At a Glance
- Tasks: Shape and deliver technical solutions for government programmes, ensuring security and scalability.
- Company: Join Olive Jar Digital, a growing consultancy transforming UK Central Government services.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid working, and clear career progression opportunities.
- Other info: Engage with senior stakeholders and lead a dynamic team in a complex environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on high-profile government projects while advancing your career.
- Qualifications: Experience as a Technical Architect in public sector and strong understanding of GDS standards.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
Olive Jar Digital is a growing digital consultancy delivering complex technology and transformation programmes across UK Central Government. We work with some of the most prominent government departments including DWP, DBT, GCA, DfE and the NHS, helping them design and deliver secure, scalable and user-centred digital services.
As we grow our permanent team, we are building a talent pool of experienced Technical Architects who share our passion for meaningful public sector work.
As a Technical Architect at Olive Jar, you will play a central role in shaping and delivering technical solutions across our government client programmes. You will work closely with delivery teams, client stakeholders and enterprise architects to define technical strategy, provide hands-on architectural leadership and ensure solutions are secure, scalable and aligned to GDS standards. This is a role for someone who thrives in complex environments, can translate business requirements into clear technical direction and is comfortable operating at both strategic and delivery levels.
Key Responsibilities
- Define and own the technical architecture for digital services across Central Government programmes
- Produce and maintain key architecture artefacts including solution designs, technical blueprints, interface specifications and architecture decision records (ADRs)
- Lead technical design and assurance activities, including participation in Design Authority and Technical Design Authority (TDA) forums
- Translate business and user needs into scalable, secure and standards-compliant technical solutions
- Champion GDS Service Standards, Government Technology Code of Practice (TCoP) and secure-by-design principles throughout delivery
- Provide technical leadership and mentoring to engineers, developers and junior architects within the team
- Engage with senior client stakeholders and cross-functional teams to align technical direction with business objectives
- Identify and manage technical risks, dependencies and constraints across programme workstreams
Skills & Experience Required
Essential
- Proven experience as a Technical Architect within UK Central Government or large public sector organisations
- Strong understanding of GDS Service Standards, Government Technology Code of Practice (TCoP) and DDaT frameworks
- Experience designing cloud-based solutions AWS, Azure or GCP including hybrid and multi-cloud architectures
- Solid understanding of API-first design, microservices architecture and modern integration patterns
- Ability to produce high-quality architecture documentation including solution designs, C4 models and interface control documents
- SC Clearance held or willingness to undergo clearance prior to commencement
Desirable
- Familiarity with TOGAF, ArchiMate or other enterprise architecture frameworks
- Experience of security architecture principles including NCSC guidelines and secure-by-design frameworks
- Knowledge of data architecture, data governance and data platform design within government contexts
- Experience supporting or leading GDS service assessments
- Relevant certifications AWS Solutions Architect, Azure Solutions Architect, TOGAF or equivalent
Technical Skills
- Cloud Platforms: AWS, Azure, GCP
- Architecture Frameworks: TOGAF, ArchiMate, C4 Model
- Integration: REST APIs, event-driven architecture, message queuing, microservices
- Security: NCSC guidelines, secure-by-design, identity and access management
- Tooling: Confluence, Jira, Miro, Azure DevOps, Lucidchart or equivalent
- Standards: GDS Service Standard, TCoP, GDPR, WCAG 2.2
What We Offer
- Competitive salary aligned to SFIA level and market benchmarks
- Hybrid working 3 days per week 2 days WFH
- Opportunity to work on high-profile, mission-critical government programmes
- Clear career progression from Technical Architect through to Lead, Principal and Head of Architecture
This role requires SC (Security Check) clearance. Candidates who hold current SC clearance are strongly preferred. Candidates without clearance but with a strong Central Government background will also be considered, subject to successful clearance being obtained prior to commencement.
Technical Architect in London employer: Olive Jar Digital Ltd
At Olive Jar Digital, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment where innovation meets public service. Our commitment to employee growth is evident through clear career progression paths and opportunities to work on high-profile government programmes, all while enjoying the flexibility of hybrid working. Join us in making a meaningful impact in the public sector, surrounded by a passionate team dedicated to delivering secure and user-centred digital services.
