Lead Data Architect - Planning Inspectorate - G7

Would you love the opportunity to develop and embed Data Architectural best practice throughout The Planning Inspectorate? Do you want to see the fruits of your labour embedded in applications that underpin the UKs Planning system that will help fix real world problems like the housing market?   

Do you have a passion for data design and quality?   

Would you like to work in a multidisciplinary team with creativity and a focus on great solutions that work for people?   

If so, click that apply button now and join us as a Lead Data Architect.  

This is an exciting opportunity to join The Planning Inspectorate during a time of growth. The Inspectorate’s work is at the heart of the wholesale digital transformation of the planning system, that will help build radically new digital planning services and help deliver more and better-quality homes alongside the critical national infrastructure like roads, wind and solar farms for all of us. The role of Lead Data Architect is incredibly consequential – being at the heart of The Planning Inspectorate’s efforts to address long-standing data debt and improve the value of our data assets.

The Planning Inspectorate has a long and proud history in ensuring a fair planning system for England. The work we do has a significant impact on people’s lives, the communities where they live and the economy.   

We want our colleagues to be able to work more flexibly and more collaboratively, exploring new and innovative ways to improve the way we provide services.  

For further information on the Planning Inspectorate, please see the information pack attached. You can also view our careers page at Civil Service Careers  

Job description

The Planning Inspectorate is recruiting for a Data Architect to join our growing Digital and Data unit as we expand to meet growing demands from our colleagues, government, and our customers.    

You will develop the organisation’s data model, standards and principles and help design tools that enable The Planning Inspectorate to integrate disparate data sources within our central Operational Data Warehouse (ODW).  

You may be embedded in a service team, where you will be responsible for leading a multidisciplinary team of smart and talented Data & Digital professionals. You will ensure that the tools and process built by our services are consistent with the underlying data architecture.  

You should: 

- Enjoy identifying and solving problems 

- Simplify complicated processes into fundamental components 

- Communicate and make abstract ideas real and tangible for non-technical stakeholders 

- Be highly curious 

- Enjoy working with other experts and customers  

In a typical week, you might: 

- Work with information owners and experts to develop The Planning Inspectorate’s data model, reusable patterns and data standards 

- Work with teams leading The Planning Inspectorate’s response to planning reform to understand the implications for the central operational data warehouse and analytical outputs 

- Contribute to the Architectural Communities of Practice to develop architectural artifacts and embed good practice throughout The Planning Inspectorate 

- Manage a multi-disciplinary team developing data and digital products, ensuring data architecture principles are implemented throughout 

- Make recommendations or update on the progress of workstreams to stakeholders and internal governance boards     

Office Attendance  

This role is contractually based at Temple Quay House, Bristol which is currently out of use due to undergoing refurbishment work. In the interim, we have the use of alternative office space in very close proximity to Bristol Temple Meads railway station. We recognise and value the mutual benefits of hybrid working and have a flexible approach to in person attendance, which can vary dependent on the requirements of individual business units - the details of which can be discussed with candidates if invited to attend an interview. 

Person specification

Essential Criteria   

• Extensive experience of hands-on data architecture development with a variety of methodologies and taking these architectures through peer reviews, such as an Architectural Review Board, and other gateway challenges. 
• Have participated in the development of a data strategy within an organisation, engaging with stakeholders and overseeing change. 
• The ability to communicate complex concepts in a straightforward way to influence senior stakeholders and customers. 
• Be able to communicate business stakeholder and user needs to a technical audience and ensure that the architecture delivers against those needs. 
• Understand the concepts and principles of data modelling and experience of applying these in practice. This should include models that cross organisational boundaries, identifying opportunities for re-use and greater alignment.  
• Experience of using architectural repository tools for the documentation of data architecture and the integration of data architecture within the enterprise architecture. 
• Good knowledge of data governance and data security and privacy, including familiarity with the legal and regulatory requirements around data, especially GDPR and PECR.  

Desirable Criteria   

• Experience of cloud technologies, enterprise integration tools and extract, transformation and load (ETL) tools. 
• Experience of collaboration with architects of other disciplines in the successful delivery of a solution or enterprise architecture. 

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving
• Working Together

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Strategic thinking (data architecture).
• Turning business problems into data design.
• Metadata management.
• Data innovation