Lead Technical Architect, AI Platform

Lead Technical Architect, AI Platform (Central Government)

A central government department is bringing AI-assisted and agentic workflows into the heart of its operations. We’re looking for a Lead Technical Architect to make sure it’s done securely, safely and well.

Location: Remote

Contract length: Until 30 April 2027

Day rate: Up to £990/day (umbrella) or £726.22/day (PAYE), inside IR35

Security clearance: Active SC required on application (SC held with the client department preferred)

What you’ll do:

• Set the architecture roadmap and principles for the department’s AI buildout
• Design secure Cloud Landing Zones and vendor-neutral integration layers connecting enterprise AI with custom tools
• Build AI guardrails, including human-in-the-loop approval gates, identity federation and PII masking
• Take AI systems through technical design authority, DPIA and cyber security assurance
• Explain trade-offs and risk to senior leaders and coach delivery teams

What we’re looking for:

• Significant experience leading GCP or AWS platform architecture, including landing zones, IAM and microservices
• Hands-on experience with deterministic AI safety controls, such as VPC Service Controls, WIF/Entra ID and PII masking
• A track record of designing modular, vendor-neutral systems and API layers
• Experience of central government governance, including TDA sign-offs, DPIAs and NCSC standards
• Strong communication skills and experience coaching engineers and architects