Technical Lead - Secure Digital Platform (SDP)

Technical Lead - Secure Digital Platform (SDP) Data and Integration
Reading (1 day a week onsite / 4 days remote)
6 months initially
£80-£87ph pay rate inside IR35 / Umbrella

Active SC Clearance – required to work onsite

Aerospace and Defence Experience – demonstrable background delivering architecture within MOD, Defence Digital, or UK aerospace environments.

This role will be based in Reading 1 day a week with hybrid/custom working options.

Job Purpose

The Technical Lead is accountable for providing technical leadership, governance, and strategic direction across the Digital Information function. The role acts as the senior technical authority across infrastructure, cloud platforms, cyber security, DevSecOps, data engineering, analytics, and enterprise platforms, ensuring solutions are secure, scalable, resilient, and aligned with business and programme objectives.

The Technical Lead manages and mentors multidisciplinary teams comprising Systems Engineers, Data Engineers, Data Analysts, SecDevOps Engineers, and Senior Technical Specialists. They are responsible for defining technical standards, driving engineering excellence, overseeing architecture decisions, managing technical risk, and ensuring the successful delivery of digital capabilities across the organisation.

Working closely with programme leadership, architects, security teams, suppliers, and business stakeholders, the Technical Lead provides end-to-end technical oversight across the complete technology estate.

Key Accountabilities and Objectives

Accountabilities include (but are not limited to):

• Provide technical leadership across infrastructure, cloud, cyber security, DevSecOps, data engineering, analytics, and platform services.
• Lead multidisciplinary engineering teams delivering enterprise technology solutions.
• Establish technical standards, engineering practices, and operational governance.
• Provide architectural oversight and ensure alignment with enterprise architecture principles.
• Support and guide Senior Systems Engineers, Senior SecDevOps Engineers, Principal Data Engineers, Data Analysts, and Systems Engineers.
• Ensure platforms are secure, resilient, scalable, maintainable, and compliant.
• Oversee cloud, on-premises, hybrid, and container-based infrastructure environments.
• Drive automation, Infrastructure as Code, DataOps, DevOps, and platform engineering best practices.
• Lead technical decisions regarding Azure services, Kubernetes, OpenShift, data platforms, analytics tools, and security technologies.
• Manage technical risks, dependencies, and stakeholder expectations across multiple projects and programmes.
• Support budgeting, technology roadmaps, and capability planning.
• Act as the senior technical escalation point for major incidents, service issues, and programme risks.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and provide recommendations for future adoption.
• Ensure compliance with organisational security, governance, and regulatory requirements.

Objectives

Technical Leadership

• Define and maintain technical standards across all engineering disciplines.
• Ensure the adoption of industry best practices and engineering excellence.
• Provide mentoring, coaching, and technical guidance to engineering teams.
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Platform & Infrastructure

• Ensure the reliability, scalability, and security of cloud and on-premises environments.
• Support Azure cloud strategy and hybrid infrastructure adoption.
• Guide the development and operation of Kubernetes and OpenShift platforms.
• Ensure operational readiness and platform resilience.

Cyber Security & DevSecOps

• Champion secure-by-design principles throughout the organisation.
• Ensure security controls are embedded across infrastructure, platforms, and software delivery pipelines.
• Support vulnerability management, compliance, and cyber resilience initiatives.
• Drive adoption of DevSecOps practices and security automation.

Data & Analytics

• Oversee enterprise data platforms, pipelines, and analytics capabilities.
• Ensure data solutions are aligned with business objectives and governance requirements.
• Support development of reporting, business intelligence, and advanced analytics solutions.
• Drive the adoption of DataOps principles and modern data architectures.

Delivery & Planning

• Provide technical assurance across projects, programmes, and operational services.
• Balance technical debt, operational support, innovation, and business priorities.
• Manage technical dependencies and risks across multiple workstreams.
• Support workforce planning, capability development, and succession planning.
• Ensure engineering teams effectively plan and deliver against objectives.

Skills and Experience

Desirable

• Significant experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Experience operating within defence, aerospace, or highly regulated environments.
• Strong technical expertise across cloud, infrastructure, security, and data technologies.
• Enterprise Architecture certification or experience.
• Extensive Microsoft Azure experience including governance, networking, identity, security, and platform services.
• Experience supporting classified or secure government environments.
• Strong understanding of hybrid cloud and on-premises infrastructure.
• Knowledge of Digital Twin, AI, and Machine Learning platforms.
• Experience with Kubernetes and OpenShift platform administration and architecture.
• Experience with multi‑cloud environments.
• Strong knowledge of DevOps, DevSecOps, Platform Engineering, and Infrastructure as Code principles.
• FinOps and cloud cost optimisation experience.
• Experience implementing cyber security controls, vulnerability management, and secure engineering practices.
• Experience managing external suppliers and strategic technology partners.
• Knowledge of enterprise data platforms, data engineering, data governance, and analytics ecosystems.
• Experience supporting large-scale transformation programmes.
• Understanding of Power BI, Apache Superset, Grafana, and enterprise reporting solutions.
• Strong knowledge of CI/CD pipelines and automation technologies.
• Experience with Terraform, Ansible, PowerShell, Python, or similar automation technologies.
• Strong understanding of enterprise networking, identity management, and platform security.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Strong leadership, mentoring, and coaching capabilities.
• Strategic thinking and ability to align technology decisions with business objectives.
• Strong problem-solving, risk management, and decision‑making skills.

#J-18808-Ljbffr