Chief Infrastructure Architect

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is the UK’s tax service. We’re one of the largest organisations in the country, with more than 60,000 employees, and we collected £829.4 billion in tax receipts in 2023-24.

The Chief Infrastructure Architecture role sits within the CT&DO (Chief Technology & Design Office) of CDIO. This is a key leadership role in CDIO to lead Infrastructure capability, technology and processes as the Department is aligned to a new Transformation function in HMRC.

The Chief Architect is accountable for enhancing, validating and delivering the architecture Strategy, designing technical services, and platforms and technologies to meet the organisation’s requirements and user needs. He/she will inspire, advise, and support an appropriately knowledgeable and skilled architecture team, ensuring that they are fulfilling their deliverables on time and to a high level of quality. They also make sure that the technical, delivery and business impacts of all architectural design decisions are aligned to the technology strategy and understood by the appropriate stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Leadership And Direction: Work with the Senior Leadership Teams (SLTs) of the relevant Director General to provide leadership and direction in aligning business and technology architecture. Drive the alignment of business and technology architecture to ensure cohesive and effective strategic change.
• Strategic Understanding And Translation: Gain a deep understanding of relevant operational and policy strategies. Translate these strategies into effective IT changes that support HMRC’s goals.
• Influence And Improvement: Understand and influence operational and policy strategies to promote improved processes. Develop appropriate IT Strategy responses to ensure alignment with HMRC’s objectives.
• Validation And Alignment: Validate that HMRC’s IT Strategy remains aligned with the appropriate operational and policy strategies. Provide an improved business context to support the development of application architecture.
• Identification and Reuse of Services: Increase the identification and reuse of common services to enhance efficiency and reduce redundancy.
• Cross-Government Engagement: Engage with other IT Leaders and the wider government community to develop a cross-government perspective for domain areas. Ensure HMRC interests are represented and opportunities for HMRC are exploited.
• Effective Business Change: Support the delivery of more effective business change by leveraging IT architecture to drive strategic initiatives.

Person specification

The successful applicant will need to demonstrate relevant experience and effective delivery of the following essential criteria:

• Proven Leadership And Stakeholder Engagement: A strong leader and manager with a successful track record of building and leading high-performing technical IT teams, driving cultural change, and influencing senior stakeholders across internal and external environments. Able to communicate complex technical issues clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Extensive Infrastructure Architecture Expertise: Demonstrable experience in all aspects of Infrastructure Architecture, including End User Computing, Hosting and Storage, Networks, Cloud Computing (e.g. AWS, Azure), and IT Service Management. Strong understanding of commercial cloud environments, development methodologies, and disaster recovery.
• Strategic Direction And Governance: Accountable for the design, delivery, and promotion of infrastructure architecture principles, standards, and roadmaps. Experienced in technology selection, architectural governance, and expertise in supporting initiatives in application architecture and integration.
• Hands-on Technical And Delivery Experience: Skilled in the technical implementation of IT infrastructure projects, with experience working alongside outsourced service providers and IT service delivery teams. Proven ability to lead teams of infrastructure and enterprise architects.
• Certifications And Technical Breadth: Ideally TOGAF 9/10 certified or able to demonstrate equivalent experience. Familiarity with SAP, Oracle, and a broad range of infrastructure technologies including databases, middleware, security, and cross-functional services.

Alongside your salary of £81,000, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £23,465 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Learning and development tailored to your role. An environment with flexible working options. A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity. A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.

Annual Leave and Bank Holiday Allowance: 25 days annual leave, increasing to 30 days after 5 years’ service (allowance pro-rata for part-time colleagues). This is complemented by one days paid privilege leave to mark the King’s Birthday and is in addition to your public holidays.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion: The Civil Service values and supports all its employees. At HMRC we want to create great places to work that are welcoming to all – where there is a strong sense of belonging and community.

Selection process details:

How To Apply: This campaign is being managed by HMRC’s Executive Resourcing team. All applications should be submitted via Civil Service Jobs no later than 23:55 on Monday 30th June 2025 and must include:

• A CV detailing your career history, key responsibilities and achievements accounting for any employment gaps within the last two years.
• A Statement of Suitability (no longer than 2 pages) demonstrating how your experience meets the essential criteria.

Your CV and suitability statement will be assessed against the criteria set out in the person specification. Please include your full name on both documents.

For all campaign queries including assistance with your application or if you need to discuss a reasonable adjustment, please contact Jashim Ahmed, Head of Executive Resourcing at scs.resourcing@hmrc.gov.uk.

Diversity and Inclusion: HMRC is a great place to work and champions diversity and inclusivity in its workplace. As part of your application, you will be asked to complete a diversity questionnaire. If preferred, you may select 'prefer not to say'. All data is treated confidentially and will not be disclosed to the selection panel.

Reasonable Adjustments: We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to support job applicants and ensure that you are not disadvantaged in the recruitment and assessment process.

Selection Panel: Tom Skalycz, Chief Digital Technology Officer and vacancy holder, HMRC; Varsha Gulabivala, Head of Solution Architecture, HMRC; Mark Swann, Platform Owner for Modern Workplace, HMRC; Fourth panel member - To be confirmed.

Shortlist: The panel will assess the evidence provided in your CV and statement. Candidates whose applications best meet the essential criteria will be selected for interview.

HMRC is a Disability Confident leader and guarantees to interview candidates applying under the Disability Confidence Scheme who successfully meet the minimum selection criteria outlined in the person specification.

Due Diligence: Candidates should declare any perceived conflicts of interest at application, and this may be discussed with you at interview.

Informal Conversation: Shortlisted candidates will have the opportunity to speak to Tom Skalycz prior to interview. This is an informal discussion to allow you to learn more about the role and is not part of the assessment process.

Assessment: If shortlisted, you will take part in the following assessments: Individual Leadership Assessment – a combination of psychometric assessments; Staff Engagement Exercise – a presentation and Q&A with a representative staff group from across HMRC. Assessments are designed to support the panel’s decision making and highlight areas for further exploration at interview and do not result in a pass or fail decision.

Interview: You will attend a panel interview for a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence. This will include a 5-minute verbal presentation (further information will be issued in advance). Interviews are expected to take place in person at Bristol.

Offer and Feedback: Unfortunately, due to the anticipated number of applicants for this role, we are unable to provide feedback to those not successful at shortlist stage. Candidates who are shortlisted and attend an interview will be offered feedback from a member of the interview panel.

This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes.

Security: Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed.

Nationality requirements: This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups: UK nationals, nationals of the Republic of Ireland, nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK, nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS).

Working for the Civil Service: The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.

Diversity and Inclusion: The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found.