At a Glance
- Tasks: Shape the technical direction of services and solve complex architectural challenges.
- Company: Join the Department for Business and Trade, a leader in public sector innovation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working options, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with a focus on continuous improvement and innovation.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on public services while working with cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: Experience in cloud solutions, API-driven architecture, and leading technical teams.
The predicted salary is between 55000 - 65000 £ per year.
Location: Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, London, Salford
About the job
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has a clear mission - to grow the economy. Our role is to help businesses invest, grow and export to create jobs and opportunities right across the country. We do this in three ways:
- We help to build a strong, competitive business environment, where consumers are protected and companies rewarded for treating their employees properly.
- We open international markets and ensure resilient supply chains through Free Trade Agreements, trade facilitation and multilateral agreements.
- We work in partnership with businesses every day, providing advice, finance and deal-making support to those looking to start up, invest, export and grow.
The Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) directorate develops and operates tools and services to support us in this mission. The team have been nominated four times in a row for 'Best Public Sector Employer' at the Women in Tech awards and won the award in 2025!
Job description
We are seeking 4 Technical Architects to join our growing, collaborative team. These roles offer the opportunity to shape the technical direction of services, influencing design decisions from early discovery through to live operations. You will be responsible for the overall technical design of services, ensuring they meet user needs, align with organisational goals, and adhere to time and budget constraints. You will also contribute to portfolio-level strategy and governance, helping to shape the future of digital delivery at DBT. Our technology stack includes Python/Django, Node.js/React within cloud services such as AWS and Azure. We optimise our architecture for change, enabling continuous improvement and innovation. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys solving complex problems, influencing technical direction, and fostering inclusive, high-performing teams. Above all, you will be motivated by the opportunity to improve public services and challenge the status quo where needed.
Main responsibilities
You will:
- Define and champion the technical strategy for services, ensuring alignment with user needs, business goals, and DDaT standards.
- Lead technical specialists across multiple projects, solving complex architectural challenges.
- Design and assure open-source, user-centred systems in agile environments.
- Own the technical design and evolution of services, including integration and interoperability.
- Provide technical governance and present designs to boards such as the Technical Design Authority.
- Build cloud solution designs and ensure they meet quality, security, and performance standards.
- Collaborate with architects across DBT to ensure alignment and coherence.
- Horizon scan for emerging technologies and assess their relevance to DBT.
- Contribute to the architecture community, sharing knowledge and mentoring peers.
- Support recruitment and capability development within the technical architecture profession.
We are recruiting Technical Architects across several specialist areas. You will have a core architecture skillset but may bring experience in one of the following areas:
- AI-focused Technical Architect: This area focuses on exploring how AI can be used safely and effectively across DBT to improve business and public facing services. The role will involve leading on AI architecture utilising cloud platforms and the latest AI products, working with multidisciplinary scrum teams to prototype new ideas, test use cases and help turn the right solutions into secure, scalable, production services.
- Cloud-focused Technical Architect: This area focuses on shaping and improving DBT's cloud platform capability across AWS and Azure. The role will support the design of modern cloud services, help define best practice across the department and influence how DBT uses cloud technology to improve resilience, efficiency, and future service delivery.
- ERP-focused Technical Architect: This area focuses on DBT's involvement in a major cross-government ERP transformation programme. The role will support the design and integration of a new cross government ERP solution with an initial focus on the overarching architecture design and its integration architecture looking at how it connects with existing systems, how data will flow between services and how future business processes will be enabled through the new platform.
- Technical Architect: This area focuses on architecting public-facing services, guiding the development of user-centred digital services that meet the needs of citizens, businesses, and government. Working closely with multidisciplinary teams to translate high-level architecture into practical technical plans, supporting the delivery of secure, scalable solutions across multiple scrum teams within a DDaT portfolio with services operating at a national scale. The role also provides technical leadership by shaping architectural direction, setting standards and design patterns, and ensuring services align with cross-government strategy, assurance processes, and the DDaT capability framework.
Person specification
It is essential that you have:
- Proven experience in designing and implementing secure cloud solutions using AWS and/or Azure with a track record of successful project delivery.
- Experience producing HLD's and gaining approval through Governance Boards (Architecture Review board, Technical Design Authority, etc).
- Experience in collaborating with development teams to translate HLDs into Low Level Designs (LLDs), ensuring alignment with standards.
- Proven ability to lead technical teams and deliver user-focused services in agile environments.
- Demonstrated ability to articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences, ensuring understanding and alignment across diverse stakeholders.
- Proven experience with API-driven architecture, data modelling, and relational databases.
It is desirable that you have:
- A willingness to learn new technologies and select the most appropriate tools for the task, seeing technology as an enabler.
- Experience using Python/Django and/or NodeJS/React.
Technical Architect - Department for Business and Trade - G7 employer: Government Digital & Data
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is an exceptional employer, recognised for its commitment to fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment. With multiple locations across the UK, employees benefit from a strong focus on professional development, innovative technology projects, and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on public services. Join us to be part of a team that not only values your expertise but also champions your growth in a dynamic and supportive setting.
Contact Details:
Government Digital & Data Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Technical Architect - Department for Business and Trade - G7
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in your field on LinkedIn or at industry events. A friendly chat can lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised yet.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its projects. Knowing their mission and recent achievements will help you stand out and show you’re genuinely interested.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your technical skills and be ready to showcase them. Whether it’s coding challenges or architectural design scenarios, being prepared can make all the difference.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive!
We think you need these skills to ace Technical Architect - Department for Business and Trade - G7
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your application to highlight how your skills and experiences align with the Technical Architect role. Use keywords from the job description to show that you understand what we're looking for.
Showcase Your Technical Skills:Don’t hold back on showcasing your technical expertise! Whether it's your experience with AWS, Azure, or any relevant programming languages, make it clear how you can contribute to our mission at DBT.
Be Clear and Concise:Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so avoid jargon and ensure your points are easy to understand. This will help us see your thought process and communication skills.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to the right people and shows your enthusiasm for joining our team at StudySmarter!
How to prepare for a job interview at Government Digital & Data
✨Know Your Tech Stack
Make sure you’re well-versed in the technologies mentioned in the job description, like Python/Django and Node.js/React. Brush up on your cloud services knowledge, especially AWS and Azure, as these will be crucial in demonstrating your technical expertise during the interview.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare to discuss specific examples where you've tackled complex architectural challenges. Think about how you’ve influenced technical direction in past roles and be ready to explain your thought process clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
✨Understand User-Centred Design
Since the role focuses on user-centred services, be prepared to talk about how you’ve designed systems with user needs in mind. Share examples of how you’ve collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to ensure that the end product meets user expectations and aligns with business goals.
✨Familiarise Yourself with Governance Processes
Get a good grasp of governance boards like the Technical Design Authority. Be ready to discuss your experience in producing High-Level Designs (HLDs) and how you’ve navigated approval processes in previous projects. This will show your understanding of the importance of technical governance in delivering successful projects.
