Security Architect - Central Govt - 12 Months - Glasgow

Security Architect - Central Government Client - SC/DV Clearance - 12 Months - Glasgow

A central-government client is seeking an experienced Security Architect to provide technical security leadership for a major secure on-premise collaboration platform. This role requires someone who is highly hands-on, deeply familiar with secure infrastructure environments, and confident providing design assurance across Windows, Linux, VMware, Active Directory, networking, and security controls.

You will assure solution designs, guide technical engineering teams, support BAU change, and ensure the platform remains secure, stable, and aligned to government standards. This is an ideal role for a Security Architect with deep on-prem, infrastructure-security, and secure-government experience-comfortable rolling up their sleeves in a small, high-trust architecture team.

Key Responsibilities

Security Architecture & Assurance

• Provide end-to-end security architecture oversight for a major government secure platform.
• Review, challenge, and assure HLDs/LLDs across Windows, Linux, networks, gateways, identity, and virtualisation layers.
• Ensure all change aligns with NCSC guidance, secure-by-design principles, and departmental architecture standards.
• Produce security impact assessments, design notes, and assurance evidence for governance forums.

On-Prem Infrastructure Expertise

• Apply deep hands-on knowledge of Active Directory, Windows Server, Linux, VMware, network segmentation, and secure datacentre patterns.
• Support engineering teams with complex troubleshooting, BAU improvements, and risk-based decision making.
• Validate platform configurations, integrations, and operational control measures.

Operational Security & BAU Support

• Provide pragmatic, risk-aware advice on ongoing platform change and incremental improvements.
• Support the assessment of vulnerabilities, patching, logging improvements, and monitoring enhancements.
• Work closely with operations teams to ensure controls remain effective and maintain audit readiness.

Secure Governance & Compliance

• Participate in technical and security governance forums across the programme.
• Present security positions, risks, and mitigations to senior stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with internal standards, government security classifications, and protective-monitoring requirements.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Work closely with engineering, networking, platform operations, commercial, and delivery teams.
• Act as a trusted technical advisor to project leads, assuring that proposed solutions are viable within a high-security ecosystem.
• Foster a collaborative, security-minded culture across the programme.

Design Improvements & Roadmapping

• Identify risks, gaps, and opportunities to improve platform security and performance.
• Recommend upgrades, hardening activities, and architectural improvements.
• Contribute to forward-looking security roadmap discussions.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Essential

• Extensive experience as a Security Architect within secure central-government, defence, or national-security environments.
• Strong hands-on experience with on-prem infrastructure:
  • Windows Server, Linux, AD, Group Policy
  • VMware/vSphere
  • Firewalls, gateways, proxies, segmentation
  • Secure datacentre networks
• Demonstrable experience performing technical design assurance, reviewing HLDs/LLDs, and challenging engineering decisions.
• Comfortable working in BAU-heavy, Legacy, and constrained secure environments.
• Strong understanding of NCSC good practice, security standards, and protective monitoring.
• Ability to work in a small, deeply technical architecture team with high autonomy.
• Excellent communication skills, able to explain technical risks to non-technical stakeholders.

Desirable

• Experience supporting SECRET-level or above environments.
• Familiarity with secure VDI, Citrix, or hardened desktop platforms.
• Understanding of government security governance (eg, ISRA, RMADS, SysAcc).
• Exposure to cross-government shared services or multi-agency secure platforms.

Clearance Requirements

• Active SC clearance is essential
• Candidates must be eligible and willing to undergo additional security checks (DV highly desirable).
• Applications will be rejected if:
• The CV does not show hands-on infrastructure security architecture.
• The candidate lacks experience in secure government environments.
• The candidate cannot meet SC-clearance eligibility criteria.

TL;DR

Job Title: Security Architect
Start Date: ASAP
Location: East Kilbride - 2-3 days per week on-site
Contract Length: 12 months initially
Day Rate: Negotiable
IR35 Status: Inside IR35
Clearance: Active SC (DV Preferred)