Lead Network Architect

Become part of a mission-driven digital team helping to build secure, resilient services used by millions across the UK. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), in partnership with Inspire People, is seeking a Lead Network Architect with strong enterprise networking experience (LAN.WAN,WLAN),withaddtional skills in either across either telephony /UC and contact centre platforms, or broader infrastructure domains (e.g. servers, identity, Active Directory or cloud platforms). You will act as the Lead Architect for a new 6,000-seat, multi-million-pound telephony programme, while also contributing to other key infrastructure initiatives. Based in Swansea on a permanent appointment, this role offers a salary of up to £82,430 plus 29% employer pension contribution and excellent Civil Service benefits, with hybrid working (minimum 60% in Swansea).

DVLA delivers national-scale digital services that support the safe and lawful use of vehicles across the UK, reaching millions of citizens and businesses every year. As DVLA continues to modernise its technology landscape, the organisation is investing in strong technical architecture capability to ensure services are secure, well-governed, scalable and aligned to wider government strategy.

As a Lead Technical Architect, you will work across DVLA's IT Services Directorate and business teams, collaborating closely with engineering squads to design, assure and deliver modern digital solutions. You will play a key role in shaping architectural patterns, influencing technical decisions and mentoring other architects.

As a Lead Network Architect you will:

• Lead the technical design of systems and services, justifying and clearly communicating design decisions
• Define and assure solution architectures, ensuring alignment with enterprise and government architecture strategy
• Work collaboratively with engineering teams to deliver new solutions and transition them into live service
• Establish and apply architectural governance, ensuring consistency, quality and security by design
• Assure service and system quality, identifying risks, dependencies and cross-domain impacts
• Explore opportunities for cross-government alignment and reuse
• Provide leadership and mentoring to other architects and technical colleagues
• Engage with senior stakeholders, communicating technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences

Essential skills for the Lead Network Architect include:

• A strong architectural background delivering enterprise-scale solutions

• Proven experience in either enterprise networking (LAN/WAN/WLAN)

• The ability to design and assure solutions across complex, multi-domain environments, understanding how networking, telephony and wider infrastructure integrate

• Experience working beyond a single specialism, with exposure to broader infrastructure such as servers, Active Directory or cloud platforms.

• Strong experience of architectural governance and assurance
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills

Desirable skills for the Lead Network Architect include:

• Experience with unified communications and omni-channel contact centre solutions
• Experience working in government or other regulated environments
• Exposure to large-scale digital transformation programmes
• Experience mentoring architects or senior engineers
• Familiarity with Agile delivery and modern CI/CD practices

In return, you can expect a flexible working culture, including:

• Hybrid working with a minimum 60% office-based in Swansea
• Flexible working patterns to support work-life balance
• A Civil Service pension with employer contributions of circa 29%
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays and a privilege day
• Access to learning, development and digital career frameworks

Why Join DVLA?

This is a unique opportunity to lead the network architecture for a major, multi-million-pound telephony transformation programme while shaping the wider infrastructure landscape at DVLA. You will work at national scale, ensuring secure, resilient connectivity for services used by millions across the UK, and play a key role in modernising critical platforms that underpin DVLA's digital services.

If you want to help shape nationally significant digital services at DVLA, apply via the link and one of the Inspire People team will be in touch.