Lead IT Technology Architect

As part of the development of our Digital Services function, we are recruiting to strengthen internal digital capability within the Digital Technical Competence team. These roles are central to building sustainable in-house expertise that supports the design, development, and delivery of digital solutions across the transport network. A key focus of this campaign is creating new opportunities. As a result, we are recruiting a Lead IT Technology Architect. This is a pivotal role in shaping, designing and assuring technical solutions for one of the UK's most complex and nationally important operational environments. You will lead the architecture for substantial, high‑value and multifaceted solutions, setting architectural standards, providing clear technical direction, and guiding delivery teams through pragmatic, well‑informed decision making. This role drives enterprise‑wide architecture, promoting reuse and interoperability, while ensuring digital services are operationally sustainable, cyber resilient and deliver value for money. This is a hybrid role, requiring two days per week in the office, based at any National Highways office location. Translate organisational strategy into actionable technical architectures, guiding delivery teams and influencing senior stakeholders to drive digital transformation across public services. Architect solutions across the whole business context and communicate those decisions effectively. Provide strategic technicalleadership across complex digital programmes ensuring technology solutions are robust, scalable, secure and aligned with government standards and business objectives. Develop best practice forIT Technology architectureto meet our need for continuous improvement. Create technical designs for solutions ofhighcomplexity and risk. Lead teams of more junior architectsin designing solutions for National Highways, building relationships withseniorstakeholders across different business or technical areas in the organisationto correctly direct solutions and meet business needs.

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• Translate organisational strategy into actionable technical architectures, guiding delivery teams and influencing senior stakeholders to drive digital transformation across public services.
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• Architect solutions across the whole business context and communicate those decisions effectively.
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• Provide strategic technical leadership across complex digital programmes ensuring technology solutions are robust, scalable, secure and aligned with government standards and business objectives.
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• Develop best practice for IT Technology architecture to meet our need for continuous improvement.
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• Create technical designs for solutions of high complexity and risk.
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• Lead teams of more junior architects in designing solutions for National Highways, building relationships with senior stakeholders across different business or technical areas in the organisation to correctly direct solutions and meet business needs.
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• You demonstrate a strong understanding of public sector strategy, policy, and service delivery models.
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• You have proven experience leading architecture across complex digital programmes, with familiarity in Agile and hybrid delivery models and managing legacy-to-modern transitions.
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• You bring deep expertise in cloud, infrastructure, and emerging technologies within regulated environments.
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• You are highly skilled in stakeholder engagement, influencing senior leaders, and enabling effective cross‑government collaboration.
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• You have experience in architectural governance, technical assurance, and aligning technical solutions to clear business outcomes.
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• You show strong commercial awareness of public sector procurement, cost optimisation, and value delivery.
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