13006 - Senior Data Architect

Ministry of Justice; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 58,000 - 74,000; Full time

Job summary

A governmental department in the UK is seeking a Senior Data Architect to play a pivotal role in shaping the data architecture function. You will lead the design and delivery of data architectures aligned with the Ministry's needs while mentoring other data architects. This role requires excellent collaboration skills and the ability to create high-quality data models. The position offers flexible working arrangements, a generous pension, and a supportive learning environment.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Learning budget

Generous civil service pension

25 days leave plus bank holidays

Wellbeing support

Volunteering paid leave

Qualifications

• Experience in designing robust data architectures aligned with enterprise standards.
• Ability to collaborate with various stakeholders and translate data requirements.
• Demonstrated mentoring experience in developing other data architects.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design of data architectures for major MoJ programmes.
• Create quality data models and metadata for interoperability.
• Mentor data architects and promote best practices in data architecture.

Skills

Data architecture

Mentoring

Collaboration

Technical design

Data modeling

Job description

Senior Data Architect

Location: National*

Closing Date: 7th January

Interviews: after w/c 26th Jan

Grade: 7

(MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain this grade on lateral transfer)

Salary (for more information, please refer to the T&Cs at the bottom):

1. London: £63,343 - £78,225 (which may include an allowance of up to £14,882)
2. National: £58,511 - £73,450 (which may include an allowance of up to £14,939)

Working pattern: full-time, part-time, flexible working

Contract Type: Perm

Vacancy number: 13006

*We offer a hybrid working model, allowing for a balance between remote work and time spent in your local office. Office locations can be found ON THIS MAP

The Role

We’re recruiting for a Senior Data Architect here at Justice Digital, to be part of our warm and collaborative Data Architecture team.

This role aligns against the Senior Data Architect role from the Government Digital and Data Framework

We’re establishing a dedicated Data Architecture function to support the Ministry of Justice’s growing and evolving needs – enabling delivery of strategic and transformational priorities, such as the independent sentencing review recommendations. This is an exciting opportunity for a Senior Data Architect to shape the department’s architecture from the ground up, leading an end‑to‑end journey from concept to implementation.

As a Senior Data Architect, you’ll translate the vision and standards set by the Principal and Chief Data Architects into practical designs and solutions. You will design data models, metadata systems, and data dictionaries, ensuring they are consistent, reusable, and aligned with organisational needs. You’ll provide expert guidance and oversight to data architects across different portfolios, helping teams to create high‑quality data artefacts and ensuring our systems are designed in line with agreed data architecture principles.

You will collaborate closely with technical architects, engineers, analysts, and policy colleagues to ensure data is managed and shared in ways that are secure, interoperable, and enable better services. You’ll also play a key role in embedding modern ways of working, mentoring other architects, and contributing to a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.

This role sits within the newly established Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO), which leads the Ministry’s technology strategy and delivery across prisons, agencies, probation services, and the MoJ corporate centre. As a Senior Data Architect, you’ll help ensure that the Ministry’s data foundations are robust, sustainable, and designed to support the justice system’s long‑term needs.

To help picture your life at MoJ Justice Digital please take a look at our blog and our Digital and Technology strategy 2025.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and delivery of data architectures for major MoJ programmes, ensuring they are robust, secure, and aligned with enterprise and data architecture standards.
• Shape and maintain high‑quality data models, metadata, and reference data to support interoperability and reuse across services.
• Work closely with solution and technical architects to ensure data is considered at every stage of design and delivery.
• Provide expert guidance and review to other data architects, supporting consistency and quality across projects.
• Mentor and support the professional development of data architects within your area of responsibility, helping to grow capability and confidence.
• Act as a visible advocate for good data architecture practices, promoting their value as enablers of digital and service transformation.
• Engage with business stakeholders, analysts, and engineers to understand data requirements and translate them into practical, actionable designs.
• Stay informed about emerging data technologies, methods, and approaches, and apply them to solve real problems within delivery teams.
• Contribute to cross‑cutting communities of practice and collaborate with colleagues across Justice Digital to share knowledge and align approaches.

If this feels like an exciting challenge, something you are enthusiastic about, and want to join our team please read on and apply!

Benefits

• 37 hours per week and flexible working options including working from home, working part‑time, job sharing, or working compressed hours.
• A £1k per person learning budget is in place to support all our people, with access to best in class conferences and seminars, accreditation with professional bodies, fully funded vocational programmes and e‑learning platforms.
• Staff have 10% time to dedicate to develop & grow.
• Generous civil service pension based on defined benefit scheme, with employer contributions of 28.97% from April 1 2024 (Contribution Rates).
• 25 days leave (plus bank holidays) and 1 privilege day usually taken around the King’s birthday. 5 additional days of leave once you have reached 5 years of service.
• Compassionate maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave policies, with up to 26 weeks leave at full pay, 13 weeks with partial pay, and 13 weeks further leave. And maternity support/paternity leave at full pay for 2 weeks, too!
• Wellbeing support including access to the Calm app.
• Nurturing professional and interpersonal networks including those for Carers & Childcare, Gender Equality, PROUD and SPIRIT.
• Bike loans up to £2500 and secure bike parking (subject to availability and location).
• Season ticket loans, childcare vouchers and eye‑care vouchers.
• 5 days volunteering paid leave.
• Some offices may have a subsidised onsite Gym.