MERITUS are recruiting for a Technical Architect to join our client supporting major Central Government programmes, delivering secure, high-quality architecture solutions across complex IT environments.
TECHNICAL ARCHITECT – OUTSIDE IR35 – £800 PER DAY – 12 MONTHS – ANDOVER (2 DAYS ONSITE PER WEEK) – TWO STAGE INTERVIEW PROCESS – SECTOR: CENTRAL GOVERNMENT / DEFENCE (SC CLEARANCE REQUIRED)
As a Technical Architect, you will play a key role in designing and delivering best-in-class solutions that meet both business and technical requirements. You will ensure architectural integrity, alignment to strategy, and adherence to security and regulatory standards across the full project lifecycle.
You will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, providing technical leadership and governance while driving innovation and continuous improvement across large-scale, complex systems.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead the design and delivery of large-scale or complex IT systems, ensuring alignment with business goals and architectural strategy.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to provide architectural guidance throughout the delivery lifecycle.
- Define and design software applications, components and systems using modern architectural patterns.
- Provide governance and technical oversight across development, integration and delivery activities.
- Evaluate change requests, assess impacts, and recommend appropriate solutions.
- Conduct system design reviews, ensuring adherence to standards, security policies and best practices.
- Undertake risk analysis and manage technical risks across programmes.
- Develop prototypes and simulations to support decision-making processes.
- Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, including security and data protection standards (e.g. GDPR).
- Drive continuous improvement through periodic solution reviews and optimisation recommendations.
- Support business development activities including bids, proposals and client engagement.
- Lead and mentor junior team members, promoting best practice and knowledge sharing.
- Identify emerging technologies and assess their relevance to improve performance, cost and sustainability.
- Engage with stakeholders at all levels, translating complex technical concepts into clear, non-technical language.
- Contribute to governance boards, architectural strategy, and innovation initiatives.
Skills & Experience:
- Proven experience delivering complex technology solutions as a Technical Architect within government, defence or highly regulated environments.
- Strong understanding of architecture principles, frameworks and best practices.
- Experience designing solutions across cloud platforms such as Microsoft Azure or AWS.
- Knowledge of secure architecture and development practices (e.g. OWASP, NCSC principles).
- Experience with DevOps, CI/CD pipelines and modern software delivery practices.
- Strong knowledge of microservices, APIs and web services (REST, SOAP, JSON).
- Experience with authentication and authorisation technologies such as SAML, OAuth, OpenID Connect, Active Directory, ADFS and LDAP.
- Strong understanding of Agile methodologies and working within multi-disciplinary teams.
- Experience in web application design and delivery.
- Background in secure development using Java or .NET frameworks.
- Ability to communicate effectively with senior stakeholders and clients.
- Strong problem-solving skills with a solution-oriented mindset.
- Active SC Clearance.
- Experience working within UK Defence or secure government environments.
- Industry certifications (e.g. Microsoft Azure, AWS or similar).
- Experience working in secure customer environments.
Got your attention?
If you believe that you have the skills and experience for the Network Engineer role - then please get in touch. We also offer a referral scheme for any candidates whose details are passed to us that we successfully place. If you have any further questions then please contact Ryan Harris at MERITUS.