Senior Security Architect in Birkenhead

It is an exciting time for HM Land Registry (HMLR) as we continue on a major transformation programme. HMLR's ambition is to become the world’s leading land registry for speed, simplicity and an open approach to data. HM Land Registry's existing software systems and services form part of the critical national infrastructure, safeguarding land and property ownership valued at £7 trillion. This enables over £1 trillion worth of personal and commercial lending to be secured against property across England and Wales.

We are now looking for two Senior Security Architects to join our Transformation and Technology directorate. As a Senior Security Architect, you will play a key role in shaping secure, robust, and future‑focused technology solutions for HM Land Registry. You will take a strategic, top‑down view of our technical landscape to identify required change and assess the impact on both current and future systems. Using your expertise, you will solve complex problems and work with architects and engineers across multiple domains to develop “best fit” solutions that balance security, user needs, cost, and long‑term sustainability.

You will collaborate with a range of teams and stakeholders, providing clarity where details are uncertain and helping to align business strategy, business capabilities and technical direction. You will draw on a broad understanding of technologies, tools and processes to design, review and improve secure system architectures, ensuring our services meet security, legal and legislative requirements. A key part of your role will be translating complex security concepts into clear, meaningful information for both technical and non‑technical audiences. You will recommend security controls, advise on risk, and communicate the implications of vulnerabilities and design decisions. You will build strong working relationships across HM Land Registry, external suppliers and other government departments to support effective security governance. You will maintain an up‑to‑date understanding of emerging technologies, industry developments and cross‑government initiatives, helping ensure our services remain secure, modern and resilient. Your work will span the full security lifecycle, from early design considerations and architectural patterns through threat modelling, risk mitigation and the assurance of live services.

This post is subject to Security Clearance, including background checks. As a result, a minimum of five years’ UK residency is essential.

Person specification

This job is based upon the expected skills for a Security Architect role as defined on Government and Data Profession Capability Framework. To be successful in this role, you will have evidence of:

• Communicating with a range of technical and non-technical stakeholders in appropriate mediums to convey technical concepts and risks, as well as a deep security understanding whilst effectively responding to challenge.
• Designing secure systems, by designing and reviewing system architectures using patterns and principles.
• Enabling and informing risk-based decisions, by working with risk owners, advising on risk impact and tolerance, whilst also able to describe different risk methodologies and proportionality of risk.
• Keeping actively informed of industry developments to make creative and cost-effective use of emerging technologies and tools, aligned with business goals and user needs and defining a secure configuration for the technology.
• Understanding security architectures and identifying vulnerabilities to prevent and respond to cyber breaches, whilst also able to describe the effect of a vulnerability on a system design.
• Identifying and protecting an organisation's assets, where you have needed to interpret and apply an understanding of policy and process, business architecture, and legal and political implications to assist the development of technical solutions or control.

Due to the nature of the role regular travel to other HM Land Registry offices will be required, including some overnight stays.

Behaviours

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture

Alongside your salary of £57,400, HM Land Registry contributes £16,628 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours and Experience. To apply, you will need to complete the short application form and copy and paste your CV onto the online application form detailing your qualifications, experience and work history. Your CV will be assessed against the essential technical and experience criteria detailed in the attached Job Description.

The Personal Statement section (in no more than 750 words) should be used to outline your wider skills and experience for the role and detail how you meet the essential experience criteria listed below:

• Communicating with a range of technical and non-technical stakeholders in appropriate mediums to convey technical concepts and risks, as well as a deep security understanding whilst effectively responding to challenge.
• Enabling and informing risk based decisions, by working with risk owners, advising on risk impact and tolerance, whilst also able to describe different risk methodologies and proportionality of risk.
• Designing secure systems, by designing and reviewing system architectures using patterns and principles.

Please review your application form before clicking ‘submit’ – once you have submitted, you will not be able to amend your application. Ensure your application form is received by the closing date for receipt of applications – this is 23:55pm on the advertised date. The sift will take place shortly after the closing date. If successful at shortlisting stage, you will be invited to attend a virtual interview and deliver a pre-prepared presentation, from week commencing 04 May 2026. Further details will be provided on invitation to interview. The blended interview will assess the essential technical skills, experience and behaviours listed in the Job Description.

Please note that we will not be testing any of the desirable criteria throughout this process. Candidates may refer to notes within their interview, but they should be used as a prompt only.

HMLR is accredited to the Disability Confident Scheme, which denotes organisations which have a positive attitude towards disabled people. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria at the shortlisting stage may be invited to attend an interview. If you require the panel to consider a reasonable adjustment or there is anything else you would like the panel to take into consideration, you are asked to notify us of this at application stage where possible or during the process as soon as it becomes a requirement.

Please note that we will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa where a role is in a certain business critical category. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a skilled worker visa. You must ensure you have the appropriate right to work in the UK before applying.

You can find more information on how we use your personal data on our website.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact: Name: Wayne Mcnaught Recruitment team