Lead Technical Architect

As a Lead Technical Architect, you'll join DWP Digital's Digital Channels team, leading the architecture design behind our Digital Channels Contact Centre (DC3). This is a critical transformation programme moving from traditional voice-based services to a fully integrated omni-channel contact centre.

You'll operate at the highest level of architecture leadership - shaping strategy, influencing senior stakeholders, and guiding the design of complex solutions across cloud, on-premise and hybrid environments. Your work will directly impact how citizens interact with vital public services, improving accessibility, efficiency and user experience at a national scale.

This is a high-impact role where you'll define technical direction, govern architecture decisions and inspire teams across DWP Digital, driving one of the most significant digital transformations in government.

What skills, knowledge and experience will you need?

• You can design complex technical systems across cloud, on-premise and hybrid environments, covering security, networking, data and integrations
• You use architecture principles, patterns and standards to guide decisions and create clear, consistent designs
• You've worked with delivery teams throughout the full lifecycle, from early concept through to live services, across agile, waterfall or blended approaches
• You can translate business needs into clear technical solutions and explain decisions so stakeholders understand and trust them
• You understand modern contact centre platforms and how they support multi-channel services and integrated customer journeys
• You can design end-to-end contact centre solutions, including call routing, customer journeys, agent workflows, and scalable/high-availability environments
• You have experience with telephony and contact centre technologies (such as Cisco, Avaya, Genesys, Amazon Connect or NICE CXone), including VoIP, IVR, CTI and ACD
• You understand AI and automation in contact centres, including conversational IVR, NLP, chatbots, speech analytics, real-time agent support, and WFM/WFO tooling

You and your role

As a Lead Technical Architect, you'll lead the design and evolution of DWP's next-generation contact centre platform.

You'll drive the shift from traditional telephony to a fully integrated omni-channel environment, enabling seamless journeys across voice, chat and digital services. This includes designing conversational IVR and integrating AI-driven capabilities such as natural language processing and virtual agents - while ensuring services remain resilient, secure and scalable.

You'll work across organisational boundaries to translate business needs into clear technical designs, guiding delivery from early concept through to live service and continuous improvement.

You'll also own architecture governance, ensuring solutions align with strategy and long-term goals. Whether defining roadmaps, managing technical risk or identifying opportunities for innovation, you'll play a key role in shaping consistent, high-quality outcomes.

Beyond delivery, you'll support and mentor other architects, sharing best practice and helping raise standards across the architecture community.

Details. Wages. Perks.

Location: You'll join us in one of our brilliant digital hubs in Blackpool, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle or Sheffield, whichever is most convenient for you.

Hybrid Working: We work a hybrid model - you'll spend some time working at home and some time collaborating face to face in a hub.

Pay: We offer pay up to £99,836. That's £75,026 salary plus a Government Digital and Data Allowance of up to £24,810 subject to our assessment of your capability at interview.

Pension: You'll get a brilliant civil service pension with employer contributions worth 28.97%, worth up to £16,786 per year.

Holidays: A generous leave package starting at 26 days rising to 31 days over time.

You can also take up to 3 extra days off a month on flexi-time. You'll also get all the usual public holidays.

We have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:

• Flexible working including flexible hours and flex-friendly policies
• Time off volunteering and charitable giving
• Bring your authentic self to work with 'I Can Be Me in DWP'
• Discounts and savings on shopping, fun days out and more
• Interest-free loans to buy a bike or a season ticket, so it's even easier for you to get to work and start making a difference
• Sports and social activities
• Professional development, coaching, mentoring and career progression opportunities.

And we have an award-winning environment and culture:

• DWP have been recognised as 2024 Diversity Employer of the Year at the Computing Women in Tech Excellence awards
• Diverse and Inclusive Leadership at Digital Leaders Awards 2024
• Commended as Best Place to Work in Digital category in the Computing Digital Technology Leaders awards 2025
• Recognised as one of the Best Public Sector Employers at 2025 Women In Tech Employer Awards

Process:

We know your time is valuable so our application and selection process is just two stages:

Apply: complete your application on Civil Service Jobs. There'll be full instructions when you click through.

Interview: a two stage interview online.

Click APPLY for more information and to start your application.