Senior Data Architect

Maritime & Coastguard Agency; England; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A governmental agency in the UK is seeking a Senior Data Architect to lead the design of data architecture and fulfill strategic data needs. The role offers a competitive salary of £57,515 plus a Digital and Data allowance, along with excellent benefits including a generous pension scheme, flexible working options, and professional development opportunities. This position is hybrid, based in Cardiff or Southampton.

Benefits

Employer pension contribution of 28.97%

25 days annual leave

8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day

Access to staff discount portal

Career development opportunities

24-hour Employee Assistance Programme

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• Significant experience in data architecture, data modeling, or related areas.
• Expertise in data modeling tools and methodologies.
• Proficiency in database management systems.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Chief Data Architect to interpret business requirements.
• Identify and escalate data-related risks and deviations.
• Define and maintain the enterprise data architecture.

Skills

Data architecture

Data modeling

Database design

Proficiency in SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL

Big data solutions with no-SQL technologies

Cloud services (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud)

Job description

phone number removed) Senior Data Architect

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Apply before 11 : 55 pm on Sunday 30th November 2025

📍 Location : Cardiff, Southampton (Hybrid)

💷 Salary : £57,515 - Plus an additional allowance up to £22,885

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

🕒 Contract Type : Permanent – Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Information Technology (IT) Strategy & Architecture function enables the organisation to deliver world-class services. It is a centre of excellence that is responsible for the technology strategy, delivering a broad portfolio of change to transform the Agency’s legacy technologies and deliver innovative new solutions designed around our customers’ needs.

The architecture team is responsible for the definition of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency technology strategy, the development of the solutions’ architectures required to realise this strategy and ensuring that architecture and technology principles are met and maintained. The role sits within a digital team of user-centred design and architecture and will focus on operational data for a variety of critical systems and change work.

Top Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Chief Data Architect to interpret business requirements and maintain consistency in data architecture across programmes.
• Participate in governance forums such as the Architecture Review Board and Data Governance Board to review, validate, and approve data models, metadata systems, and related artefacts.
• Identify and escalation data-related risks, blockers, or deviations from agreed standards to the Chief Data Architect, contributing to continuous improvement of data practices. Provide technical leadership and guidance to partner data architects and delivery teams, ensuring adherence to data architecture principles and standards challenging third-party designs where necessary.
• Define and maintain the enterprise data architecture, including data models, metadata, integration patterns, and business intelligence or data warehouse structures.
• Design and support the lifecycle management of data assets- including upgrade, decommissioning, and archiving- in compliance with data policy and architectural strategy.
• Ensure that data architecture artefacts are documented and maintained in the enterprise architecture repository, and that they remain compliant with MCA’s architecture strategy and principles.

Benefits

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits :

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).
• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
• Access to the staff discount portal.
• Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
• Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.
• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

About you

A data architect designs and builds data models to fulfil the strategic data needs of the organisation, as defined by the Chief Data Architect. As Senior Data Architect you will also deliver the vision for the organisation as set by the Chief Data Architect. You will also be instrumental in the definition of technology roadmaps that are aligned to business and IT strategy that support business change, and you will define the Master Data Strategy and the Data Archival Strategy for operational data.

You will need the following experience :

• Significant experience in data architecture, data modelling, database design, or a related area such as application architecture is expected.
• Expertise in data modelling tools and methodologies.
• Proficiency in database management systems (DBMS) like SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, and big data solutions using technologies such as no-SQL.
• Experience in using cloud services such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platforms.

Additional Information

The role is part of the Government Digital and Data (or Government Security Profession Career Framework) profession and utilises an enhanced Capability–Based Pay Framework which provides access to a Digital and Data allowance.

The base pay is £57,515. In addition to this the role includes a Digital and Data allowance of up to £22,885.

How to Apply

👉 Read the full job description and apply at CS Jobs using the link provided

This vacancy closes at 23 : 55 on Sunday 30th November 2025