The standard selection process for roles at GDS consists of:
-
a simple application screening process - We only ask for a CV and to answer 2 application questions. Your application will be assessed against making architectural decisions, and problem definition and shaping.
-
a 60 minute video interview. Candidates invited to the interview will be asked to:
- submit a paper (maximum 1,000 words) 24 hours before the interview, on a technology subject shared 1 week prior to the interview, follow up questions may follow at the interview
-
provide a short presentation followed by Q&A
-
explain how they will approach a given scenario, followed by Q&A
-
respond to one behaviour-based question on delivering at pace, and
-
respond to one technical question, testing your technical knowledge and ability to communicate in plain English with non-technical stakeholders
Depending on how many applications we get, there might also be an extra stage before the video interview, for example a phone interview or a technical exercise.
In the event we receive a high volume of applications, we will conduct the initial sift against the lead criteria which is: Tell us about a time when you have helped a digital delivery team understand technical considerations (such as any of cloud hosting, security, scaling and resilience, integration, NFRs etc) when making product, platform or infrastructure decisions?
In the Civil Service, we use Success Profiles to evaluate your skills and ability. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, increases performance and improves diversity and inclusivity. Well be assessing your technical abilities, skills, experience and behaviours that are relevant to this role.
For this role well be assessing you against the following Civil Service Behaviours:
Well also be assessing your experience and specialist technical skills against the following skills defined in the Government Digital and Data Capability Framework for the Senior Solutions Architect role:
-
Making architectural decisions
-
Problem definition and shaping
-
Architecture communication
-
Architect for the whole context
-
Commercial perspective
-
Stakeholder relationship management
Want to know more about who Government Digital and Data are? Click Here
To give candidate more understanding of this role, we are holding an open recruitment session on Tuesday 28th July from 12:00 - 13:00. We will run through a presentation about the role and the team, before hosting an Q&A Session. To join, please follow the link below.
Senior Solutions Architect - Open Recruitment Session , Meeting-Join , Microsoft Teams
Recruitment Timeline
Open Recruitment Session: 28th July 12:00 - 13:00
Sift completion: 10th August
Panel interviews: Starting from Week Commencing 17th August 2026
Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.
A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.
Sponsorship
DSIT cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DSIT holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
