Senior Data Architect - Department for Transport - G7

Location

Birmingham, Hastings, Leeds, London

About the job

Job summary

Can you turn complex data challenges into clear, innovative solutions that shape a smarter, more connected future for transport?

Do you thrive on collaborating with diverse teams to design flexible data architectures that drive meaningful digital transformation?

If so, we'd love to hear from you!

The Department for Transport (DfT) is a high-profile department at the heart of government. We plan and invest to make journeys better.

At the heart of digital evolution in DfT, you will join a talented, experienced, cross-disciplinary architecture team imagining and shaping the delivery of next generation digital and data services. You will lead on developing the data architecture for an organisation which has data at its core, and uses this to deliver innovative transport policy agenda. In recent years DfT’s digital and data teams have implemented a range of advanced data services, making use of the latest cloud technologies to deliver the services and platforms that our users need.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including: 

Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here 
25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday 
Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance. 

Read more in the Benefits section below! 

Find out more about what it's like working at DfTc: Department for Transport Central - Department for Transport Careers 

Job description

You will work as part of our talented Architecture team, and collaborate closely with our Data Engineering team, as an ambassador for the best in flexible data architecture in Digital Services and across DfTc. As part of this, you will:

Be responsible for all data architecture within DfT providing designs for a number of data solutions and understanding the interdependencies between different data stacks.
Shape and deliver DfT’s data architecture strategy, roadmap and plans ensuring the underlying data architecture supports the goals of the organisation and government overall.
Lead and develop DfTc’s data architecture to support a growing data eco-system with multiple analyst users and third-party builders.
Influence data decisions throughout policy lifecycles through demonstrating technology value, risk and opportunity.
Develop data solutions aligned to business need, business capability, and the DfTc digital and technology strategy.
Manage a range of staff and 3rd parties to design repeatable data solutions aligned to your vision for data architecture ensuring an enterprise approach is adopted.
Supporting key business stakeholders by providing technical assurance/governance at boards such as the Architecture Change Board.

In return, we offer you:

an inclusive and welcoming working environment so you can feel comfortable to be yourself at work
a chance to work in a high-performing team at the leading edge of government digital service design
excellent personal development
industry-leading pension and employee benefits package

For further information on the role, please read the role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process. 

Person specification

You are an experienced data professional; with a background in data architecture, data engineering, or a blend of the two, and you bring deep technical foundations alongside the confidence to influence, guide and collaborate across a complex organisation. You are highly proficient in Google Cloud Platform, or an expert user of AWS or Azure who is keen to apply your skills within a new cloud environment. You are comfortable with both the practical and strategic aspects of architectural thinking, able to use your expertise to shape data strategies, policies and designs, and produce patterns that are robust, scalable and aligned to organisational priorities.

You communicate complex ideas with clarity and empathy, adapting your language to suit technical colleagues, policy teams, analysts, delivery partners and senior leaders. You enjoy working in the spaces where disciplines overlap; helping others understand architectural direction, translating business need into coherent designs, and feel comfortable playing a leading role in effective architecture governance and review.

You have significant experience in data modelling, and are confident in developing and reviewing conceptual and logical data models. You are comfortable working with a wide range of data storage technologies, including modern data warehousing solutions, relational and NoSQL technologies, and you can apply modelling tools and methodologies to large and complex data. You bring leadership experience, whether through managing teams, guiding multidisciplinary project groups, or providing architectural direction, and you balance long-term thinking with the pragmatism required to deliver tangible improvements.

We’re interested in people who have:

Demonstrable experience in shaping and implementing data architecture strategies, policies and designs within a complex organisation.
Expertise with large and complex datasets; application of data modelling tools and methodologies, engineering enterprise data storage solutions, and/or metadata management.
Strong understanding of architecture governance, including presenting designs, providing challenge, and participating in review or approval forums.
Experience communicating complex technical and architectural concepts clearly and effectively to a wide range of technical and non technical stakeholders.
Proven experience designing and operating cloud-based data solutions, selecting technologies that ensure efficiency, security, scalability and cost-effectiveness.