Become part of a mission‑driven digital team helping to build secure, resilient services used by millions across the UK. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), in partnership with Inspire People, is seeking a Principal Technical Architect with strong architectural governance experience, the ability to lead across complex multi‑team programmes, and the confidence to operate at both strategic and delivery levels. Based in Swansea, permanent role. Hybrid working (minimum 60% office‑based in Swansea) and a salary of £69,501 plus a Digital and Data allowance of up to £28,560, depending on skills and experience, plus 29% employer pension contribution plus excellent Civil Service benefits.
Shape the Future of Digital Services at DVLA
DVLA delivers national‑scale digital services that enable the safe and lawful use of vehicles across the UK, supporting millions of drivers and vehicles every year. With a significant increase in concurrent transformation programmes—including legislative change, service improvement, and new digital initiatives—DVLA is strengthening its architecture leadership capability to ensure coherence, governance and long‑term value.
As a Principal Technical Architect
As a Principal Technical Architect, you will provide end‑to‑end architectural ownership across a major programme, ensuring that solutions delivered across multiple products and teams align to agreed principles, standards and strategic direction. You will act as the architectural authority within the programme, bridging technical architecture, delivery and programme‑level decision‑making.
As a Principal Technical Architect, you will:
- Provide end‑to‑end architectural oversight across a large, complex programme spanning multiple delivery teams
- Lead and evolve architectural governance, ensuring consistency, quality and alignment with DVLA standards
- Own and produce technical impact assessments, translating business change into architectural implications and options
- Develop and maintain architectural roadmaps across short‑, medium‑ and long‑term horizons
- Oversee and assure architectural outputs from Lead Technical Architects, providing coaching and direction
- Work closely with programme and senior stakeholders, representing architecture at boards and planning forums
- Identify risks, dependencies and cross‑domain impacts early and drive resolution
Essential skills for the Principal Technical Architect
- Proven experience operating as a Technical Architect or Lead Architect across multiple teams or programmes
- Strong understanding of architectural governance and the ability to design and improve governance processes
- Excellent stakeholder management skills, including engagement with senior leadership
- Broad technical knowledge across systems, integrations and cloud platforms
- Ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, business‑focused language
- Demonstrable ownership of end‑to‑end architectural delivery in complex, ambiguous environments
Desirable skills for the Principal Technical Architect
- Experience working in government or other regulated environments
- Exposure to large‑scale digital transformation programmes
- Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS or Azure
- Background in software engineering or hands‑on technical deliveryExperience working with emerging technologies, including AI
In return, you can expect a flexible working culture, including
- Hybrid working with a minimum of 60% of time spent on site in Swansea
- Flexible working patterns to support work‑life balance
- A Civil Service pension with employer contributions of around 29%
- 25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays and a privilege day
- Significant learning, development and career progression opportunities
Why Join?
This is a high‑impact role with senior visibility, offering the opportunity to shape architecture across nationally significant digital programmes. You will influence how DVLA delivers and governs technology at scale, while developing your own career within one of the UK's largest and most complex digital organisations.
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