Lead Data Architect

Tesco Insurance & Money Services; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance provider in Scotland seeks a Lead Data Architect to drive data initiatives. This hybrid position mandates the candidate to oversee data platform delivery and ensure adherence to architectural standards. Applicants should have expertise in Data Architecture and strong technical skills, along with experience in data governance. The role includes managing a diverse team and ensuring compliance with industry standards. This position promises a competitive salary and extensive benefits, contributing positively to customers and communities.

Benefits

Colleague pension scheme

Private healthcare

Annual bonus

Generous holiday allowance

Colleague Clubcard discount

Green car leasing scheme

Enhanced maternity and paternity leave policies

Qualifications

• Subject matter expertise in Data Architecture, Data Modelling and Data Management.
• Experience in architecture governance and data governance.
• Strong data and technical skills including IBM Infosphere and Datastage.

Responsibilities

• Develop strategic architecture plans aligned with business goals.
• Manage delivery of a new data platform.
• Oversee data governance and architecture standards.

Skills

Data Architecture

Data Modelling

Data Management

Data & Process Mapping

Cloud infrastructure

Leadership experience

Technical skills (IBM Infosphere, Datastage, SAS, COGNOS)

Job description

Tesco Insurance • Edinburgh - 2 South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh, EH12 9FQ, United Kingdom • Permanent • Apply by 12-Dec-2025

About the role

Serving our customers, communities, and planet a little better every day.

Salary: Competitive from £66400 + Annual Bonus & Benefits

Work Level: 2 Permanent role

Location: Edinburgh, Glasgow, Reigate, London or Newcastle

Office Attendance: Our roles are hybrid; however you need to travel to our office 2 days per week for this role.

Closing Date for applications: 12th December 2025

We're here for the things that matter most when you need us most - from motor insurance that keeps your dream car protected, to pet insurance for your best friend, home insurance for peace of mind, and travel money for that well-earned getaway. Because when it's personal, we put our heart into it. Whether we're supporting our customers or caring for our colleagues, you'll always feel the warmth and friendliness that drive everything we do.

Opportunity

We're recruiting a Lead Data Architect to join our Technology Function at Tesco Insurance and Money Services, reporting into the Head of Data and AI Services.

As the lead for the data architecture domain at Tesco Insurance and Money Services, you'll be responsible for enabling the delivery of transformational change, impactful business outcomes and unlock exciting opportunities through data.

You’ll oversee the delivery of a new data platform, working closely with internal teams, external partners, and key stakeholders. You’ll champion the data agenda across Tesco Insurance and Money Services, driving the adoption of modern data standards, architectural patterns, and emerging technologies such as AI and machine learning.

You’ll ensure that Data Architects, Solution Architects, and Engineers consistently follow established architecture principles and practices. You’ll also provide oversight to ensure third‑party services align with our data architecture standards.

As the technical and domain expert for all data designs and architectural components, you’ll lead the development and growth of a high‑performing data architecture team. Please note this role is known as Data Architect Lead internally.

The Role

• Developing a strategic architecture plan: designing, implementing, and evolving robust and effectively aligned architecture solutions that operate in our business ecosystem.
• Ensuring data features are prioritised appropriately, estimates are reliable, benefits realised, and design activities are monitored and tracked to meet the overall architecture plan.
• Documenting complex "as is" and "to be" processes, describing the changes required to migrate to the "to be" capability to record accurately the change required. Including analysis of "As Is" and "To Be".
• Horizon scanning.
• Application software development.
• Developing existing and new applications by analysing and identifying areas for modification and improvements.
• Developing new applications to meet customer requirements.
• Business requirements identification - using data models to support business education, research, requirements, and designs.
• Information security - implementing and providing input on the design of required security measures.
• Operational compliance.
• Development and performance management for a substantial and diverse team.
• Data Management - managing key aspects of the data management system.

Required Experience

• Subject matter expertise in Data Architecture, Data Modelling and Data Management.
• Experience of managing aspects of architecture governance and contributing to data governance.
• Experience of Data & Process Mapping within a regulated organisation.
• Strong data & technical skills (IBM Infosphere Server, Datastage, SAS, COGNOS preferred).
• Leadership experience.
• Robust understanding of cloud infrastructure.

What's in it for you?

• Prepare for your retirement with our colleague pension scheme.
• Private healthcare & virtual GP service for you and your family 365 days a year. Plus critical illness cover.
• Performance related annual bonus.
• Indulge in a generous holiday allowance with a minimum of 7.2 weeks, with the opportunity to buy more.
• Embrace the benefits of our Colleague Clubcard, enjoy a 10% discount that increase to 15% every payday (worth up to £2K). As an added perk, we'll give you a second card to share with someone else.
• Green car leasing scheme.
• Benefit from our family‑oriented initiatives, encompassing enhanced maternity leave pay, a shared parental leave policy, and a generous 8‑week paid paternity leave.
• Take part in our Buy as you Earn and Save as you Earn share schemes.

Everyone's welcome

We want all our colleagues to always feel welcome and be themselves. We're committed to building a more inclusive workplace and celebrating everything that makes colleagues unique, and value the richness and diversity this brings to our business. A more diverse business helps us deliver on our purpose to serve our customers, communities, and planet a little better every day.

Additional Information

We also know the importance of balancing work with life's other commitments. Please talk to us at interview about the flexibility you need, as we're committed to exploring part‑time and flexible working opportunities, at every level of the organisation.

Interviews commencing October 2025.

Why Tesco Insurance and Money Services?

Seeing your impact all around you: there's no better feeling.

Lucky for us, we get to feel it all the time. Because whatever our role, we're helping our colleagues and serving our customers, communities and planet a little better every day.

We deal in the personal - from pet insurance for your best friend, and home insurance for peace of mind, to motor insurance for your dream car or travel money for that trip you've worked hard for.

Everything we do is about making things better. Not just for others, but for you too. It's why you'll get bags of choice and plenty of development. It's why you'll always be heard and find balance that works for you. It's why you'll feel totally at home in a place where everyone's welcome.

So, if you want a career where you can do good and feel good, you've found it.

Let's make everyday a little better.

Our story

Making Insurance and Money Services more rewarding and offering great value and choice - because we know little wins can make a big difference.

We began life in 1997 and now help more than 2 million customers protect what matters to them.

We want to deliver a helpful service in everything we do and to make life easier for our customers. Our policies are really easy to manage online for our customers, but we know that being able to speak to our customer service staff when you need to is really important. This is why our customer service centres are open seven days a week.

Delivering great customer service means having great people behind the scenes - people who understand our customers and are driven by doing the right thing for them. We offer colleagues a place where they can feel totally at home in a place where everyone's welcome, where they can be part of a great team focused on making a real difference for our customers.

How to apply

We value our people and diverse teams and believe the variety of backgrounds and experiences make us stronger to achieve our goals.

Our colleagues are working hybrid, taking time to meet with colleagues in our offices for moments that matter, such as team catch ups, planning meetings and more. If you're interested in finding out more about what a career at Tesco Insurance and Money Services looks like, click apply to find out more!