Data architect

About the role:

As a Data Architect, you will be part of the Enterprise Architecture team within the Group CTO directorate. The Enterprise Architecture team is responsible for developing and maintaining a target architecture and associated roadmaps, design patterns, standards, and models to support and govern change delivery across Group CTO’s Transformation Programme and the wider enterprise.

You will play a key part in designing and supporting change delivery across all our transformation workstreams. 

You will work as part of the Enterprise Architecture Design Authority and coordinate design governance across the organisation’s data teams, data communities of practice, and data governance groups, while working in project delivery teams designing data solutions and data products in line with organisational strategy. You will also be responsible for defining and implementing the data architecture practice, defining our baseline and target data architectures, building logical and physical data models, and guiding the overall target architecture toward our desired organisational outcomes.

Some of your responsibilities will include but not limited to:

• Define and maintain an architectural working practice within the newly-formed Enterprise Architecture Design Authority (EADA), leading the data architecture component.
• Define and develop architectural artefacts including target architectures, design patterns, principles, standards, models, guidelines, and roadmaps, while leading the data architecture components of each.
• Lead the definition of our Architectural Data Strategy, defining how our data design and data technology platforms will develop toward a target architecture that will enable us to realise our organisational strategic goals and outcomes.
• Provide architectural expertise to Jisc’s data communities, including CoPs and data governance structures, across the organisation championing data design maturation and ensuring aligned decision making and data practice.
• Work with solution and enterprise architects to lead the data design for solutions across a diverse and complex technology estate to meet project and business needs while implementing our target data architecture.
• Liaise with programme stakeholders to understand business needs and individual programme requirements and provide decision support across the transformation programme delivery workstreams as a trusted advisor.
• Define data models for our baseline and target architectures at conceptual, logical, and physical levels.
• Coordinate solution delivery with Jisc’s data management and engineering teams to ensure solutions are implemented as designed and meet business requirements.

Key Skills and Experience:

• Substantial experience working as part of an architectural or equivalent design team.
• Experience working with Salesforce, MuleSoft, AWS, Redshift, Cassandra, postgresql, and Dynamics 365.
• Experience designing solutions across all three major cloud providers.
• Ability to design data solutions across multiple business and technology domains with confidence.
• Understand modern data design patterns and technology components used to build solutions.
• Firm understanding of architectural practice and ways of working to support technical change delivery.
• Familiar with modern architectural tooling, including modelling software and UML.
• You must have a good ability to influence and persuade others in order to steer and drive change, so good communication and interpersonal skills will be useful

We are constantly changing and evolving at Jisc, so this job description just gives a flavour of what the role involves. It will change as our operations develop.

Don’t meet every single requirement?

We know that sometimes people can be put off applying for a job if they think they can’t tick every box, so we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet 100% of the requirements, but you feel this role is perfect for you. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles!
 

Why work for us?

At Jisc, everyone plays a key role and gets the chance to feel part of it, that to us is the definition of a meaningful career. We want to create a culture of lifelong learning. You can look forward to a rewarding job with opportunities to develop and make a real difference to the education and research sectors.

We believe a balance between your personal and professional life is essential to your happiness and fulfilment. We work flexibly at Jisc and focus on outputs rather than presenteeism and are open to a whole range of ways of working.

It isn’t about how many hours you spend at home or at work; it’s about the flow you establish that brings energy to both parts of your life. Our hybrid working policy is flexible, and the frequency of time spent in your nominated office will vary across teams and job roles.

Take a look at our fantastic benefits!

We offer:

• Flexible work pattern, which can adapt to suit your schedules and personal commitments
• 31 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) that includes an additional three closure days over Christmas plus the opportunity to buy up to an additional 5 days
• Generous flexible pension schemes
• Protection benefit – life cover
• Annual Jisc performance award
• A range of wellbeing lifestyle benefits including company paid health care cash plan, employee assistance programme, mental health first aiders and support
• A generous budget to support you with external learning and Continuous professional development
• Allocated allowance of up to £250 to equip your home office
• Financial well-being support including access to preferential loan and savings plans, mortgage advice, will writing tools and support and resources to help you make the most of your money
• The opportunity to donate to charity tax-free with our Payroll Giving benefit
• Electric Car Lease Scheme and option to purchase SmartTech – spreading the cost of your everyday white goods and technology
• A wide range of discounts from retailers and big-name high-street stores and CSSC membership
• Family friendly policies including enhanced parental, maternity and paternity leave and opportunity for career breaks
• Support your volunteering with up to 3 days volunteer leave
• Cycle to work scheme and eye care scheme including free eye test vouchers and £70 towards new glasses for VDU use
• Free flu vaccinations
• Employee recognition awards and travel loans
• A company culture which supports and promotes personal learning and development, including access to thousands of courses on LinkedIn Learning

Equity, diversity and inclusion

At Jisc, we don’t look for ‘sameness’, but to truly include people who can add unique perspectives and experiences to our culture, and we are working hard to achieve progressive change. ‘Always inclusive’ is one of our six guiding principles which actively encourages us to bring our whole authentic selves to work. We believe that our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion is fundamental to our success.

Jisc believes our people make all the difference in cultivating an inclusive culture that welcomes ideas, encourages innovation, and values belonging. We work with passionate colleagues to strengthen knowledge and awareness, provide learning and development opportunities, and foster multiple employee networks which create a sense of community and influence our policies and practice.

We work hard to create an equitable experience for our candidates and workforce which embraces all aspects of their identity including race and ethnicity, religion and belief, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, trans identities, age, class, disability, neurodivergence, or veteran status.

Application process

We want you to showcase your talent throughout the recruitment process. Please let us know how we can best support you to do that; for example, if there are any reasonable adjustments we may be able to put in place. We will be happy to help you.

Just so you know, we review CVs as soon as we can and aim to provide an update on your application within 4 weeks of receiving it. However, you may hear from us a lot sooner, so please keep an eye out for our emails or calls.

Jisc has an active sponsor licence to recruit on a Skilled worker visa basis. Candidates wishing to apply who require sponsorship should determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for the role by assessing their circumstances against the relevant Home Office criteria. Jisc does not offer any financial re-imbursement towards the applicant costs, such as re-location, skilled worker visa and dependant costs or the immigration health charge.