Job Title: Lead Architect -SC
Location: Cheshire / Hybrid (2 days/week on site)
Contract Duration: 12 Months
Daily Rate: £114.86/hr (Umbrella – Maximum)
IR35 Status: Inside IR35
Security Clearance: SC

This position is for a lead architect to drive forward the high level and low level designs for the project. The person will be responsible for producing high level, detailed and any other relevant documentation. They will be responsible for providing technical leadership and guidance. Owning any decisions until they are resolved.
• Act as the domain lead architect within their area accountable for design integrity and secure-by-design practices.
• Translate business and risk requirements into secure architectural designs across IT and OT systems.
• Develop security architecture artefacts (e.g. threat models, design patterns, blueprints) in alignment with strategic frameworks and regulatory expectations.
• Support and guide projects through architecture governance and risk assessment.
• Provide technical leadership to less experienced architects and engineers, supporting career development and capability uplift.
• Collaborate across architecture, cyber, and delivery functions to ensure architectural alignment and risk mitigation.
• Perform security assurance activities including design reviews and architecture assessments for new and evolving solutions.
• Influence key design and investment decisions by providing expert-level risk insight and solution options to stakeholders.
• Contribute to the evolution of the Security Architecture Framework, providing insight into domain-specific trends, vulnerabilities, and technologies.
• Maintain current knowledge of cyber threats and security technologies within the relevant domain.
Key Responsibilities
• Own the complete end-to-end architecture design process
• Develop and communicate the high-level architecture as the single source of truth
• Act as the technical specialist who integrates all strands into a coherent, compelling story for stakeholders
• Lead governance, assurance, and formal approvals cycles
• Transition into project and programme ways of working as the initiative matures
• Serve as the accountable Technical Lead throughout delivery
• Ensure all implementation activities remain aligned with the approved high-level architectural objectives
• Own the detailed architecture and all technical decisions required for successful delivery
• Outline and evolve the full system design – taking it from high-level concepts through to low-level build specifications
• Work directly with 3rd-party suppliers and integrators once they mobilise for delivery

Essential Skills & Experience
• Deep IT expertise across virtualisation platforms, directory services, infrastructure management, monitoring, and patching/updating at enterprise scale
• Demonstrable exposure to Operational Technology (OT) environments (full OT experience is advantageous but not mandatory)
• Cross-domain solutions experience (IT/OT convergence, air-gapped environments, or multi-domain integration) is a significant advantage
• Proven track record of leading multimillion-pound infrastructure programmes with clear, measurable deliverables
• Hands-on delivery experience of large-scale virtualisation platforms, private clouds, and modern infrastructure deployments (on-prem, hybrid, or edge)
This is a senior, influential role that sits at the intersection of architecture, technical leadership, and delivery accountability. The successful candidate will be comfortable moving fluidly between strategic design and hands-on technical governance while keeping multimillion-pound programmes on track.

Disability Confident
As a member of the disability confident scheme, CLIENT 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.

Armed Forces Covenant   
CLIENT is proud to support the Armed Forces Covenant and as such, we guarantee to interview all 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.
If you qualify for the above, please notify us on 0121 794 8181.
We will be in touch to discuss your suitability and arrange your Guaranteed Interview.
Should you require reasonable adjustments at any point during the recruitment process or if there is a more accessible way for us to communicate, please do let me know.

To apply for this role please submit your latest CV or contact Aspect Resources on 0121 794 8181