Role Title: Senior Security Architect
Headcount: 1
Digital/Non-Digital: Digital Technology (9%)
Contracting Authority: Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
Contract Length: 12 months
Location: Newcastle Hub (40% on-site, increasing to 60% from September). Open to other northern hubs (Leeds, Manchester, Blackpool) with occasional travel to Newcastle.
IR35 Status: In Scope
Pay Rate: £750/day (umbrella)
Security Clearance: SC
CV Deadline: 1st July 2025
Interview Process: 1-stage via Microsoft Teams

Core Purpose
The Senior Security Architect will:

Engage with senior stakeholders across departments.
Influence teams and communities across the organisation.
Research and apply innovative security architecture solutions.
Develop vision, principles, and strategy for security architecture.
Balance security requirements and make informed design decisions.
Lead technical design of systems and services.
Support quality assurance and act as an escalation point for junior architects.

Key Responsibilities:
Analyse technical solutions and identify areas for improvement.
Reuse analysis across similar problem sets.
Communicate security and risk implications to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Design and review secure system architectures using patterns and principles.
Technical Skills (Priority Areas)
Analysis: Ability to monitor and drive technical analysis and feedback loops.
Communication: Deep understanding of security concepts and ability to communicate them clearly.
Designing Secure Systems: Experience in designing and reviewing secure architectures.
Knowledge & Experience
Experience with large-scale micro-service infrastructure.

Essential:
AWS Cloud
MongoDB & PostgreSQL
Systems that encrypt data
Additional Information
A pre-interview call with the hiring manager and senior architect will be conducted to assess candidate suitability.
Clarification Based on Previous Feedback
To better align with expectations, please note the following refinements:

Broader Security Expertise Required
Candidates must demonstrate hands-on experience in:

Application security
Database security
Cloud security measures
Mandatory Certification
All candidates must hold the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) qualification. This is a non-negotiable requirement.

Technical Depth Over Governance Focus
The ideal candidate should be technically proficient and capable of contributing to the design and implementation of secure systems-not just policy or risk frameworks.