Join the Home Office as a Lead Security Architect and steer the secure-by-design delivery of critical systems that protect citizens and national interests. Working with the Principal Security Architect, you will own security architecture for a major portfolio, translate business goals and threat intelligence into practical controls, and mentor SEO level architects to raise capability across multiple programmes.
You will engage senior stakeholders, balance risk against usability and cost, and shape patterns that let teams adopt cloud, DevSecOps, IoT and zero-trust approaches safely. If you can blend deep technical insight with clear, influential communication and enjoy turning complex risks into elegant, proportionate solutions. This role offers the chance to make a tangible impact on services millions rely on every day.
Watch this video to hear from members of the team talking about the projects they work on and their experience of working here.
As a Lead Security Architect, you will directly secure architecture across a portfolio worth hundreds of millions of pounds. Working with product owners, delivery managers and enterprise architects, you will ensure every new or changed service conforms to Home Office and NCSC standards while enabling rapid, user-centred delivery.
You will analyse emerging threats, advise on proportional mitigations, and produce or tailor reference patterns covering identity, network segmentation, container security, data protection, and monitoring. By modelling risks with frameworks such as ISO 27005, NIST, or STRIDE, you will rationalise design choices to technical and non-technical audiences and document them for reuse. You will champion "secure by default" in agile pipelines embedding IaC scanning, SAST/DAST, SBOM and cloud native guardrails so security becomes a quality attribute owned by delivery teams.
Through communities of practice and one-to-one coaching, you will nurture architects and engineers, acting as escalation point for complex design decisions. Finally, you will cultivate relationships with external suppliers, government peers and industry forums to import good practice and influence future standards, ensuring Home Office services remain resilient, cost-effective and compliant.
What you will do
* Set portfolio level vision & patterns in line with Principal Security Architect strategy, translating them into reusable templates and guardrails.
* Lead architecture reviews for projects, providing actionable recommendations and tracking remediation through to closure.
* Perform and interpret threat modelling / pen-test results, converting findings into road mapped improvements and measurable risk reductions.
* Advise on security controls for hybrid and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Kubernetes, serverless), balancing usability, cost and compliance.
* Mentor and quality assure Security Architects' work, fostering a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing.
* Engage senior stakeholders across technology, policy and operations, presenting security trade-offs in business terms and gaining consensus.
* Scan the horizon for emerging threats, tooling and regulatory change, recommending timely adoption or mitigation strategies.
* Oversee vendor and SaaS evaluations, ensuring contracts include appropriate security clauses and ongoing assurance.
What you will bring
The essential skills are used to assess your demonstrable passion for Security Architecture, with the following skills or shown experience expected to be highlighted in your CV and Personal Statement:
* Secure system design leadership: demonstrable track record creating or validating architectures for largescale, high-risk services using recognised frameworks (SABSA, TOGAF, NCSC).
* Risk based decision making: expert in ISO 27001 / NIST / CIS controls, able to quantify and articulate risk, then select proportionate, cost-effective controls.
* Technical depth: hands on knowledge of cloud security, IAM, container & API security, network segmentation, encryption and DevSecOps toolchains; capable of explaining exploitability of complex vulnerabilities.
* Pentesting & threat modelling: scoping, overseeing and translating results into enforceable patterns and backlog items.
* Influential communication: proven ability to engage C suite and delivery squads alike, adapting style to gain agreement and drive secure by design culture.
* Mentoring & governance: experience line managing or coaching security architects/engineers and running architecture assurance or design review boards.
Additional Information
This role requires SC clearance. To meet national security vetting requirements, you typically need to have been resident in the UK for at least three years. Unfortunately, we cannot offer sponsorship.
This role is available full-time or on a flexible basis. Where business needs allow, hybrid working may be possible, with at least 60% of your time spent in the office.
Your CV and Personal Statement will both be assessed. Your Personal Statement should clearly evidence your experience against the essential skills, using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Make full use of the word count to create a comprehensive and compelling application -
Useful support on Home Office recruitment process including Success Profiles tips video, Personal Statement tips, Video/Interview tips video -