About the job

Job summary

The Digital Data and Technology (DDaT) profession enable the Home Office to keep the UK safe and secure. They do this by designing, building and running the services that help people apply for visas or passports, support policing and counter-terrorism operations, and protect the UK’s borders.​​

Team members have specialised knowledge and a calling to build on it. We want the best people to come to the Home Office and work in the diverse roles and communities they’re passionate about. This is how we produce exceptional outcomes.​​

The Home Office has created a government-leading bespoke career framework that enables career planning, while ensuring our people can be the best they can be. The framework includes Heads of Role, who are industry specialists. They build communities, set standards for what ‘good’ looks like, and ensure we have the right people in the right jobs at the right time.​​

We also have a profession management unit, which aims to provide the best professional experience to all our technical staff with a real passion for – and focus on – continuous professional development. We invest heavily in our people as part of growing our collective capability.​

Please note: To be considered, you will need to successfully complete SC clearance before commencing the role. To meet the National Security Vetting requirements for this role you will need to have resided in the UK for a minimum of 5 years.

Job description

A Principal Technical Architect leads at the highest level, has the highest technical understanding of the broadest range of technologies used across the estate and works with the Head of Role to define technical strategy, making sure it is agreed and followed.

As a Principal Technical Architect working within the Migration and Borders Technology Portfolio you will network and communicate with senior stakeholders, both technical and non-technical, across the organisation and proactively seek out opportunities for digital transformation. You will manage diverse teams across multiple locations, finding and using best practice and emerging technologies and inspiring other architects, helping them understand how to deliver the goals of the organisation.

The current role requires working closely with our Border Force command and understanding the current and future systems managing immigration and customs controls for people and goods entering the UK.  You will be a key part of the design authority for the portfolio, and responsible for representing Border Force interests with the responsibility for the governance, problem solving and high-risk issue management of systems supporting the UK border. You will be responsible for ensuring that our suppliers and civil service architects, within the portfolio and wider Home Office, provide appropriately scoped and deliverable solution design. You will have a detailed knowledge of technical requirements to implement, design and manage technologies across a varied landscape; potentially public cloud, traditional datacentres, remote operations, and maritime environments.

You will have a genuine interest in new technologies and bring this passion to the role to ensure the Home Office remains able to take advantage of a changing technology landscape and support our departments digital ambitions and keep the UK operations.

Your main day to day responsibilities will be

• Owning the creation and delivery of the technical strategy for your area of work, include brokering decisions and bridging technical and business disputes by weighing up risk, complexity impact and deliverability.
• Presenting recommendations for technologies or improvements to enhance systems to support project goals clearly to senior management, based on knowledge of IT and analysis of systems’ needs.
• Leading the design and review processes for new solution and services, translating technical concepts between systems engineering, delivery management and service management.
• Developing and documenting the proposed technical design for the integration and implementation of any solution, working with and across other areas of DDaT and the business.
• Creating detailed plans for the integration of new systems architecture into existing infrastructure, considering the broader context and strategies of the organisation.
• Leading the development of the architectural practice, ensuring a coherent and consistent strategy across cyber, cloud, data centre, storage, network, mobile and the user experience of infrastructure.

You will also be expected to carry out the following day to day activities:

• Defining and helping shape architecture best practices and standards, working closely with Head of Roles and the Chief Technology Office.
• Analysing existing systems to ensure they offer adequate security and are effectively meeting the needs of the organisation.
• Leading the evaluation of the success of a project, once the solution has been integrated, identifying best practices and lessons learned.
• Providing feedback to leadership and incorporating best practices and lessons learned into future integration plans.

Person specification

Essential skills

You’ll have a demonstrable passion for Technical Architecture, with the following skills or proven experience in:

• Evidencing strong technical leadership qualities, with a passion for delivering leading edge designs and inspiring a culture of technical excellence and innovative solution design.
• Anticipating and advising on future technology changes that present opportunities for the product or program.
• Leading the complex landscapes of technologies, 3rd party suppliers (leading the procurement process), internal and cross-government teams.
• Leading technology teams to adhere to good engineering principles from architecture through to development.
• Managing and delivering complex technology solutions within time, cost and quality targets, ensuring solutions are robust, resilient, and appropriately implemented, tested and documented.
• Defining, owning and contributing to the technical roadmap and strategy.

The skills listed above are reflective of the Home Office DDaT Profession Skills and Competency Model (based on the industry standard SFIA framework). Please see below for the relevant skills required for your role:

Benefits

• 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 average employer contribution of 27%

Please find more information here - Benefits - Home Office Careers

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete

• A CV.
• A Statement of Suitability (Max Word Limit:1000 words)

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please note your Statement of Suitability should be aligned to explain your motivation for applying for this role and offer evidence of how you meet the Essential Criteria as set out in the job advertisement.

An initial sift will be based on your CV and Statement of Suitability.

Candidates shortlisted will be invited to an interview which will be based on experience and Technical skills questions.

Sift and interview dates

The sift will take place from 12th February 2024

Interviews will take place week commencing 4th March 2024.

Please note interview will be carried our virtually using Microsoft Teams.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advertisement. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to time constraints we may not be able to offer alternative interview date(s). It is therefore expected that candidates who are successful at sift stage will make themselves available during the above time frame given.

Further information

Please read the essential skills for this position carefully. We will only consider those who meet the listed requirement.

If you have previously made an unsuccessful application for a role with the same essential skills and are not able to demonstrate how you have developed these skills since your last application please reconsider applying as your application is unlikely to be successful.

For meaningful checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years if the role requires CTC clearance, 5 years for SC clearance and 10 years for DV. A lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

Recruitment and Retention Allowance (RRA)

This post is eligible for DDaT RRA. Successful candidates with exceptional skills and experience may apply for a Recruitment Retention Allowance up to £13,700. This allowance is subject to an initial review within six months of taking up the post and thereafter an annual review in line with departmental priorities and could be reduced or withdrawn at any time.

Hybrid Working

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working.  Where this is the case, employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in the office.  Applicants can discuss any specific questions with the Vacancy Holder. 

A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.

We often have similar roles available at different grades. If a candidate is suitable for a similar role, or a lower grade than they have applied for, we may offer the candidate that role without the need to go through a further selection process providing the role has the same behaviours and essential skills.

Every day, Home Office civil servants do brilliant work to develop and deliver policies and services that affect the lives of people across the country and beyond. To do this effectively and fairly, the Home Office is committed to representing modern Britain in all its diversity, and creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.

We are flexible, skilled, professional and diverse. We work to recruit and retain disabled staff and area Disability Confident Leader. We are proud to be one of the most ethnically diverse departments in the civil service. We are a Social Mobility Foundation top 75 employer.

We encourage applications from people from the widest possible diversity of backgrounds, cultures and experiences. We particularly welcome applications from women, people with disabilities and LGBT+ as they are currently under-represented in the Home Office at this grade level. Appointments will be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

For further information please see the attached notes for candidates which must be read before making an application.

Existing Civil Servants should note that some of the Home Office terms and conditions of employment have changed. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the Terms and Conditions they will adopt should they be successful in application and should refer to the notes for candidates for further details.

Transfer Terms: Voluntary.

If you are invited to an interview you will be required to  bring a range of documentation for the purposes of establishing identity and to aid any pre-employment checks.

Please see the attached list of Home Office acceptable ID documents.

Any move to the Home Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. 

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
• Complete the “Assistance Required” section in the “Additional Requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you're deaf, a language service professional

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

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) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.