Liverpool, England, United Kingdom
Hybrid
Job description
Job Title: Senior Technical Architect
Band: Band 5
Salary: £59,877 - £69,457
(plus allowance up to £9,000 per annum depending on technical assessment)
Available Locations: Liverpool, Newport, Norwich or Birmingham.
The following locations listed below are restricted to contracted GCA staff already based in one of these offices: London, Bristol, Glasgow, Manchester or York.
External applicants are not eligible for these sites. If you select one of these locations as an external applicant your application will unfortunately be withdrawn.
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours: Full Time
Closing Date: 09/11/26
Interview Date(s): 1st - 4th Dec (subject to change)
Watch our Webinar on the above link and gain valuable insight into GCA and our recruitment processes.
Ready to step up from merely managing systems to designing the future of our entire technology ecosystem? We're seeking a Senior Technical Architect to drive our next generation of scalable, resilient, and innovative solutions. You will directly translate business strategy into technical reality, ensuring every architectural decision delivers maximum value for the nation. Do you possess the deep technical mastery to mentor a high-performing engineering team while navigating the complex trade-offs between speed, cost, and quality?
Job Summary
We seek a visionary Senior Technical Architect to own, evolve, and drive our enterprise-wide DDaT technical strategy and architecture. Operating within a unified, high-performing team (scaling up to 5) that blends Enterprise and Technical Architecture expertise, you will serve as a defining authority, responsible for architecting scalable, secure, and resilient solutions that directly impact public service delivery. In this role, you will lead technical governance, mentor engineering teams, and translate national strategy into robust technical reality. While we leverage supplemental support from preferred partners, our internal architects always maintain full control—establishing the critical guardrails and steering the strategic direction of our complex digital transformation journey.
Key Accountabilities:
Essential Criteria (to be assessed at application stage):
Success Profiles (to be assessed at interview):
Experience
Technical skills (presentation sent 24 hours in advance)
You will be assessed against the following behaviours:
(A link to the Civil Service Success Profiles Framework is provided below)
Valuing our people:
Want to make a difference? Find out more about the rewarding work that we do in our candidate pack.
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.
We want to make our recruitment process accessible to everyone, so if there is any way that we can support you, please contact recruitment@gca.gov.uk
Working flexibly, delivering outcomes
GCA operates a smarter working model that balances flexibility with collaboration. Successful candidates are expected to spend at least 26 days per quarter (approximately 2 days per week, pro-rata) at their contracted office, another GCA site, or off-site for meetings. For the remainder of the time, you may work from home or another suitable location that meets business needs.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection Process
A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, which the Civil Service may use to fill future suitably similar vacancies across government for candidates who are considered appointable following interview. Should you be placed on a reserve list and want to be removed please contact recruitment@gca.gov.uk.
Please note that as part of this recruitment process, if you are unsuccessful at the interview stage but are close to the benchmark score you may be considered for and offered a role at a lower pay band within the same job family.
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
Complaints Procedure
Our recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles details of which can be found at https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitment-principles/
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact recruitment@crowncommercial.gov.uk in the first instance.
If you remain unsatisfied with the response you receive you can then contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk
Internal candidates should apply using their Workday account. Please use the careers hub for your application.
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