Overview
Role: Lead Enterprise Architect The role provides strategic technical leadership and architectural direction at the heart of the NCA's transformation agenda. It shapes how technology enables the Agency's mission by ensuring programmes, platforms and services are aligned to a coherent enterprise-wide vision. You will work with senior stakeholders, delivery leads and other architects to drive architectural roadmaps, standards and principles that support strategic outcomes, enable interoperability and reduce technical debt. You will participate in design governance and assurance to ensure solutions are scalable, secure and aligned with business and operational objectives across a complex estate.
Location note: For roles based in London, the contractual place of work is Stratford. While Stratford becomes operational (November 2025 – March 2026), you may be required to perform duties from Vauxhall or another reasonable location temporarily. Stratford will be the contractual place of work, and travel time or costs under the Relocation and Excess Travel Policy will not be paid for subsequent moves from a temporary location.
Responsibilities
* Provide strategic technical leadership and architectural direction to drive the design and delivery of capabilities and services that enable and enhance the Agency's business and operational priorities.
* Under the direction of the Chief Architect, define and evolve the strategic direction for all IT-related domains within the NCA, ensuring coherence with wider government technology strategies and standards.
* Establish, own and maintain architectural principles, enterprise design patterns, reference models, blueprints and multi-year roadmaps underpinning IT design and transformation activity.
* Embed enterprise architecture within project and programme lifecycles by leading design governance, including design gates, assurance checkpoints and decision forums.
* Ensure reference architecture documentation is accurate, accessible and maintained to support consistency, reusability and accelerated delivery across the Agency.
* Maintain a deep and current understanding of emerging technologies and industry trends across infrastructure, networks, cloud services, applications and data; apply this insight to strategic planning and solution direction.
* Provide architectural oversight and assurance across the change portfolio, ensuring solutions align to objectives, are viable, and comply with security, operational and regulatory standards.
* Act as a senior architectural representative at governance forums (e.g., Technical Design Authority and Architectural Assurance Board), championing architectural principles and shaping enterprise decision-making.
* Shape and influence investment and transformation portfolios by contributing architectural insight to business cases, benefit realisation plans and technology evaluation.
* Foster collaborative engagement with delivery teams, suppliers and partners to ensure architectural integrity across all design and delivery layers.
* Mentor and develop the architectural community (solution, data, security and technical architects) to promote high standards and professional growth.
* Manage, coach, and develop staff in line with NCA values and performance expectations, promoting continuous improvement and accountability.
Qualifications and Experience
* Dem Demonstrable experience leading large-scale enterprise transformation programmes, including defining an enterprise architecture vision, shaping multi-year roadmaps and ensuring coherent execution across multiple domains and delivery workstreams.
* Proven ability to drive strategic alignment across diverse business and technology functions, linking organisational goals with technology decisions and programme outcomes.
* Deep expertise in architectural governance, including principles, standards and design patterns; experience operating governance forums such as design authorities and assurance boards.
* Experience developing reference architectures and enterprise-wide blueprints and ensuring their adoption across projects in complex environments.
* Track record in coaching domain architects (e.g., solution, data, security) to ensure enterprise consistency and alignment to standards.
* Practical experience in hybrid cloud/on-premises environments, including legacy migration, digital enablement and modernisation across infrastructure, platforms, applications and data.
* Understanding of enterprise architecture frameworks (e.g., TOGAF) and practical application of structured methods, tools and modelling standards.
* Familiarity with public sector/government digital standards, including governance constraints and alignment to frameworks such as GDS.
Desirable Criteria (tie-break)
* Experience leading complex, large-scale application rationalisation, consolidation and migration programmes in an enterprise architecture role.
* The ability to translate business problems into technical designs for systems with high risk and complexity.
* Experience identifying relevant technology, building a business case for its adoption and establishing governance standards.
Salary and Benefits
Salary: £67,609. The National Crime Agency contributes £19,586 towards the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. New entrants to the NCA receive 26 days annual leave, rising to 31 days after 5 years, plus 8 bank holidays. There are flexible working options, learning and development opportunities, and a range of employee benefits through Reward Gateway and other schemes.
Assessment, Presentation and Application Process
A virtual opening evening via MS Teams on Wednesday 17 September 2025 at 6:00pm (invitation-only). Registration closes on Tuesday 16 September at 12:00pm. Presentations at interview will be based on the Experience criteria in the advert, with a 10-minute presentation to be prepared in advance. Details will be provided ahead of the interview.
Additional Information
* Security: Pre-employment security checks required. Baseline personnel security standard checks apply for those working with government assets.
* Nationality: Broadly open to specified groups, with eligibility criteria as outlined by the Civil Service.
* Working for the Civil Service: Merit-based recruitment, diversity and equal opportunities, with Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities.
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