Lead Cyber Security Architect in Swansea

DVLA are looking for a Lead Security Architect to help protect and improve the security of some of the UK's most important digital services. You will bring technical depth, strong security judgement and a practical Secure by Design mindset, helping teams understand threats, make risk-based decisions and deliver secure services at scale. Based in Swansea on a permanent Grade 7 appointment, this role offers hybrid working (minimum 60% office-based in Swansea), a salary of up to £82,430 (inclusive of allowances as assessed at interview) plus c.29% employer pension contribution and excellent Civil Service benefits.

About role

This is an exciting opportunity to join DVLA as a Grade 7 Lead Security Architect, playing a leading role in protecting one of government's largest and most complex digital estates. This is a new role within the Architecture Capability, created to strengthen how security is built into technology design from the very beginning. You will provide authoritative security architecture leadership across a broad portfolio of systems and services, ensuring that security is embedded by design throughout the full technology lifecycle. Working at the heart of DVLA's digital transformation, you will champion a risk-informed, secure-by-design approach, influencing strategy at the most senior levels and collaborating with central government departments, National Technical Authorities and industry partners. If you are a credible security professional who can balance technical depth with strategic thinking, we want to hear from you.

Responsibilities

• Influence senior stakeholders across DVLA and wider government departments, acting as a security advocate for the agency.
• Identify and explain complex security needs, including those linked to emerging threats, organisational risk appetite and wider business impact.
• Act as a trusted escalation point for security consultants, projects and delivery teams.
• Lead secure design activity across systems and services, including STRIDE threat modelling and design-level risk assessments.
• Ensure security controls are proportionate and aligned to Secure by Design, government security standards and defence-in-depth principles.

Essential Skills

• Experience as a technology or cyber security professional with a strong understanding of architecture principles, secure design and how security controls are built into technology environments.
• Ability to identify, assess and manage cyber security risks proportionately, balancing risk appetite, security controls and operational needs.
• Strong knowledge of security policies, standards and frameworks, including NCSC guidance and defence-in-depth principles.
• Confident communicator who can explain complex security concepts clearly to technical teams, senior leaders, programme boards and external stakeholders.
• Proven ability to influence multidisciplinary teams, provide strategic security direction and act as a trusted escalation point, supported by relevant professional development or qualifications such as CISSP, CISM, SABSA, ex-CLAS or equivalent.

Desirable criteria

• Experience working in government, public sector or another regulated environment.
• Knowledge of modern security standards, patterns or technologies across areas such as cloud, applications, data or integration services.
• Experience contributing to security architecture principles, reference architectures, standards or reusable security patterns.

Why join DVLA?

• As a brand-new role within DVLA's Architecture Capability, this is a real opportunity to influence how security is built into major digital services from the start.
• You'll help embed Secure by Design across one of government's largest technology estates, supporting services used by millions of people across the UK.