makes you a perfect fit for us. We want to see how you've tackled similar challenges in the past!
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, keep it straightforward. Use clear language and avoid jargon where possible. We appreciate a well-structured application that’s easy to read and gets straight to the point.
Apply Through Our Website:Remember to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to the right people. Plus, you'll find all the details you need to complete your application smoothly.
How to prepare for a job interview at DWP
✨Know Your Architecture Inside Out
As a Lead Technical Architect, you need to be well-versed in microservice and API-led architectures. Brush up on your knowledge of event-based architectures and integration patterns. Be ready to discuss specific examples from your experience that demonstrate your expertise in these areas.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
This role requires strong leadership and influence. Prepare to share instances where you've guided teams through complex projects or decisions. Highlight how you've mentored others and contributed to architectural communities, as this will show your ability to inspire and lead.
✨Understand the Business Needs
It's crucial to translate complex business requirements into technical solutions. Think about how you've done this in past roles and be prepared to explain your thought process. Use clear, relatable language to ensure stakeholders can grasp your ideas easily.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that assess your problem-solving skills in real-world scenarios. Think about challenges you've faced in modernising legacy systems or designing secure architectures. Practise articulating your approach to these challenges, focusing on the impact of your decisions.
