Technical Architect (Integration and Interoperability Technologist) - Government Digital Service - G7

Location

Bristol, London, Manchester

About the job

Job summary

Whilst GDS are recruiting for this role, The National Security Digital Centre sits centrally within DSIT

The National Security Digital Centre (NSDC) is a new, ambitious team within DSIT, created to drive digital, data and technology transformation across the national security community. Our purpose is simple but high impact: to help departments use digital, data and technology more effectively to deliver their missions, and ultimately keep the country safe. 

We are a small but growing team, based in the Digital Foundations Directorate under the Director of the Government Cyber Unit. As we scale, you’ll have the opportunity to shape how this work develops and make a tangible contribution from day one. 

We care deeply about the environment we create. Diversity and inclusion are central to how we work, and you’ll be joining a team with a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences. Together, we are building a culture where everyone can do their best work and feel they belong. 

If you are motivated by meaningful work, enjoy solving complex challenges, and want to play a role in shaping the future of national security digital, we would love to hear from you. 

Job description

As a Technical Architect (Integration and interoperability Technologist) in NSDC you’ll: 

• Drive the integration of national security platforms into a coherent, interoperable ecosystem across government, ensuring services operate effectively across organisational and classification boundaries 
• Design and apply integration and interoperability architecture patterns (e.g. identity federation, network connectivity, data sharing), and be able to justify and communicate design decisions to technical and non‑technical audiences 
• Build deep understanding of cross-government platform integration challenges, shaping architecture across SECRET and TOP SECRET environments to enable secure, scalable interworking between systems 
• Define, develop, and promote integration principles, standards, and best practice, or lead cross UK public sector technologists to create them, improving interoperability and reducing fragmentation across platforms 
• Lead the development of best-practice integration approaches and reusable patterns to support onboarding, migration, and cross-platform interaction 
• Build and maintain a strong network of peers across the National Security Community and UK Public Sector to align approaches to interoperability and resolve cross-organisational dependencies 
• Help upskill others across GDS and the National Security Community in integration architecture, interoperability standards, and system-of-systems thinking 

Person specification

We’re interested in people who have experience in: 

• working in digital roles aligned to UK National Security, with an understanding of cross-government systems, dependencies, and constraints beyond a single organisation 
• making, designing and integrating complex systems at scale, and using this experience to build credibility, evaluate technical proposals, and define executable approaches characterised by medium risk and complexity 
• developing and applying architecture patterns for interoperability, using feedback to optimise and refine standards for technical designs throughout the life cycle (e.g. APIs, event-driven integration, identity and access federation, cross-domain solutions, hybrid connectivity) 
• designing system-wide technical strategy and visions, whilst shaping how platforms operate together across organisational and classification boundaries 
• engaging with suppliers and vendors to ensure integration approaches are deliverable within multi-supplier and evolving platform ecosystems 
• presenting complex integration concepts clearly to both senior technical and non-technical stakeholders 
• embedding continuous learning and sharing knowledge through coaching, mentoring, and community engagement