JOB SUMMARY

Are you ready to work in one of the most interesting cyber security environments and share your experience to support national security?
The Cyber Defence & Risk (CyDR) team plays an integral role in protecting the UK against external and internal cyber security threats to ensure that our Armed Forces have the strong cyber defences they need. The team is responsible for enabling Defence operations and capabilities, providing specialist cyber security services across UK Defence (including industry) and working our international allies.

ABOUT US:

Defence Digital ensures our Armed Forces remain among the most technologically advanced in the world. We do this by putting innovative and effective technology into the hands of over 200,000 users, from the boardroom to the front line.
We lead on cutting-edge data science, automation, and cyber security at scale. Our mission goes beyond the battlefield by leading humanitarian efforts and driving digital innovation that impacts lives across the globe.

Defence Digital forms part of Strategic Command which manages the MOD’s joint capabilities for the Army, RAF, and Royal Navy.

• Watch to find out more about what we do.

As a Civil Servant, you’ll also have access to our range of excellent benefits, including flexible working, discount schemes, generous leave allowance and a market-leading Civil Service pension.
Our commitment to your development is fundamental and you’ll be able to take advantage of fantastic learning and development opportunities, tailored to your role and beyond. Whilst in post, you’ll be able to gain industry recognised qualifications and we’ll support you throughout the process.
This post is eligible for a Digital Skills Allowance of up to £15,300 per annum. Eligibility for this allowance will be assessed at interview against 4 core technical skills only and reviewed annually in line with MOD policy.
Passionate about using your skills to make a critical difference? Your next career move could be here.
This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

JOB DESCRIPTION

As Lead Cyber Security Architect, you’ll advise and enable technical teams to make security decisions. You’ll provide advice and guidance to ensure common tools and patterns are used effectively to deliver secure systems and implement proportionate controls to enable business outcomes.
You’ll lead a team accountable for producing defensive cyber technology blueprints, architectures and technology strategy for Defence and advise on security enterprise and solution architecture for Defence.
Collaborating across Defence, you’ll ensure that the defensive cyber strategy and Defences’ digital strategy can be delivered securely, is fully integrated across Front Line Commands and enabling organisations, adopts innovation and meets users’ needs.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

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

• Information risk assessment and risk management
• Security architecture
• Protective security
• Threat understanding

Benefits
Alongside your salary of £59,690, Ministry of Defence contributes £17,292 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Our benefits include:

• Learning and development tailored to your role with a dedicated minimum of 5 days per year
• 25 days paid annual leave rising (by 1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of five years’ service
• Ability to roll up to 10 days annual leave per year
• In addition to eight public holidays per year, you will also receive leave for HM The King’s birthday
• A Civil Service pension
• Parental and Adoption Leave
• Discounts on a range of services within and external to the civil service – Defence Discount Service, Civil Service societies for Sports and Leisure, Healthcare, Insurance, Motoring, Company discounts with Virgin, Vodafone, and Microsoft Office.
• In year rewards and ‘thank you’ schemes such as vouchers and gift cards
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• Find out more here - Discovermybenefits

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

Our people are at the heart of everything we do at Defence Digital. It’s vital that our workforce reflects the diversity of both our audience and the wider society in the UK, so we’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer and we actively seek candidates from diverse backgrounds and communities. We also recognise the importance of a good work life balance, so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including part-time and job shares for all our roles. Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process if this is something you want to explore.
Defence Digital operates an organisation model in which every individual belongs to a Government Profession. The successful applicant will be posted into one of the defined Government Professions on Standard Terms of Reference for the grade. Defence Digital reserves the right to move individuals between roles, within their allocated profession, to meet the needs of the business and in support of agile resourcing.
Strategic Command is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to improve the way the Command conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, all posts within Strategic Command Headquarters and in time the wider organisation, are/will be subject to review and potential changes as we continuously improve across the period of the transformation programme. These changes may be minor or could be more substantive and will generate new opportunities. Throughout, the Command’s transformation programme is committed to following the MOD’s framework on managing and supporting people through the change process and places an emphasis on early and open consultation and engagement with the Command’s personnel and Trade Unions.
Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.
Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.
Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.
Any move to MOD from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.
MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.
Things you need to know

TECHNICAL SKILLS

• Security architecture
• Information risk assessment and risk management
• Protective security
• Threat understanding
  The Government Security Profession Career Framework and the Cyber Security Advisory - Security Architect Principal role used in this vacancy can be found at: Government Security Profession career framework.
  The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk .
  As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came in to effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system.
  Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.
  Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• 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) (opens in a new window)
• 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

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

TYPE OF ROLE

Architecture and Data
Risk Management
Security
Other

RESPONSIBILITIES

As Lead Cyber Security Architect, you will:

• Lead the technical design of systems and services, justifying and communicating all design decisions, applying research and innovative security architecture solutions to new or existing problems.
• Develop and communicate the vision, principles and strategy for security architects for projects or technology.
• Decipher subtle security needs and understand the impact of decisions, balancing requirements and deciding between approaches.
• Lead on quality assurance and act as the point of escalation for Security Architects within a team.

More specifically:

• Play a leading role in the development and management of the technical roadmap for MOD’s cyber security strategy and associated architectural products and artefacts.
• Work with teams of security architects and liaise across Defence to understand architecture requirements.
• Research and apply innovative security architecture solutions to new or existing problems and be able to justify and communicate design decisions.
• Understand the impact of security decisions, balancing requirements and deciding between approaches to mitigate and manage risk.
• Lead the technical security design of Defence systems and services.