Lead Technical Specialist - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - G7

Location

Bristol, London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Reading, Warrington, York

About the job

Job summary

Defra is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.

Digital, Data, Technology and Security (DDTS) is the trusted team for digital across the entire Defra Group.

We have around 1000 colleagues across DDTS and our ambition is to make it easier and faster than ever for people to interact with Defra. If you are ready to drive innovation and push boundaries, we want to hear from you. Join us and together we will create a great place for living, and a green and healthy future for all.

Find out more about DDTS:

Defra digital, data and technology blog

LinkedIn 

Defra Jobs

We are Government Digital and Data Candidate Information Pack V3 - 1

Job description

Defra is delivering large-scale transformation across its digital, data and technology estate, including the Future Network Procurement Project (FNPP), identity modernisation initiatives, and hosting and cloud transformation.

Within the Digital, Data and Technology Services (DDTS) function, the Architecture and Governance team provides technical authority, design leadership, and assurance across enterprise services.

We are recruiting multiple Lead Technical Specialist Architects to provide domain leadership in:

• Network & Connectivity (FNPP)
• Identity & Access (Active Directory)
• Hosting, Cloud & Service Architecture

These roles operate at the centre of complex, multi-supplier programmes, ensuring designs are secure, operable, aligned to strategy, and deliverable at scale.

As a Lead Technical Specialist Architect, you will act as the technical authority within your domain, providing leadership across programmes and services. You will shape strategy, assure complex designs, and guide delivery teams and suppliers in a federated environment.

You will work across security, operations, and delivery to ensure coherent end-to-end architectures, balancing strategic direction with hands-on design leadership.

Please note these posts require Security Check (SC) clearance. To gain (SC) clearance all applicants are required to have been a UK resident for a minimum of 5 years. If this requirement is not met, the individual will not be able to progress their application further.

Person specification

Across all roles, you will:

• Act as the technical authority for your domain, supporting critical architectural decisions
• Lead and assure technical designs across the full lifecycle (HLD, LLD, transition and implementation)
• Ensure alignment to enterprise architecture principles, security standards, and operational requirements
• Challenge supplier designs and drive technical quality and consistency
• Identify, manage, and communicate architectural risks and dependencies
• Represent your domain in governance forums, providing clear recommendations to senior stakeholders
• Ensure solutions are secure, resilient, operable, and supportable
• Contribute to domain standards, patterns, and architectural roadmaps
• Support knowledge transfer to internal teams to build long-term capability

Domain Focus Areas:

Network & Connectivity (FNPP)

• SD-WAN, DIA, LAN, Wi‑Fi and network foundation services (DNS, DHCP, NTP)
• Secure access patterns (e.g. internet/private access)
• Supplier-led delivery and transition (including WITO)

Identity & Access (Active Directory)

• Active Directory architecture (legacy and target state)
• Domain consolidation and identity modernisation
• Identity dependencies across applications and services

Hosting, Cloud & Service Architecture

• Hybrid and multi-cloud (on-prem, Azure, AWS)
• Hosting and storage strategy and datacentre migration
• CMDB/CSDM modelling and service architecture governance
• Technical input to procurement and supplier evaluation

Person Specification

Responsibilities

You will:

• Define and maintain domain architecture (principles, standards, patterns, roadmaps)
• Lead technical design for high-impact, complex services and programmes
• Guide and assure architects, delivery teams, and suppliers
• Use governance and assurance to support decision-making and manage risk
• Contribute to the architecture community through mentoring and leadership

Skills and Experience

Essential

• Significant experience in enterprise architecture within a large, complex organisation
• Proven ability to act as a technical authority across programmes or services
• Strong experience of architectural governance, assurance, and risk management
• Experience working in multi-supplier environments, including design challenge
• Ability to lead complex design decisions across the delivery lifecycle
• Strong stakeholder engagement, including influencing at senior levels
• Ability to communicate complex technical issues clearly to technical and non-technical audiences

Domain-Specific Experience (one or more)

Network & Connectivity

• Enterprise network architecture (WAN/LAN/Wi‑Fi)
• SD-WAN and modern network/security architectures

Identity & Access

• Active Directory architecture (including legacy environments)
• Identity modernisation and dependency management

Hosting, Cloud & Service Architecture

• Hybrid/multi-cloud architecture (Azure, AWS, on-prem)
• Service modelling (CMDB/CSDM) and enterprise service architecture

One or more of the following: 

• Experience of large-scale transformation, transition, or procurement programmes
• Understanding of secure-by-design and government security expectations
• Experience mentoring and developing architects or technical specialists
• Experience of ServiceNow or equivalent platforms (for hosting/service roles)
• Experience of modern identity platforms (e.g. Entra ID)