Data Architect and Governance Lead

Mencap; United States; Remote; USD 114,000 - 161,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

32 days holiday

Health cash plan

Interest-free loans

Job summary

Mencap is seeking a senior Data Architect & Governance Lead to establish and champion the data architecture and governance framework across the organisation. You will work with business leaders, data professionals, and technology teams to ensure data is trusted, well-managed, and used responsibly, including in AI-enabled solutions.

The role is home-based with occasional travel to Peterborough or London offices (~3 times per month), and involves shaping strategic direction while staying hands-on

Qualifications

• Senior data leadership with broad governance remit across a complex organisation.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain data architecture principles, standards, and best practices.
• Lead data governance framework and responsibilities across business domains.
• Provide guidance on data quality, metadata, lineage, and risk management.
• Oversee design assurance for major data initiatives, integrations, and migrations.
• Define governance for AI-enabled solutions and analytics platforms.
• Manage budgets and resources for data projects and platforms.

Skills

Data architecture

Data governance

Stakeholder management

Strategic influence

Cloud data technologies

Tools

Microsoft Fabric

Power BI

Salesforce

Job description

Reporting to the Head of Enterprise Governance, you'll provide organisation-wide leadership for data architecture and data governance. Working closely with business leaders, data professionals, architects and technology teams, you'll develop and embed the principles, standards and governance needed to ensure data can be understood, shared and trusted across the organisation. You'll influence how data is structured and managed across key platforms including Microsoft Fabric, Power BI, Salesforce, SaaS applications and enterprise integration services, helping Mencap build a mature and sustainable data capability. This is a senior individual contributor role with significant organisational influence, offering the opportunity to shape strategic direction while remaining hands‑on with architecture, governance and assurance activities.What You'll Be DoingData Architecture + Define and maintain Mencap's data architecture principles, standards and best practices. + Develop conceptual and logical data models, common definitions and integration patterns. + Establish standards covering data design, exchange, retention and decommissioning. + Ensure data architecture aligns with wider enterprise architecture principles.Data Governance & Stewardship + Lead and continually improve Mencap's data governance framework. + Clarify and support Data Owner and Data Steward responsibilities across business domains. + Provide expert guidance that improves governance maturity across the organisation. + Resolve cross-domain data challenges and escalatti res material risks where necessary.Data Quality, Metadata & Lineage + Chair and facilitate monthly Data Quality Reviews. + Drive visibility and accountability for priority data quality improvements. + Define requirements for data dictionaries, business glossaries, metadata management and lineage. + Establish controls that improve traceability, transparency and confidence in critical data assets.Design Assurance & Strategic Oversight + Review and assure significant data initiatives through governance and design authority processes. + Provide expert input into major integrations, migrations and data-enabled transformation programmes. + Identify and manage strategic data risks, exceptions and governance requirements.Responsible Data & AI + Define governance requirements for AI-enabled solutions and advanced analytics. + Support the responsible use of data through clear standards covering ownership, provenance, quality, lineage and permitted use. + Collaborate with Information Governance, Security and Risk colleagues to ensure appropriate oversight and controls.Financial & Resource Management + Manage allocated budgets and resources effectively. + Maintain forecasts and monitor expenditure against agreed plans. + Assess the need for specialist external support and work within established procurement and governance processes. + Significant experience in Data Architecture, Data Governance or senior Data Management roles within a complex organisation. + Strong expertise in developing and applying enterprise data models, architecture standards, data governance frameworks and information management practices. + Experience establishing and embedding data ownership, stewardship and accountability models across business and technology teams. + Proven knowledge of data quality, metadata management, business glossaries, data lineage and data lifecycle management. + Experience providing governance, assurance and oversight for data solutions, integrations, migrations and analytics platforms. + Strong understanding of modern cloud data and analytics technologies, including Microsoft Fabric, Power BI or similar enterprise platforms. + Experience working with data across a range of business systems, such as CRM, finance, workforce, care or case management platforms. + Ability to lead and influence discussions across multiple business areas, building consensus on data definitions, ownership, priorities and standards. + Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders and subject matter experts without direct management responsibility. + Good understanding of data protection, information governance and information security principles and how they apply to organisational data. + Knowledge of emerging AI and data governance considerations, including data quality, provenance, traceability, representativeness and responsible use. + Excellent communication skills, sound judgement and the ability to balance strategic governance requirements with practical delivery needs. + A commitment to accessible, inclusive and ethical use of data that supports better outcomes for people with a learning disability. + Alignment with Mencap's values of being Passionate, Positive, Brave, Kind and Inclusive.

At Mencap, we're driven by a vision of a world where people with a learning disability are valued equally, listened to and included. As we continue to transform our digital and data capabilities, we're looking for an experienced Data Architect & Governance Lead to establish and champion the frameworks, standards and architecture that help us make better decisions, improve services and deliver greater impact.

This is a unique opportunity for a strategic data professional who enjoys combining architectural thinking with practical governance leadership. You'll play a pivotal role in ensuring that data across Mencap is trusted, well‑managed, secure and used responsibly, including within emerging AI‑enabled solutions. This is a home based role that will require occasional travel to our Peterborough or London Offices ~3 times per month.

About Mencap

Our vision is for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives. We're here to support people with a learning disability, their families and their carers. We fight for a kinder, fairer and more inclusive society for people with a learning disability to live in. At Mencap, everyone works with people with a learning disability either providing support or advice, or alongside one another as colleagues. Belonging at Mencap is for everyone, every day, everywhere. Everyone is expected to treat people well and make Mencap an inclusive organisation. Every day we grow and learn. It's okay to make mistakes but we learn from them and make changes Everywhere people will feel respected, valued, and safe to be themselves. We have Belonging network groups that meet online and are open to all colleagues. The groups include people who identify as Black and Asian, LGBTQIA+, disabled or with a long‑term health condition, women, parents and carers, and their allies. We want to encourage everyone to apply to work at Mencap and we offer a variety of different contract types and working patterns. We're not looking for specific experience. It is your personality and values that will make you a great colleague. We will train and develop you to succeed in the role you're applying for.

Here at Mencap, we offer an impressive range of benefits designed to support and reward our employees to ensure that our teams feel valued and appreciated. Our benefits package offers 32 days of paid holiday (including bank holidays, pro rata), along with a range of perks such as discounts at leading high‑street retailers, access to health cash plans, interest‑free loans, and many more exciting offerings. For more details on what we have to offer, please see the attached document outlining all the fantastic benefits available to you as a member of our team!