DDAT – Lead Data Architect – Data Fabric Strategy

Defence Digital ensures our Armed Forces remain among the most technologically advanced in the world. We do this by putting innovative and effective technology into the hands of over 200,000 users, from the boardroom to the front line.

We lead on cutting-edge data science, automation, and cyber security at scale. Our mission goes beyond the battlefield by leading humanitarian efforts and driving digital innovation that impacts lives across the globe.

Defence Digital forms part of Strategic Command which manages the MOD’s joint capabilities for the Army, RAF, and Royal Navy.

Working at Defence Digital 

Passionate about using your skills to make a critical difference? Your next career move could be here!

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

The Enterprise Data Architecture Team has primary responsibility for ensuring the best use of data across the Department, supporting and overseeing the work of data architects across the Ministry of Defence’s complex business landscape. We champion the development of coherent data architecture strategies across the nineteen different Defence organisations to ensure that Defence’s data landscape is more than just the sum of its parts, minimising the time-to-data-value for data users and reducing the burden on data producers.

Reporting to the Chief Data Architect, the Lead Data Architect will have specific responsibility for developing our data fabric, including the enterprise Defence Data & Analytics Platform (DDAP),  across the whole Defence enterprise, including front line operations, suppliers and the various public sector Defence organisations. You will engage with data teams and data users across the Defence enterprise to understand the user needs of the organisation. You will push us to improve our data landscape and champion the use of the right technology to reduce the time-to-value for data users. You will have a relentless focus on productivity and efficiency and ensure the various federated data teams across the Defence enterprise can develop products that give decision makers timely and secure access to high quality data.

As a core member of the data architectural leadership team, you will be key to our data architectural governance, reviewing and refining data architectural outputs from individual Defence organisations, and acting as formal reviewer through your role as  member of the Data Architectural Reference Authority, with a specific focus on data management technology. You will support lead data architects in different parts of Defence to develop data architectural plans for their area and champion the importance of data architecture to senior leaders to ensure the continual improvement of Defence’s data landscape.

Responsibilities

1. Ongoing design and adoption of Defence’s data fabric:

• Developing, championing and communicating conceptual and logical designs for the data fabric and DAPP to senior and peer stakeholders across Defence
• Overseeing procurement and solution design for individual data fabric and DAPP components and supporting their rapid deployment and adoption.
• Liaising with business areas and understanding their data product landscape
• Overseeing the design of data products/services for a range of Defence data users.

2. Acting as a key data architecture governance stakeholder

• Ensuring projects across the Defence enterprise publish data to and consume data from the fabric

1. Managing a small team Data Architects to support you in Data Fabric design

• Supporting and developing civil servant data architects
• Managing external resources to provide surge capacity in the team

Working alongside Head of Enterprise Data Architecture (peer) to actively review data architecture strategies across the Defence enterprise

3. Managing a small team Data Architects to support you in Data Fabric design

Supporting and developing civil servant data architects

• Managing external resources to provide surge capacity in the team

For more information on the Data Architect profession please see the Government Digital and Data Framework;

https://ddat-capability-framework.service.gov.uk/role/data-architect#chief-data-architect

Person specification

To be successful in this role you would have experience or knowledge in these areas;

• Deep understanding of data architecture principles: Proven expertise in designing and implementing data architecture in  complex, enterprise-scale environments.
• Strong technical knowledge: Solid grasp of data management technologies, including data warehousing, data lakes, data pipelines, and data quality tools.
• Business acumen: Ability to understand the strategic objectives of a large organisation and translate them into data-driven solutions.
• Excellent communication skills: Effective communication with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, including senior leadership.
• Leadership and team management: Experience leading and mentoring data architects and data teams.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Data governance (data Architect)
• Data Innovation
• Strategic thinking
• Turning business problems into data design

Benefits

• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• 25 days annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service
• Ability to roll over up to 10 days annual leave per year
• In addition to 8 public holidays per year you will also receive leave for HM The King's birthday
• Minimum of 15 Days Special Leave in a rolling 12-month period to for volunteer military or emergency service reserve commitments
• Special Paid Leave for volunteering up to 6 days a year
• Enhanced parental and adoption leave
• Employee Assistance Programme to support your wellbeing
• Most sites have good travel links with free car parking; many also have other facilities such as a Sports & Social Club and Gyms
• A highly competitive pension scheme.
Discover my benefits for more information

This post is eligible for a Digital Skills Allowance of up to £18,000 per annum. Eligibility for this allowance will be assessed at interview and reviewed annually in line with departmental policy.