Lead Security Architect

Salary: £80,000 - 80,000 per year

Requirements:

• We are looking for a technology or cyber security professional with strong understanding of architecture principles, secure design, and how security controls are built into technology environments.
• We need someone who can identify, assess, and manage cyber security risks proportionately, balancing risk appetite, security controls, and operational needs.
• We require strong knowledge of security policies, standards, and frameworks, including NCSC guidance and defence-in-depth principles.
• We need a confident communicator who can explain complex security concepts clearly to technical teams, senior leaders, programme boards, and external stakeholders.
• We are looking for proven ability to influence multidisciplinary teams, provide strategic security direction, and act as a trusted escalation point.
• Relevant professional development or qualifications such as CISSP, CISM, SABSA, ex-CLAS, or equivalent are desirable.
• Experience working in government, the public sector, or another regulated environment is desirable.
• Knowledge of modern security standards, patterns, or technologies across cloud, applications, data, or integration services is desirable.
• Experience contributing to security architecture principles, reference architectures, standards, or reusable security patterns is desirable.

Responsibilities:

• We influence senior stakeholders across DVLA and wider government departments, acting as a security advocate for the agency.
• We identify and explain complex security needs, including those linked to emerging threats, organisational risk appetite, and wider business impact.
• We act as a trusted escalation point for security consultants, projects, and delivery teams.
• We lead secure design activity across systems and services, including STRIDE threat modelling and design-level risk assessments.
• We ensure security controls are proportionate and aligned to Secure by Design, government security standards, and defence-in-depth principles.
• We provide authoritative security architecture leadership across a broad portfolio of systems and services.
• We champion a risk-informed, secure-by-design approach and influence strategy at senior levels.
• We collaborate with central government departments, National Technical Authorities, and industry partners.

Technologies:

• Architect
• Cloud
• Support
• Security
• Embedded

More:

We are DVLA, based in Swansea, and we are offering a permanent Grade 7 Lead Security Architect role within our Architecture Capability. This is a new position created to strengthen how security is built into technology design from the very beginning, supporting one of the UK governments largest and most complex digital estates. We offer hybrid working with a minimum of 60% office-based time in Swansea, a salary of up to £82,430 inclusive of allowances as assessed at interview, around a 29% employer pension contribution, and excellent Civil Service benefits. These include flexible working options, learning and development tailored to the role, inclusion and diversity support, an on-site gym, nursery, restaurants and coffee bar, 25 days holiday plus bank holidays increasing to 30, an additional Privilege Day, employee assistance support, and free parking. We also hosted an open session on 25th June at 12pm so candidates could meet the team and learn more about the Architecture department. This role gives us the opportunity to embed Secure by Design across services used by millions of people across the UK.

last updated 31 week of 2026