Principal Architect

Job Title: Principal Application Architect

Job Type: Permanent

Clearance Requirements: SC & NPPV3

We are the Information Intelligence Group (IIG) of CACI UK, a specialist technical consultancy providing bespoke solutions to solve complex operational problems. We are seeking an experienced Architect to provide client-side architectural assurance, governance and technical oversight across highly interesting and complex technology programmes.

The Architect acts as the client-side architectural authority, providing independent review, challenge and assurance of supplier-produced application designs and technical solutions. Working closely with Product, Architecture, Supplier and Delivery stakeholders, the role ensures solutions are aligned to business objectives, architectural principles and operational requirements, whilst providing expert recommendations to support technical governance and design authority decisions. The architect will provide expert architectural advice and recommendations to support informed decision-making and drive high-quality outcomes.

Due to the industries this role will be associated with, we require the successful candidate to be eligible for security clearance & NPPV3. To qualify for this, you must be a British Citizen only and have lived permanently in the UK for the last 5 years.

Responsibilities

Assurance & Governance

• Act as the client-side lead for application architecture assurance activities.
• Review, assess and challenge supplier-produced architecture artefacts, designs and technical proposals.
• Provide independent architectural recommendations to support governance and design authority decisions.
• Ensure solutions align with business objectives, product strategy, architectural standards and security posture.
• Identify architectural risks, assumptions, dependencies and constraints, recommending appropriate mitigations.
• Support Technical Design Authority (TDA), Architecture Review Board and governance activities.
• Assess the impact of proposed changes across applications, integrations, security and operational processes.
• Ensure architectural decisions are documented, traceable and aligned to agreed outcomes.
• Review application architectures for scalability, maintainability and resilience.
• Assess application decomposition, service boundaries, APIs, integrations and data flows.
• Review non-functional requirements including performance, availability, security, audit-ability and operational stability.
• Evaluate design approaches and design options, recommending improvements where required.
• Ensure solutions align with wider enterprise architecture principles and future roadmap objectives.
• Support the definition and maintenance of architecture standards and patterns.
• Act as a trusted advisor to key stakeholders.
• Build constructive relationships with suppliers whilst maintaining independent challenge and assurance.
• Hold delivery partners accountable for architectural quality and compliance.
• Facilitate technical discussions and sessions with suppliers, engineers and business stakeholders.
• Support resolution of technical issues, architectural concerns and design disputes.
• Present findings, recommendations and technical assessments to senior stakeholders and governance forums.

Security & Risk Management

• Ensure secure-by-design principles are considered throughout solution development.
• Review security risks and architectural implications of proposed designs.
• Support assurance activities relating to compliance, regulatory obligations and organisational standards.
• Contribute to risk assessments and impact analyses.
• Significant experience operating as an Application Architect, Solution Architect, Technical Architect or similar architecture leadership role.
• Strong understanding of application architecture principles within complex enterprise environments.
• Demonstrable experience providing architecture assurance, technical governance and design review services.
• Experience operating as a client-side architect within supplier-led delivery models.
• Proven ability to review, challenge and assure third-party architecture deliverables.
• Strong understanding of application integration patterns, APIs, service-oriented architectures and data flows.
• Experience participating in Architecture Review Boards, Technical Design Authorities or equivalent governance forums.
• Ability to assess technical risks, impacts and architectural trade-offs.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience producing architecture assessments, recommendations and assurance reports.
• Good understanding of AWS-hosted application architectures and cloud-native design principles.
• Strong understanding of security, resilience and operational considerations within application design.
• Experience within central government, national security or wider public sector environments.
• Experience working within highly regulated or mission-critical sectors.
• Experience supporting large-scale national data services and complex operational systems.
• Experience with biometric, identity management or forensic technology platforms.
• Understanding of biometric datasets, finger/face/DNA matching processes or forensic science.
• Experience reviewing architectures incorporating large databases.
• Experience of Java-based application estates.
• Knowledge of enterprise architecture frameworks and architectural modelling approaches.

Programme Specific Experience (Highly Desirable)

• Forensic science systems and services.
• National policing technology platforms.
• Public safety or law enforcement environments.
• Complex data matching and search solutions.
• Multi-party systems involving government, operational users and external service providers.

Why Work for us?

• Hybrid working: Work from one of our offices or from home / travel to customer sites
• L&D: Excellent support with L&D including conferences, training courses and other materials.
• Social: Fantastic culture with regular social events, including Chrismas Party, Summer Party & Weekend away
• Future You: Matched pension and health care package.
• 25 days holiday + UK Bank Holidays

CACI is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. Embracing the diversity of our people, we are on a journey to build a truly inclusive work environment where no one is treated less favourably due to ethnic origin, age, gender, veteran status, religion or belief, sexual orientation, marital status, and disability or health condition, actively working to prevent discrimination.

As a Disability Confident employer, we will:

• Provide reasonable adjustments in the recruitment process where requested (contact a member of the recruitment team on 020 7602 6000 to discuss individual requirements further).
• Offer people with health conditions and disabilities, meeting the minimum criteria for a role, an interview.

Our people are unique and we encourage, and support them, to be confident in contributing to our inclusion journey.

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