Lead security architect
Band 8b · Security architect · 613 job evaluation points
UK GDaD PCF level: Lead security architect
A lead security architect undertakes complex work of a high risk level, often working on several projects.
At this role level, you will:
- interact with senior stakeholders across departments
- reach and influence a wide range of people across larger teams and communities
- research and apply innovative security architecture solutions to new or existing problems and be able to justify and communicate design decisions
- develop vision, principles and strategy for security architects for one project or technology
- work out subtle security needs
- understand the impact of decisions, balancing requirements and deciding between approaches
- produce particular patterns and support quality assurance
- be the point of escalation for architects in lower grade roles
- lead the technical design of systems and services
Responsibilities
- Lead security architecture for several high-risk projects or a major area, such as clinical systems or cloud hosting.
- Set security principles and standards for designs in your area and assure them at design authorities.
- Advise senior risk owners on security risks and the options to manage them.
- Design security for data shared with partner organisations and suppliers.
- Lead and develop security architects.
Skills
| Skill | Expected level | What this level means |
|---|---|---|
| Analysis | Practitioner (3) | You can:
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| Communication (security architect) | Practitioner (3) | You can:
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| Designing secure systems | Practitioner (3) | You can:
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| Enabling and informing risk-based decisions | Practitioner (3) | You can:
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| Research and innovation | Practitioner (3) | You can:
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| Security technology | Expert (4) | You can:
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| Understanding security implications of transformation | Practitioner (3) | You can:
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| Understanding health and care services | Practitioner (3) | You can:
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| Information governance and data protection | Practitioner (3) | You can:
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| Identity and access management | Expert (4) | You can:
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| Vulnerability management | Practitioner (3) | You can:
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| Security operations | Working (2) | You can:
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| Clinical risk management | Working (2) | You can:
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| Organisational risk management | Practitioner (3) | You can:
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| People management | Practitioner (3) | You can:
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Typical qualifications and experience
- Extensive experience of security architecture for complex services.
Band 8b outline
- Knowledge
- Expert knowledge across several disciplines or a large service.
- Autonomy
- Shapes policy and strategy for a large area.
- Scope
- Several services or teams, or a principal-level discipline.
- Leadership
- Manages managers, or is the principal authority in a discipline.
- Accountability
- Several services, their staff, and their budgets.
Job evaluation (illustrative)
| Factor | Level | Level summary | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communication and relationship skills | 5 | Gives highly complex or contentious information needing developed persuasion and negotiation, presents to large groups, or communicates where there are significant barriers to acceptance. | 45 |
| Knowledge, training, and experience | 8 | Advanced knowledge (doctorate plus further training or equivalent), or specialist knowledge across more than one discipline built over a long period. | 240 |
| Analytical and judgemental skills | 5 | Judgements on highly complex facts or situations needing analysis, interpretation, and comparison of options. | 60 |
| Planning and organisational skills | 4 | Plans a broad range of complex activities or strategies, adjusting them as needed. | 42 |
| Physical skills | 2 | Skills gained through practice, such as standard keyboard use or driving. | 15 |
| Responsibility for patient and client care | 1 | Helps patients, clients, or relatives during incidental contact. | 4 |
| Responsibility for policy and service development | 4 | Implements policy and develops policy or services for a service or several areas. | 32 |
| Responsibility for financial and physical resources | 3 | Authorises payments, buys some assets or supplies, monitors or holds a delegated budget, or maintains assets. | 21 |
| Responsibility for people | 3 | Manages a group of staff day to day, teaches core or specialist training, or gives core HR advice. | 21 |
| Responsibility for information resources | 5 | Designs and develops major information systems, or runs information systems for several services as the main duty. | 34 |
| Responsibility for research and development | 3 | Carries out research or development within formal programmes as a main duty. | 21 |
| Freedom to act | 5 | Works within general policies, and in most cases decides how to interpret them. | 45 |
| Physical effort | 1 | Sitting, standing, and walking, with little physical effort. | 3 |
| Mental effort | 4 | Frequent prolonged concentration, or occasional intense concentration. | 18 |
| Emotional effort | 1 | Rare exposure, or occasional indirect exposure, to distressing circumstances. | 5 |
| Working conditions | 2 | Occasional unpleasant conditions, frequent travel or outdoor work, or near-continuous screen use on most days. | 7 |
| Total (Band 8b: 585 to 629) | 613 | ||
Self assessment
Rate what you do regularly now, add a short example as evidence, and plan an action for your most important gaps. Your answers are saved in this browser only.
Rated 0 of 15 skills: 0 meet the expected level, 0 below, 0 above.