Data Architect - 12 Month Fixed Term Contract

British Transport Police; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 72,000 - 87,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

28 days annual leave

Pension scheme

Blue Light Card access

Flexible working

Job summary

British Transport Police is seeking a Data Architect to design and maintain secure, scalable data architectures and support a national policing strategy.

You will drive an integrated data analytics layer within Azure, working with Chief Data Officer and teams to govern data across BTP using Microsoft 365, Azure and Google Cloud technologies.

Qualifications

• Degree level in IT, data or engineering field.
• Extensive data architecture leadership across multi-clouds (Azure/GCP).
• Strong data modelling, governance and GDPR knowledge.
• Ability to communicate complex concepts to all levels.

Responsibilities

• Design end-to-end data architectures integrating M365 with cloud platforms.
• Set and assure data standards, models and publishing approaches.
• Govern data solutions, ensuring GDPR compliance and security.
• Collaborate with analysts, ops and vendors to deliver scalable solutions.

Skills

Data architecture

Azure

GCP

Power BI

Stakeholder management

Education

Degree in IT

Tools

SharePoint

Teams

Power BI

Job description

Job Introduction

Salary: Up to £79,974.59 per annum (Up to £65,110.98 basic salary, depending on experience, plus a Skills Framework of the Information Age Allowance of £10250.00 and £4613.61 London Allowance, for London based candidates only).

Contract Type: 12 months FTC

Location: To be based at one our main hubs London, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds or Glasgow.

Type of Working Arrangement: Blended approach of home and office-working is available

Hours: This is full-time role (37 hours per week)

British Transport Police (BTP) is the national police force for the rail network throughout Great Britain. We are the ‘Guardians of the Railway,’ putting passenger safety at the heart of what we do. Our values are simply: We Care, We Do the Right Thing, We Strive to Be Better Every Day, We Are One BTP, and We Are Proud to Protect. Join us and help create an environment where we can all be our best every day.

The Opportunity

Are you an experienced Data Architect looking to apply your expertise in a role with real national impact? British Transport Police have an exciting opportunity for a Data Architect to provide key and crucial support to our Digital, Data and Technology strategy on a 12‑month fixed‑term contract.

In this role, you will design and maintain secure, scalable, and compliant data architectures that support both operational policing and strategic decision‑making.

You will also play a key part in an exciting data transformation project, implementing an integrated data analytics layer within Azure to improve how data is accessed, analysed and shared across the organisation.

Working closely with the Chief Data Officer, analysts, operational teams and technology colleagues, you’ll help shape how data is integrated, governed and used across BTP, drawing on Microsoft 365, Azure and Google Cloud technologies.

This is a high‑impact role at the heart of a national policing organisation, where your work will directly support the protection of critical transport infrastructure and the public we serve.

What You'll Be Doing

• Designing and developing end‑to‑end data architectures that integrate Microsoft 365 tools (including SharePoint, Power BI, Power Automate and Teams) with legacy systems and cloud platforms such as Azure and GCP.
• Setting and assurance data architecture standards, including data models, metadata, storage, sharing and publishing approaches to maximise the value of BTP’s data assets.
• Providing expert advice, assurance and governance across data and solution architecture, ensuring solutions are secure by design and compliant with GDPR, law enforcement data handling standards and national policing frameworks.
• Working collaboratively with operational units, analysts, digital teams and third‑party suppliers to translate business and operational data requirements into robust, scalable technical solutions, supporting innovation through automation, AI and advanced analytics where appropriate.

What You'll Bring To The Team

• Educated to degree level in an IT, data or engineering discipline (or equivalent professional experience).
• Extensive experience planning and leading complex data architecture initiatives, including integration across multi‑cloud environments (Azure and GCP) and Microsoft 365 platforms.
• Strong expertise in data modelling, data management and master data processes, including designing scalable data models, data lakes and enterprise data structures.
• In‑depth knowledge of data governance, security and compliance, including GDPR, UK data protection legislation and law‑enforcement data handling standards, with the ability to influence stakeholders and communicate complex technical concepts clearly at all levels.

What We Offer

• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing to 30 days after 5 years.
• Family-friendly policies, including up to 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave.
• Bespoke benefits platform and Blue Light Card access.
• Salary sacrifice options for cycles, home technology, gym membership, and electric vehicles.
• Interest‑free annual rail season ticket loan after 6 months.
• Access to the Transport Benevolent Fund for health, welfare, and financial support.
• Development opportunities, including fully funded apprenticeships.
• Excellent Pension scheme: We offer the BTP GPP Police Staff Pension Scheme, administered by Royal London. This group personal pension plan is available to all police staff and is a defined contribution scheme. It provides the flexibility to vary your pension contributions from 4.4% to 12% of your salary. For more information, visit the Royal London dedicated pension page or email us at [e-mail]. Note: If you are an existing member of Police Staff in the RPS, your pension will not be affected.

Additional Information

Further information about this vacancy can be found in the attached job description.

Vetting

Successful applicants will be required to pass Management Vetting and Security Clearance (5 years minimum UK residency required), including full background and financial disclosure.

Medical

We’ll ask for relevant health and medical history details to support employee wellbeing.

References

We'll ask for references to cover the past 5 years.

Completed applications must be submitted by 11.59pm on 24th September 2026

Inclusion & Diversity

We are committed to building a workforce where everyone feels they belong.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities and lived experiences. Diversity strengthens our teams, improves our services and helps us better represent and support the communities we serve.

We are proud to be an inclusive employer and strive to create a workplace that is fair, respectful and accessible to all. We actively work to challenge discrimination, remove barriers and ensure equity throughout our recruitment and employment practices.

If you need any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment or selection process, please let us know - we are happy to support you.

Your talent, your potential, and your unique perspective matter here.

For more information on Inclusion or the Disability Confident Scheme, please click the links Inclusion & Diversity Disability Confident Scheme

The above advert, Job description and Application process is available through the medium of Welsh - if requested.

Join Us

Ready to take the next step in your career? At BTP, you’ll have the opportunity to grow, make a real impact, and be part of something extraordinary.

Find out why BTP could be the perfect fit for you - About Us - British Transport Police

Curious about what life at BTP is really like? Hear directly from our people and discover what makes working here so rewarding. Explore real stories on our blog: Our Stories - British Transport Police

For further information, please contact our Resourcing Team [e-mail].