Head of Data & Integration Architecture

Heathrow Airport; Hounslow; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Heathrow Airport is seeking a Head of Data & Integration Architecture to shape and lead the data strategies for operational efficiency, safety, and innovation. The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing data governance, driving common data models adoption, and leading a high-performing team to improve infrastructure and service delivery.

Benefits

Performance-based bonuses

Family-friendly policies

Private health insurance

Generous annual leave allowances

Market-leading pensions

Qualifications

• Experience in leading high-performing teams of architects.
• Demonstrated capability in handling complex stakeholder relationships.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of enterprise data strategy aligned to business goals.
• Ensure compliance with data privacy and cybersecurity standards.
• Mentor and develop a team of data and integration architects.

Skills

Data architecture

Integration strategy

Team leadership

Stakeholder management

Education

Enterprise data integration strategy experience

Tools

ESB

iPaaS

TOGAF

Zachmann

Job description

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Job Description

Operating at SFIA Level 7 (Set Strategy, Inspire, and Mobilise), this role is instrumental in shaping how data is collected, managed, shared, and leveraged across systems and stakeholders to support operational efficiency, passenger experience, safety, and innovation.

The role provides enterprise leadership in developing data strategies, integration platforms, and information governance models that enable seamless, secure, and real-time data exchange across critical systems including baggage, security, airside/landside operations, terminal management, and passenger services. This includes driving the adoption of a robust data architecture, API-led connectivity, and event-driven integration patterns aligned with the airport's digital ambitions.

Working closely with senior leaders in Digital, IT, Operations, and Commercial, the Head of Data & Integration Architecture provides thought leadership in delivering a modern, scalable, and intelligent data foundation to support advanced analytics, AI, digital twins, and smart airport initiatives. The role oversees data and integration architectural governance, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, data privacy, and cybersecurity standards. The postholder leads a team of architects and collaborates with technology partners and suppliers to embed best-in-class data and integration practices, enabling an agile, connected airport environment.

Responsibilities

• Leading the development of enterprise data and integration architecture strategy, aligned to business and operational goals.
• Defining and govern the implementation of data and integration principles, standards and models
• Driving the adoption of common data models, integration platforms (e.g. ESB, iPaaS), and API-first architectures.
• Supporting the development of a connected airport vision through real-time data exchange, event-driven architectures, and digital twins.
• Ensuring integration architectures meet scalability, resilience, security, and compliance requirements.
• Providing architectural leadership for the design and delivery of data platforms, data lakes, and master data management solutions.
• Engaging with senior stakeholders to embed data and integration architecture within major transformation and capital programmes.
• Leading, mentoring, and developing a team of data and integration architects, fostering a collaborative and high-performing culture

Qualifications

• Creating an enterprise-wide data integration strategy for a FTSE250 or equivalent company
• Leading a high performing team of architects in the integration and/or data space
• Experience of building, maintaining and influencing relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders.

Ideally, you'll have:

• Supporting the creation of a Centre for Excellence around integration in a complex business environment
• TOGAF/Zachmann

About Us

There's something so special about working at the world's most iconic airport. Its sights. Its sounds. Its constant air of excitement. Heathrow is an amazing backdrop to a career filled with unique opportunities.

Every day, you'll discover a world full of fresh possibilities and end the day buzzing with stories to tell, as you encounter people from all cultures, nationalities and experiences. A world full of pride for what we do and no end of exciting career prospects to explore.

It brings out the best in all of us. And inspires everyone to deliver on our ambitious plans. Together, we're working to welcome millions more passengers while ensuring aviation can continue to be a force for good by leading global efforts in sustainability.

Join us on that journey and we'll help you achieve your ambitions too. Supporting you to learn, encouraging you to be yourself, backing you to achieve more than you might ever have imagined. Because there's no place like Heathrow.

Our rewards

We offer competitive salaries and excellent benefits that will support you now and in the future. As well as performance-based annual bonuses and our longer-term Share in Success Bonus plans, we also offer generous annual leave allowances and market-leading pensions. With family friendly policies, access to private health insurance and a wide range of wellbeing tools, we'll support you to be at your best inside and outside work. And of course, we'll provide varied learning and development opportunities too. Here you'll find everything you need for a fulfilling career journey that can take you in exciting directions.

Working Location

Our Hybrid working approach offers the opportunity for colleagues in some roles to work from home for an average of two days a week, providing the flexibility to work in an agile way whilst ensuring we deliver for the operational needs of Heathrow. Working arrangements vary from team to team and will be confirmed during the recruitment process. You'll need to be based in the UK and within a commutable distance to Heathrow.

Sustainable Travel to work

Heathrow's Sustainable Travel Guide sets out easy and sustainable travel options that everyone can access.

Equal Opportunities

As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all. We believe that diverse talent makes us stronger - not least because we welcome passengers from all corners of the globe, every single day. Heathrow is an accessible place to work. With five diversity networks, we champion inclusivity and celebrate individuality.

About the Team

Together, we're working to welcome millions more passengers, while ensuring aviation can continue to be a force for good by leading global efforts in sustainability. At Heathrow, you can be part of this - providing solutions that make every journey better for millions each year. That means ensuring we meet the changing needs of the passengers, colleagues and partners who use our airport to work, travel, trade, shop, eat, explore and connect. Our Solutions team covers project management, process improvement, business change, technology, cyber defence, masterplanning, infrastructure and procurement. It brings together people with the skills to deliver prestigious and often large-scale projects, from transforming terminals to making big reductions in our carbon emissions.

Every day will test your skills and give you the opportunity to make your mark. You might be working with the technology and data that power our city within a city, driving vital commercial agreements with everyone from retailers to airlines, or improving the unique infrastructure that includes everything from 200 buildings to 250 HV substations. It's a collaborative environment, where you can rely on the support of the experts around you as you take on projects you'll both take pride in and feel passionate about.