Principal Security Architect

On behalf of The Ministry of Justice we are looking for a Principal Security Architect (Inside IR35) for a 6 month contract. Hybrid working with 2 days per week required in any MOJ office.

The Security Architect role is pivotal in achieving the digital transformation objectives of the Legal Aid Agency (LAA). This position is responsible for critical risk reduction

within the agency and plays an essential part in ensuring that new solutions developed under the pathfinder initiative are both secure and compliant. The role holder will oversee the LAA transformation programmes including tech debt replacement and migration, designing secure architecture to ensure seamless integration of new systems/features and workflows.

The Security Architect will be accountable for ensuring that the replacement LAA systems are security compliant, adhering to standards such as Secure by Design and GovAssure. This role involves high strategic impact, with long-term effects across LAA Digital. The Security Architect will also be jointly responsible for executing highly complex technical migrations involving approximately 90,000 users.

As a Principal Security Architect your main responsibilities will be to:

. Work on projects with high strategic impact, setting a strategy that can be used in the long term and across the breadth of the organisation.
. Communicate with a broad range of senior stakeholders and be responsible for defining the vision, principles and strategy for security architects.
. Recommend security design across several projects or technologies, up to an organisational or inter-organisational level.
. Make and influence important business and architectural decisions.
. Research, identify, validate and adopt new technologies and methodologies.

Essential:

. An active SC Clearance is an essential requirement for this role, as a minimum you must be willing & eligible to undergo checks. (Please note, due to the exceptional requirements of this position (short-term nature of this role and speed at which we require a postholder in situ) preference may be given to candidates who meet all of the essential criteria and hold active security clearance.)
. Extensive experience as a Security Architect in large-scale digital transformation programmes.
. Proven expertise in designing and delivering secure architectures aligned with Secure by Design principles and GovAssure/CAF IGPs.
. Strong background in risk reduction and regulatory compliance within public sector or complex enterprise environments.
. Demonstrated ability to lead and influence security strategy across multiple projects or technologies at an organisational level.
. Deep and evolving technical knowledge of modern security practices, frameworks, and tooling.
. Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, including the ability to engage with senior leaders and define security vision and principles.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident

As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, MOJ guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

Armed Forces Covenant

The Ministry of Justice guarantees to interview veterans or spouses/partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of ex-military candidates/military spouses or partners, who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following "this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different".