G7 Senior Data Architect

Job summary

At the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), our mission is to ensure national health security by addressing infectious diseases and external threats. We serve as a trusted advisory resource to both the government and the public, focusing on minimizing health inequalities in various communities. Our mission is both challenging and innovative, driving us to create a diverse, skilled workforce, which is representative of the communities we serve. This role will be specifically

focused on meeting the pandemic preparedness strategy for the UK.

Digital and Data

The UKHSA Digital and Data Directorate strategically manages a suite of modern, secure data tools and platforms, ensuring access to high-quality data services. The DD&A team within the directorate comprises solution architects, data architects, and data modelers, and collaborates with organizational units throughout UKHSA. They provide expertise in data modelling, flow design, and tooling, utilizing top-tier cloud and on-prem solutions to deliver insights for

safeguarding public health. As a Senior Data Architect, you will lead data design programmes, collaborating with peers to analyse, design, and implement our evolving data and analytics estate.

Working for your organisation

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

Job description

Your role as Senior Data Architect will include the following activities:

• Analyse and translate business need into sustainable data flows.
• Evaluate, understand, and document existing data systems
• Assess the impact of change, and effectively communicate data design and change implications
• Collaborate with and guide multiple stakeholders on data-centric initiatives.
• Maintain a broad knowledge of our existing and planned data estate.
• Stay current on modern data tooling, select, and evaluate options as needed.
• Optimise how data is stored and moved through UKHSA, aligning with strategic objectives and operational efficiency.
• Address specific data challenges within a governmental/health context.
• Provide thought leadership, patterns, and best practices across diverse data domains.
• Manage processes related to data architecture, ensuring adherence to standards, policies, and best practices.

The aforementioned list outlines the tasks, responsibilities, and expected outcomes associated with the role. The job incumbent is expected to perform any additional duties not explicitly listed but reasonably required by their line manager.

The post holder will also develop working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of individuals, clinical and non-clinical, internal, and external to UKHSA. Other government and non-governmental organisations such as the NHS, ONS, Devolved Nations bodies

Joining our team as a Senior Data Architect, you will be at the forefront of transforming our data landscape. Collaborating closely with stakeholders and technology experts, you will be instrumental in crafting innovative Data Design and Architecture solutions tailored to meet both current and future business needs. Leveraging your wealth of experience, you will contribute to the development of cutting-edge data architectures, spanning AWS, Azure, and on premises infrastructure.

To ensure success as a data architect you should have substantial knowledge of how to optimise our data architecture in terms of efficiency, compliance, agility and simplicity and understand the impact of poor access to high quality data.

You should have knowledge across multiple different data domains including on premise and cloud data architecture, data flows and interfaces, data management such as data quality, lineage, catalogues, business intelligence and analytics. A core understanding of data modelling approaches is also required.

You should be skilled in understanding the big picture, whilst attending to detail, and able to obtain a broad level of understanding across multiple areas of our complex data estate. You should be able to use this knowledge along with data architecture skills to understand the impact of changes as our data systems, feeds and data products evolve and guide implementation teams.

You should be able to engage with a wide range of technical, specialist and leadership roles to analyse, document and guide optimisation of our data estate

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Interpreting technical needs of business stakeholders into designs they can understand
• Producing relevant data models across multiple subject areas
• Explaining which models to use for which purpose
• Understanding industry-recognised data modelling patterns and standards, and when to apply them
• Comparing the development and optimisation of sophisticated data models
• Develop and set data standards across multiple subject areas
• Designing data architecture that deals with problems spanning different business areas

Desirable:

• Data profiling and source system analysis
• Presenting clear insights to colleagues to support the end use of the data
• Understanding the impact on the organisation of emerging trends in data tools, analysis techniques and data usage
• Experience with several of the following tooling or tool equivalents: LeanIX, Erwin Data Modeller, AWS, Azure, SQL Server, RedShift, JIRA, Confluence, Draw

IO, Visio, Collibra, Informatica

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,185, UK Health Security Agency contributes

£16,276 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours and Technical skills.

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed essential criteria and this will be in the form of a :

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• 750 word Supporting Statement

Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1, 500 but your supporting statement must be no more than 750 words. We will not consider any words over 750 words.

This should outline how you consider your skills, experience and knowledge provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement. The application form is the kind of information you would put into your CV. Please be advised you will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible. Please do not email us your CV.

Longlisting

In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:

• Meets all essential criteria
• Meets some essential criteria
• Meets no essential criteria

If used, the pile(s) ‘Meets all essential criteria’ and will proceed to shortlisting.

Shortlisting

In the event of a large number of applications we may conduct an initial sift, on the lead criteria of :

• Producing relevant data models across multiple subject areas
• Explaining which models to use for which purpose
• Understanding industry-recognised data modelling patterns and standards, and when to apply them

Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications/successful candidates.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview

You will be invited to a (single ) remote interview.

Behaviours and technical skills will be tested.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be :

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communication and Influencing
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving

Eligibility Criteria - External

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including internal applicants).

Location - Any Core HQ

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQs. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's core HQs (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London). Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport links and benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

F uture lo cation

UKHSA is investing in a new state-of-the-art National Biosecurity Centre in Harlow, Essex, which will eventually bring together teams currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale and Porton Down. For more details, please see: Huge biosecurity centre investment to boost pandemic protection - GOV.UK .

The new facilities will start becoming operational in the mid-2030s, with full completion by 2038. Staff will move in phases as facilities become available. If you're appointed to a role currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale or Porton Down, please note that we'll continue investing in these sites for the next decade. As we get closer to the transition, we'll provide full information about relocation support available to staff.

Reasonable Adjustments

The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. To help you during the recruitment process, we will consider any reasonable adjustments that could help you. An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work. This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme. If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.

You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/

International Police check

If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check. This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and it could be time accrued over that period.

Internal Fraud check

If successful for this role as one aspect of pre-employment screening, applicant’s personal details – name, nati