Principal Solution Architect

• Details
• Reference number
• 473939
• Salary
• £67,730 - £75,480

Grade 6 National: £67,730 - £75,480, plus industry leading pension and benefits. For details of our pay on appointment policy, please see below under the heading ‘Salary’.

This post offers successful candidates the opportunity to be considered for an additional Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) Skills Supplement. The level of the awarded supplement is determined following a separate skills assessment process, the outcome of which has no impact on the decision to make a job offer. This digital capability supplement ranges from £0 to £28,995 and you may be awarded a pay supplement within this range based on results of your additional skills assessment. For details of our pay on appointment policy, please see below under the heading ‘Salary’.

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

• Job grade
• Grade 6
• Contract type
• Permanent
• Business area
• DEFRA - DGCS - Digital, Data, Technology & Security
• Type of role
• Digital
• Information Technology
• Working pattern
• Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time
• Number of jobs available
• 2
• Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Location

Bristol, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Reading, Warrington, York

About the job

Job summary

Defra is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.

Digital, Data, Technology and Security (DDTS) is the trusted team for digital across the entire Defra Group.

We have around 1000 colleagues across DDTS and our ambition is to make it easier and faster than ever for people to interact with Defra. If you are ready to drive innovation and push boundaries, we want to hear from you. Join us and together we will create a great place for living, and a green and healthy future for all.

Find out more about DDTS:

• Defra digital, data and technology blog
• LinkedIn
• Defra Jobs
• We are Government Digital and Data Candidate Information Pack V3 - 1

Job description

Working as a Principal Solution Architect at DEFRA means supporting delivery of digital services that handle some of the most pressing issues our society faces,including climate change, sustainability, biodiversity and farming.

As well as working on meaningful projects, you can expect some great benefits such as a Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97% and flexible working options such as condensed hours, part-time and flexi time.

You will guide multi-disciplinary architects in one or more Outcome Delivery Groups, resolving complex problems and reporting to the Chief Architect. You will lead a team

of Lead and Solution Architects, providing vision and direction while balancing competing priorities.

You will manage vendor and supplier relationships to optimise DEFRA’s use of technology, data, and digital skills. This includes public-facing systems, internal platforms, scientific and analytical tools, geospatial systems, cloud services, and mobile operations.

The Delivery Architecture team is responsible for the IT solutions provided to DEFRA group and its executive agencies and arm’s length bodies. You will lead architecture in one or more Outcome Delivery Groups, supporting multiple programmes. You will define and deliver roadmaps in collaboration with stakeholders, ensuring successful delivery of complex systems while managing risk, cost, and strategic alignment.

Please note for this role you will require SC Clearance. To gain SC clearance all applicants are required to have been a UK resident for a minimum of 5 years. If this requirement is not met, the individual will not be able to progress their application further.

Person specification

Responsibilities:

• You will ensure solutions align with enterprise architecture, digital strategy, and policy goals while meeting business needs.
• Act as a senior technical advisor to policy, service owners, delivery managers, and executives.
• Chair the local Solution Design Authority (SDA) to align decisions with government principles and strategic priorities.
• Oversee technology choices, integration, and data flows to ensure quality and compliance with DEFRA and government standards.
• Support the Chief Architect in managing governance within the Delivery Group.
• Represent DEFRA to external bodies (e.g., GDS) to ensure its needs shape UK Government digital services.
• Act as a senior technical ambassador at cross-government forums to align with broader strategies.
• Update roadmaps for key domains based on business fit, risk, sustainability, and strategic direction.
• Provide leadership to architects and coordinate across teams to manage dependencies across business and technical domains.
• Anticipate future needs, mitigate risks, and balance competing priorities.
• Collaborate with innovation teams to explore and adopt emerging technologies through pilots and proofs of concept.
• Communicate delivery goals, investment priorities, and strategic direction to architects and stakeholders.
• Assure third-party and internal work meets DEFRA standards and practices.
• Champion architectural best practices and drive holistic architecture maturity.

Skills and Experience

• Extensive experience of working with and influencing suppliers and dependencies.
• Communicating with internal and external senior stakeholders.
• Extensive experience of estimating and contributing to project planning, dependency and risk maps from a technical perspective.
• Experience of successfully leading and delivering technological change within large organisations.
• Experience of analysing future technology needs from the proposals for user/digital services.
• Experience of producing roadmaps, business cases and other corporate investment plans.
• Experience of significant application modernisation/transformation
• Management of multiple technical domains at senior level, delegation of detail working to others, and management of dependencies.
• Agile orientated delivery mindset.
• Ability to plan, budget, forecast and estimate resources, time and costs.
• Ability to implement, own and lead governance and assurance activities.

Selection process

The Civil Service marks each element of the selection process on a merit basis. You can visit the gov.uk website for further information on the Civil Service rating scale.

Ensure you have tailored your CV and Personal Statement to the 'skills and experience' section of the job advert by providing examples on how you are suitable for the role using the STAR method.

Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your personal statement, how you meet these requirements, as the information you provide will form a key part when the panel is scoring your application.

For further information on STAR, you can check out our Hints and Tips document.

Application process

As part of the application process, you will be assessed on your experience. This will be evaluated by looking at your CV and personal statement, so please provide the following and ensure your experience is clearly demonstrated:

A CV

A 750 word Personal Statement: Referring to the 'skills and experience' sections of the job advert, please demonstrate how you are suitable for the role by providing relevant examples.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Sift

Sift will begin shortly after the advert closes.

Should there be a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted using your personal statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment or interview.

Interview

If successful at sift, you will be invited to an interview where you will be assessed on the Behaviours and Technical Skills listed below.

For further information the Technical skills please refer to the framework.

Interview dates are to be confirmed. Please note that these may be subject to change.

Interviews will be held face to face at our London office, further details to follow if successful at sift.

For further information on Success Profiles, you can visit the links below and watch our videos on DefraJobs.

• Behaviours
• Experience
• Technical Skills
• Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Architect for the whole context - Level: Expert
• Architecture communication - Level: Expert
• Commercial Perspective - Level: Practitioner
• Making Architectural Decisions - Level: Expert
• Problem definition and shaping - Level: Expert
• Strategy design - Level: Expert

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £67,730, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £19,621 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides .

• 25 days leave (rising to 30 days over 5 years) plus bank holidays.
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%.
• A day off per year for the King's birthday.
• Access to a range of retail discounts (these include supermarket, tech, gym, holiday, phone and more).
• Flexible working options such as condensed hours, part-time and flexi time.
• 3 paid volunteering days per year.
• Funding for professional membership of a recognised professional body.
• Learning and development tailored to your role and budget for training or qualifications.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Health cash plan to help you manage health costs for a reduced monthly fee.
• Access to the Employee Assistance Programme open 24 hours, 7 days a week, that provides support to you during any times of stress or difficulty.
• Free access to Headspace for wellbeing.
• Season ticket loan for public transport.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

For further information on the selection process for this role, please refer to the person specification section of the job advert.

Location

As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).

Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.

Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.

The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Further Information

Reserve list

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

Near miss

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Defra which may be at a lower grade, but have a potential skills match.

Merit Lists

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Reasonable adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'contact point for applicants' section.

Criminal Record Check

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Internal Fraud Database Check

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Higher Security Clearance

All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold SC security clearance. Job offers to these posts are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to DEFRA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

Visa Sponsorship Statement

Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check .

See our vetting charter .

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : DDTSonPayrollRecruitment@defra.gov.uk
• Email : ddtsonpayrollrecruitment@defra.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: here