Lead Security Architect – Digital Infrastructure & Security Operations

Location: National

Closing Date: 18th September

Interviews: 29th September

Grade: 6

(MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain this grade on lateral transfer)

Salary: London: £70,303 - £87,875 (which may include an allowance of up to £17,572)

National: £66,314 - £83,700 (which may include an allowance of up to £17,386).

Working pattern: Full time, Part time, Flexible Working, Job Share

Contract Type: Permanent

Vacancy number: 78844

*We are currently offering hybrid working which includes 2 days per week in your local office. Office locations can be found HERE

The Role

We’re recruiting for a Lead Security Architect here at Justice Digital, to be part of our warm and collaborative Technology Services team.

The MoJ Justice Digital department was set up to change the way that people access and use MoJ services. Our goal is to make the justice system simpler and quicker while saving public money

Within the Digital Infrastructure & Security Operations team, our mission is to ensure that all our solutions are secure by design with security being a critical element of everything we do, allowing us to protect our nationwide internal IT infrastructure and high-profile digital services.

The Lead Security Architect role acts as a trusted advisor for security, responsible for delivering both hands-on solutions and providing information and cyber security advice. You will work within the Digital Infrastructure & Security Operations team and across other security departments and external agencies in this fast-paced and diverse role. You’ll be instrumental in implementing appropriately secure systems, security tooling and other solutions to solve cyber security problems.

To help picture your life at MoJ Justice Digital please take a look at our blog and our Digital and Technology strategy 2025

Please note: We have a number of roles available within Digital Infrastructure & Security Operations team and therefore, if you are not successful in this campaign, you may be offered a lower grade role (G7). 

Key Responsibilities:

• Continually enhance the safeguarding of our platforms and services by collaborating with diverse stakeholders to discover, communicate, and address cyber security concerns.
• Comprehend prevalent and emerging vulnerabilities and threats.
• Support digital and service teams in implementing security measures while considering organisational objectives.
• Engage with a wide range of senior stakeholders and take charge of shaping the vision, principles, and strategy for security.
• Provide security recommendations spanning multiple projects or technologies, at both the organisational and inter-organisational levels.
• Make and shape significant business and architectural decisions.
• Conduct research, identify, validate, and embrace new technologies and methodologies.
• Communicate security concerns and advice through various internal channels, such as technical documentation, intranets, and published guidance.
• Assist teams in recognising and advocating for security best practices to deliver robust, resilient, secure, and scalable solutions.
• Serve as a champion for network services security and raise awareness of the team's tools and services.

If this feels like an exciting challenge, something you are enthusiastic about, and want to join our team please read on and apply!

Person Specification

Essential

• You possess a deep understanding of extensive information and cyber security knowledge, with a special focus on secure development and engineering practices, identity and access management, and security monitoring architectures, technologies, and practices.
• You excel in translating and effectively communicating security and risk implications at the highest levels to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• You have the ability to comprehend and express the impact of vulnerabilities on existing and future designs and systems, while considering the ease or difficulty of exploiting these vulnerabilities.
• You stay updated on the latest developments in security technology and actively engage with the wider security community.
• You actively challenge and spearhead changes to policies and processes, ensuring they align with business objectives.

Desirable

• Knowledge of Public Sector Standards and practices (NCSC, Official Security Levels etc.) and the Public Services Network (PSN) Architecture.

Willingness to be assessed against  the requirements for SC clearance.

We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring and do not discriminate on the basis of culture, ethnicity, race, nationality or national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability status, sexual orientation, educational or social background or any other factor. 

Our values are Purpose, Humanity Openness and Together. Find out more here about how we celebrate diversity and an inclusive culture in our workplace.

Benefits

• 37 hours per week and flexible working options including working from home, working part-time, job sharing, or working compressed hours.
• We are committed to nurturing our staff and provide lots of training and development opportunities with learning platforms such as: Linux Academy, O’Reilly, Pluralsight, Microsoft Learning, Civil Service Learning, GDS Academy, etc.
• 10% dedicated time to learning and development with a budget of £1000 a year per person
• Generous civil service pension based on defined benefit scheme, with employer contributions of 26-30% depending on salary.
• 25 days leave (plus bank holidays) and 1 privilege day usually taken around the Kings’ birthday. 5 additional days of leave once you have reached 5 years of service.
• Compassionate maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave policies, with up to 26 weeks leave at full pay, 13 weeks with partial pay, and 13 weeks further leave. And maternity support/paternity leave at full pay for 2 weeks, too!
• Wellbeing support including access to the Calm app. 
• Nurturing professional and interpersonal networks including those for Careers & Childcare, Gender Equality, PROUD and SPIRIT
• Bike loans up to £2500 and secure bike parking (subject to availability and location)
• Season ticket loans, childcare vouchers and eye-care vouchers.
• 5 days volunteering paid leave.
• Free membership to BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT.
• Some offices may have a subsidised onsite Gym.

How to Apply

Candidates must submit both a CV and Personal Statement (maximum 750 words) which describes how you meet the requirements set out in the Person Specification above.

Please note applications submitted without a Personal Statement will not be considered.

In Justice Digital, we recruit using a combination of the Digital, Data and Technology Capability and Success Profiles Frameworks. We will assess your Experience, Technical Skills and the following Behaviours during the assessment process:

• Communicating and Influencing

Your application will be reviewed against the Person Specification above by a diverse panel. 

Successful candidates who meet the required standard will then be invited to a 1-hour panel interview held via video conference.

Should we receive a high volume of applications, a pre-sift based on ‘You possess a deep understanding of extensive information and cyber security knowledge, with a special focus on secure development and engineering practices, identity and access

management, and security monitoring architectures, technologies,

and practices’ will be conducted prior to the sift.

Should you be unsuccessful in the role that you have applied for, but demonstrated the capability for a role at a lower level, we reserve the right to discuss this opportunity with you and potentially offer you the position without the need for a further application.

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

Terms & Conditions

Please review our Terms & Conditions which set out the way we recruit and provide further information related to the role and salary arrangements.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact recruitment@digital.justice.gov.uk