Lead Technical Architect - Command and Control

Are you ready to lead the architecture of a mission-critical Command and Control platform (C2P) project that directly supports HM Coastguard’s lifesaving work?

Can you turn complex business problems into innovative, high-impact technical designs that shape the MCA’s digital future?

Do you want to influence senior stakeholders, set architectural standards, and drive technology strategy across a national organisation?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is seeking a Lead Technical Architect to join the Digital and Technology Function which enables the organisation to deliver world class services. It is a centre of excellence that is responsible for the technology strategy, delivering a broad portfolio of change to transform the Agency’s legacy technologies, and deliver innovative new solutions designed around our customers’ needs.

The Digital and AI team is responsible for the definition of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency digital strategy, the development of the solutions architectures required to realise this strategy and ensuring that architecture and technology principles are met and maintained.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King’s birthday
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at: Maritime and Coastguard Agency - Department for Transport Careers, As the Lead Technical Architect you will be instrumental in the definition of technology roadmaps that are aligned to business and IT strategy that support business change as well as the definition of architecture solutions to resolve specific business and technology issues. You will be required to provide technical leadership to design and development partners, making the necessary design decisions when required to ensure the MCA digital strategy is realised, that business and IT requirements are met, and MCA architecture principles are adhered to.

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to:

• Defining current and future solution requirements for coastguard command, control and coordination;
• Working closely with senior stakeholders across the enterprise to understand goals, constraints and values, and define opportunities for improvement;
• Horizon scanning for influences or risks to identify impacts and dependencies on the solution, ensuring alignment to broader government strategies and frameworks;
• Investigating and recommending appropriate use of emerging technologies to support the solutions;
• Defining solution principles, patterns, standards and best practices;
• Ensuring solution design is aligned to current business processes or their definition, proposing necessary changes to realise the solution;
• Ensuring solution design is interoperable with applications and infrastructure, proposing the necessary changes required;
• Accountability for the assurance of partners’ solution designs through the Architecture Review Board;
• Communicating the technology roadmap for Command and Control with both technical and non-technical stakeholders;
• Ensuring the knowledge of the MCA architecture is maintained in the architecture repository as well as compliant with the architecture strategy and principles., This post is offered on a Fixed Term Appointment (FTA) basis to complete a finite piece of work. There could be the potential of extension up to 2 years or permanency, subject to the role being available (and for those coming across on loan, your home departments agreement)].

For permanent Civil Servants, this role is only available on loan, so you must have your home departments approval to return to them at the end of the loan before you apply. There is no opportunity for a permanent Civil Servant to take on this role as a fixed term appointment. OGD applicants will be appointed on an inward loan and subject to the terms of the agreed inward loan. Internal candidates will return to their previous post at the end of the loan period, which will need to be agreed with your line manager in advance.

If you're employed by a non-departmental public body (NDPB) by moving jobs this will involve a change of employer and you may break the statutory rules on continuity of employment.

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week. This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location/visiting stakeholders. Your designated workplace will be your contractual place of work. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

Occasional travel to other offices will be required, which may involve overnight stays.

If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details)., As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes., All External applicants and current employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will be required to undergo a Social Media Check. A Social Media Check is a review of your publicly available online activity, typically across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others. The purpose is to identify any public posts or content that could raise concerns for employers, such as:

Hate speech or discriminatory behaviour

Threats or acts of violence

Illegal activity or substance misuse

Sexually explicit material

Extremist views or affiliations

Importantly, this check does not involve hacking into your accounts or accessing private messages. It only considers content you have chosen to make public.

Employers use this kind of screening to help ensure their workplace remains safe, inclusive, and aligned with company values. It’s not about judging your personality or lifestyle—it’s about checking for potential red flags that might affect the role or company culture.

If you have questions or concerns about the social media check, we would be happy to explain in more detail what’s being looked at and how your data is handled securely and fairly.

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

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a 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., * UK nationals

• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

• A functional appreciation of the data, application and technology architecture domains;
• A strong understanding of multi-vendor deployment models, including; Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), Serverless computing, and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS);
• Strong experience of architecture methodology and tools, design and modelling techniques, and best practice;
• An expert in turning business problems into technical design and can design systems characterised by high levels of risk, impact and business or technical complexity;
• Proficiency in evolving and defining governance and take responsibility for collaborating and supporting services in wider governance;
• Proficiency in defining and challenging strategies, patterns, standards, policies, roadmaps and vision statements., This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills., * Strong experience of architecture methodology and tools, design and modelling techniques, and best practice;
• You will be expert in turning business problems into technical design and can design systems characterised by high levels of risk, impact and business or technical complexity;
• You will be proficient in defining and challenging strategies, patterns, standards, policies, roadmaps and vision statements.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead Success Profile element, Experience - Strong experience of architecture methodology and tools, design and modelling techniques, and best practice;. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills

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

• Architecture Communication: Expert
• Community Collaboration: Practitioner
• Strategy design: Practitioner
• Technical design throughout the lifecycle: Expert, Alongside your salary of £57,515, Maritime and Coastguard Agency contributes £16,662 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).
• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
• Access to the staff discount portal.
• Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
• Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.
• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Find out more about the benefits of working at MCA ., At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

• Behaviours

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving Making Effective Decisions

• Technical: Technical architect - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework

• Architecture Communication: Expert
• Community Collaboration: Practitioner
• Strategy design: Practitioner
• Technical design throughout the lifecycle: Expert

The interviews will take place week commencing 27/04/2026