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Candidate Information Pack
Chief Architect
Ministry of Justice
SCS Pay Band 1
Closing Date: 23:55 on 21st September 2025
Introduction 3
Introduction and Welcome
About the Ministry of Justice 4
About the role 5
Key Responsibilities 6
Person Specification 7
Civil Service Success Profiles 9
The Recruitment Process 12
Application and CV & Success Profile Statement Assessment 12
Assessments 13
Panel interview 14
After the panel interview 14
Success Profile Statements Guidance 14
Expected Timeline 16
Benefits of working the Ministry of Justice 17
Pensions at the Ministry of Justice 19
Disability Support 21
FAQs 23
Data Sharing 25
Diversity & Inclusion 26
Civil Service Code 27
Contact Us 28
Thank you for your interest in the Ministry of Justice’s Chief Architect role. This is a new and pivotal post, central to delivering one of the most ambitious digital transformations in government, and vital to modernising the criminal justice system across the largest department in Whitehall.
At the Ministry of Justice, we’re transforming how services work for the people who rely on them: millions of users every year, often at the hardest points in their lives. That means smarter, faster, more personal services, underpinned by modern platforms and secure, scalable technology.
The Chief Architect will be at the heart of this mission. Reporting to the CTO, you will focus on the integrity and coherence of our technical architecture. You will lead the development of architectural standards, patterns, and roadmaps, ensuring that systems are secure, interoperable, and scalable. This is a hands-on role in which you will shape solution design, guide engineering teams, and manage technical debt.
You will work across prison and probation services, courts and tribunals, legal aid, victim support, and the Ministry itself, shaping how our systems evolve to meet the real-world needs of people and professionals.
You’ll lead a community of architects and set the tone for architectural thinking across Justice Digital. As Head of Profession, you’ll develop capability, grow influence, and set direction over a sizeable budget. And you’ll be a visible, senior voice in key delivery programmes and strategic decisions, working with our partners and cross-government teams to make sure we’re building things that last.
This is one of the most challenging and meaningful architecture roles in the Civil Service, one that combines technical depth, leadership and a chance to make a lasting impact on society.
If that excites you, I look forward to receiving your application.
Mark Thompson, Chief Digital Information Officer
The Ministry of Justice is a major government department at the heart of the justice system. We deliver some of the most fundamental public services including courts, tribunals, prisons, legal services, youth justice, probation services, and attendance centres.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) works to protect and advance the principles of justice. Our vision is to deliver a world-class justice system that works for everyone in society.
The justice system plays a crucial role in our success as a nation - keeping people safe, emphasising fairness, guaranteeing individual rights and giving businesses confidence to flourish.
The delivery of our three strategic outcomes are central to doing this:
Punishment that cuts crime: to rebuild confidence in the criminal justice system by protecting the public and reducing reoffending with a sustainable and effective prison and probation service.
Swifter justice for victims: to rebuild confidence in the criminal justice system by ensuring timely, just outcomes for victims and defendants through a modern and efficient criminal courts system.
A beacon for justice and the rule of law: to uphold the rule of law at home and abroad; promote our world-leading legal services, which contribute to economic growth; and deliver accessible and timely civil, family and administrative justice.
For more information on who we are and what we do, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice
Chief Architect
National
The MoJ is working to open more Justice Collaboration Centres and Justice Satellite Offices over time. Click here to learn more about MoJ’s offices, including where our currently open Justice Collaboration Centres and Justice Satellite Offices are, to identify where you may be based
The successful applicant must spend at least 60% of the week working from a MoJ site. Some travel to MoJ locations may be required.
Please note the requirements for travel and level of flexibility available as set out in the FAQs section.
Salary
The salary for this role is set within the MoJ SCS PB1 range.
External candidates should expect their salary upon appointment to be up to £117,800 per annum.
Existing Civil Servants will be appointed in line with the Civil Service pay rules in place on the date of their appointment.
Contract Type
This role is being offered on a permanent basis.
This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years - in line with the deliverables identified. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by.
The Role
The Chief Architect will report to the new Group Chief Technology Officer and lead a highly skilled, multi-disciplinary full-stack team of technical, solution, security, enterprise and business architects. You will work closely with the Chief Engineer, Chief Data Architect and Cyber Information Security Officer.
In this role, you will ensure that our architecture supports the department’s strategic objectives, enhances security and resilience, drives operational efficiency, and enables a transformation that modernises the infrastructure underpinning the UK justice system, making it flexible, sustainable, and cost-effective.
Your leadership will unite a diverse community of technical professionals, ensuring our services integrate seamlessly, operate securely and cohesively, and meet
both user and compliance needs. In partnership with directors leading our product and digital teams, you will cultivate a culture of product-centred thinking, innovation, security-by-design, and efficient delivery. Together, you will enable multidisciplinary teams to develop service and product roadmaps underpinned by modern, secure engineering solutions.
You will also chair the Technical Design Authority ensuring design decisions are coherent with standards and governing technical delivery across the Ministry of Justice. Beyond this, you will work closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and other government bodies to support cross-government strategies, promote best practice, and embed emerging technologies. You will establish strong links with industry and academia to ensure the Ministry of Justice stays at the forefront of innovation, research, and security trends.
Key Responsibilities
The Chief Architect will:
Oversee the development and implementation of the MoJ's architecture strategy and standards underpinning key justice services such as prisons, probation, victim services and legal aid.
Provide strategic oversight and leadership on architecture decisions, ensuring they align with the department’s strategic goals, adhere to governance frameworks, and enhance security and resilience.
Own the architecture and security governance frameworks, chairing the Technical Design Authority to drive consistency and future-proof solutions across MoJ services.
Act as Head of Profession for Architecture, using your technical expertise and experience to lead, mentor, develop and inspire a diverse team of technical Digital & Data professionals promoting a culture of innovation, collaboration and high performance.
Collaborate closely with internal and external stakeholders, including justice services.
It is important through your CV and Statement of Suitability that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the selection criteria detailed.
The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:
Essential criteria:
Inspiring, credible leadership with the gravitas to set strategic architectural direction, build technical capability, and influence and collaborate effectively across a complex stakeholder environment.
Proven experience in designing and delivering secure, coherent, scalable architecture strategies in large, complex organisations, resulting in measurable improvements to operational efficiency and user outcomes.
Strong commercial acumen, with experience in building and managing high performing partnerships with technology suppliers to support delivery at scale;
Deep expertise in software development and application architecture, with expert knowledge of open-source technologies and testing;
Comprehensive understanding of IT governance, security, risk management, and compliance in regulated or similarly complex environments.
MoJ SCS Pay Band 1 Behaviours:
You will also be assessed against the following Behaviours during the Recruitment Process:
Leadership
Changing and Improving
Making Effective Decisions
Working Together
Read more in the Civil Service Success Profiles Section.
Civil Service Leadership Statement
All leaders within the Civil Service are expected to demonstrate the qualities within the Civil Service Leadership Statement during their Staff Engagement Exercise.
Recruitment Process
The selection process will be chaired by Mark Thompson, CDIO, MoJ. The other panel members will be senior stakeholders from within MoJ
Support during the selection process
If you need any support or have any questions during any stage of the selection process, please contact the SCS Recruitment Team scsrecruitment@justice.gov.uk.
Stages of the selection process
Information Session
For those interested in finding out more about the role, we encourage applicants to attend the information session on Wednesday 10th September at 15:30 - 16:30pm. Please note that the time and link to the call will be confirmed shortly.
Mark Thompson and an HR Lead will be present to discuss the position in more depth, as well as provide information about what you can expect while working in Ministry of Justice.
The session will also give you the chance to ask any questions you may have before applying to the role.
To attend the session please join using this link -
Chief Architect Information Session
Application
You will need to complete the online application process accessed via the advertisement for this role.
This should be completed no later than 23:55 on 21st September 2025. As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:
Responses to the eligibility questions to check you are eligible to apply for the role.
A response to whether you would like to request reasonable adjustments during the selection process. The Disability Support section explains how adjustments can be made to the selection process to accommodate a disability.
You will also need to complete a CV and Statement of Suitability of 1000 words. It is important that your CV and Statement of Suitability give evidence and examples of how you meet the essential experience set out on page 7.
Find out more information about our application process here.
After the Application Stage
You will be advised whether your application has been shortlisted for the next stage of the selection process. If you are shortlisted, we will contact you to arrange the next stage of the selection process.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Other Assessments
Staff Engagement Exercise
The Staff Engagement Exercise or SEE is an opportunity to engage in a two-way discussion on a set topic area with a group of staff from the organisation. The topic area will be shared with you in advance. An Occupational Psychologist will brief you before the assessment, observe the assessment and debrief you. They will facilitate a discussion to seek feedback from the staff, which will be considered alongside their own observations
Panel Interview and Presentation
You will be invited to attend an interview and presentation with the selection panel. You will be asked to prepare a verbal 5-minute presentation based on a topic that will be provided in advance. The interview [and presentation] will last for approximately 45 minutes.
What is being assessed?
Behaviours, as listed on page 8.
Following the interview, the performance of all candidates will be reviewed, and the successful candidate identified. All candidates will be notified of the outcome as soon as possible after the conclusion of all interviews. If you are not the successful candidate but you meet the standard required, you may be invited to have your details
What are Behaviours?
The Civil Service recruits using Success Profiles and Behaviours are an element of Success Profiles used to see whether candidates are able demonstrate specific Behaviours associated with the role they are applying for during the selection process.
In this process the below Behaviours are most relevant to this role and will be assessed during the interview stage of the process. The definitions of Behaviours are set out below:
Leadership
You visibly demonstrate the organisation’s values in all your activity, leading authentically. You seek to engage staff in the aims of the organisation and communicate the organisation’s strategy in an inspiring way. You create an inclusive and fair culture which creates a sense of belonging by treating staff as individuals and actively valuing diversity within the organisation. You empower teams and individuals to excel by creating a shared vision and objectives and demonstrate trust in staff by giving autonomy.
Changing and Improving
You create an environment of continuous improvement and change. You see the benefit of change and promote this within your area of responsibility. You identify business needs, both current and future, and use this to identify opportunities for change, utilising innovative solutions that benefit the end user. You are able to embed change, managing risks. You evaluate the impact of change against the expected outcomes for service users and the public.
Making Effective Decisions
You make defensible, objective and fair high-impact decisions, considering the impact on the service user and wider organisation. You are willing to take ownership of your decisions, being transparent and open about the reasons for them. You effectively analyse data to make evidence-based decisions, whilst being comfortable taking considered risks based on the best evidence available. You consult with others to incorporate views and professional expertise, ensuring appropriate individuals are involved in the decision-making process.
Working Together
You work collaboratively to achieve outcomes both within your area of responsibility and across the organisation. You create a supportive working environment where all opinions are considered, and individuals are valued for their expertise and unique contribution.
You proactively maintain relationships with peers and external senior stakeholders and utilise these to achieve positive outcomes.
Please click here or more information on Behaviours and Success Profiles
Guidance for writing your Statement and CV
As part of the application process you need to submit a Statement and CV. Both your Statement and CV should demonstrate how you meet the essential experience outlined in the Person Specification section.
Ensure you read through the role information thoroughly and identify the essential criteria for each area. You should ensure you provide evidence for each of the essential experience which are required for the role in your Statement and CV. You may not be progressed to the next stage of the assessment process if you do not provide this evidence.
When structuring your Statements try to:
Group evidence of the same experience skills together by using subheadings and paragraphs. This will help to ensure you are writing about the experience that is directly relevant for the role you are applying for.
You should ensure that you detail recent and relevant examples of the essential experience quired for the role and describe the outcome that came from this.
Providing a name-blind CV and Success Profile Statements
In both your CV and Success Profile Statements please remove references to any personal information that could identify you. For example:
Name and title
Educational institution names
Age and gender
Email address
Postal address and telephone number
Nationality and immigration status.
This will help us to recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not on your background, gender or ethnicity. Recruiting this way is called name-blind recruitment.
For more information on how to write your Statement and CV please visit the Civil Service Careers Website
We will try and offer as much flexibility as we can, but it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for assessments or interviews. You are therefore asked to note the below timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process, in order to meet the dates given. Please note that these dates may be subject to change.
The anticipated timetable is as follows:
23:55 on 21st September 2025
Outcome of CV and Statement of Suitability
2nd or 3rd October 2025
Assessments
10th or 13th October 2025
Panel Interview and Presentation
23rd October 2025 onwards
Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing
Our departmental values - purpose, humanity, openness and together - are at the heart of our commitment to create a culture where all our people are able to thrive and flourish in the workplace.
We want to attract and retain the best talent from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. We want everyone to be the best of themselves, to feel supported and have a strong sense of belonging in the workplace. Our commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce is reflected in all of our people policies and strategies.
Benefits
As a Ministry of Justice employee, you’ll be entitled to a large range of benefits which include but are not limited to:
Pension
The Civil Service Pension Scheme is one of the best workplace pension schemes in the UK public sector. Visit www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk for more details.
Generous Annual Leave and Bank Holiday Allowance
25 days annual leave on entry, increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service. This is in addition to 8 public holidays. This will be complemented by one further day paid privilege entitlement to mark the King’s Birthday.
Flexible Working
While not every type of flexible working will be suitable for every role and business area, flexible working can take many forms and The Ministry of Justice is committed to delivering its business effectively and sustainably by creating modern and inclusive workplaces that enable smart, flexible and hybrid working.
For more information on our amazing benefits including our Civil Service Pension Scheme, annual and special leave, and our Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing schemes please visit our Senior Civil Service website
What reasonable adjustments can be made if I have a disability?
We are committed to supporting all candidates to take part in the recruitment process. This includes supporting individuals who have a disability by making reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process.
If you feel you require any kind of support and/or would like to discuss this with someone, please indicate 'yes' to requesting reasonable adjustments in your application form and ensure that you respond to the Reasonable Adjustments Scheme team by email.
How we can support you
There are many types of reasonable adjustments that can be made during assessment processes.
Examples of some types of adjustments include:
Extra time to complete assessments;
Providing a break within an assessment;
Providing interview questions in a written format at the interview as well as orally;
An interview at a certain time of day;
This is not an exhaustive list but rather some examples of how we can support you during the SCS Recruitment Process.
Whilst we aim to confirm all adjustments requested, there may be occasions where this isn't possible. If an adjustment cannot be provided, the reasons for this will be explained to you.
Help with your application
It is important you contact us as early as possible by email if you would like to request reasonable adjustments so that the recruitment process runs smoothly for you.
If you do decide during the process that you do require adjustments and you have not completed all your assessments, please contact the SCS recruitment team in advance of your next assessment.
If you have any questions in advance of making your application regarding reasonable adjustments please contact the SCS recruitment team at scsrecruitment@justice.gov.uk.
Do you offer a Disability Confident Scheme for Disabled Persons?
As a Disability Confident employer, the MoJ offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. This could be in terms of the advertised essential skills and/or application form sift criteria. Within the application form, you will be asked if you would like to be considered for an interview under this scheme, so please make us aware of this when prompted.
Yes.
This role is available for part-time, full-time or flexible working arrangements (including job share partnerships). If you wish to discuss your needs in more detail please get in touch with the named point of contact in this pack.
The base location is flexible and subject to agreement with the successful candidates. You can be based at any of the buildings in the UK that are listed here .
Relocation costs will not be reimbursed.
Relocation costs will not be reimbursed.
There is also an expectation that you will visit offices where we have an architecture staff presence, including Sheffield, Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester.
Am I eligible to apply for this role?
For information on whether you are eligible to apply, please visit Gov.UK.
Is security clearance required?
Yes. If successful you must hold, or be willing to obtain, security clearance to SC level. More information about the vetting process can be found here.
Will this role be overseen by the Civil Service Commission?
No. However, the recruitment process will still be governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.
What do I do if I want to make a complaint?
The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.
Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact scsrecruitment@justice.gov.uk in the first instance.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order.
To Shared Service-Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 08.00 - 18.00) or e-mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com)
To Ministry of Justice Resourcing (resourcing-services@justice.gov.uk)
To the Civil Service Commission (https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/contact-us/)
What should I do if I think that I have a conflict of interest?
If you believe that you may have a conflict of interest you must declare it by contacting SCS Recruitment on scsrecruitment@justice.gov.uk before submitting your application
We will ensure that we will treat all personal information in accordance with data protection legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018.
Data Sharing
To process your application your personal data will be shared with the Ministry of Justice SCS Recruitment Team, campaign Panel Members and anyone else necessary as part of the recruitment process.
The legal basis for processing your personal data is:
Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest. Personal data are processed in the public interest because understanding civil servant experiences and feelings about working in the Civil Service can inform decision taken to improve these experiences, and ultimately organisation performance.
Sensitive personal data is personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, and the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person's sex life or sexual orientation.
The legal basis for processing your sensitive personal data is:
Processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest for the exercise of a function of the Crown, a Minister of the Crown, or a government department: it is important to know if groups of staff with specific demographic characteristics have a better or worse experience of working for the Civil Service, so that appropriate action can be taken to level this experience;
Processing is of a specific category of personal data and it is necessary for the purposes of identifying or keeping under review the existence or absence of equality of opportunity or treatment between groups of people with a view to enabling such equality to be promoted or maintained.
Please note if you are successful in your application your sensitive personal data will be used as part of the on-boarding process to build your employee record.
For further information please see the GDPR Privacy Notice
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent where it is found. To learn more, please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy
Should candidates like to discuss the role in more detail before submitting an application, please contact SCS Recruitment on scsrecruitment@justice.gov.uk.
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