Principal Data Architect, Police and Public Protection Technology - HO - G6

The Digital Data and Technology (DDaT) profession enable the Home Office to keep the UK safe and secure. They do this by designing, building, and running the services that help people apply for visas or passports, support policing and counter-terrorism operations, and protect the UK’s borders. 

Team members have specialised knowledge and a calling to build on it. We want the best people to come to the Home Office and work in the diverse roles and communities they’re passionate about. This is how we produce exceptional outcomes. 

Due to business requirements this post is available on a Full Time/Job Share/Flexible Working basis. Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. Where this is the case, employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in the office. Queries can be raised to the address at the bottom of the advert. 

We value diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from the widest diversity of backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. We encourage applications from women, people with disabilities and LGBT+ as they are currently under-represented in the Home Office at this grade level. Appointments will be made on merit based on fair and open competition.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Chief Technology Office (CTO), part of the Police and Public Protection Technology (PPPT). PPPT works in partnership with Police Forces, the Fire Service, agencies, and arms-length bodies of the Home Office, involved in law enforcement to cut crime and prevent abuse and exploitation. An increasing dependency on technology is at the heart of the ongoing reform and modernisation of the Police and Fire Service and its uses are varied.

Job description

A Principal Data Architect sets the vision for the organization’s use of data. The role decides how the data will be stored, managed and integrated by different data entities and IT Operations.

As a Principal Data Architect, you will lead Data Architecture at the highest level and will be responsible for ensuring the Home Office strategy is agreed and followed.

You will have strong technical leadership qualities and a passion for driving value from the exploitation of data through effective management, direction and motivation including performance and development reviews.

You will be able to build effective partnerships with diverse teams across multiple locations and technologies.

Person specification

Your main day to day responsibilities will be:

• Overseeing the design of multiple data models and having a broad understanding of how each model fulfils the needs of the business.
• Championing Data Architecture across government and setting the standards and ways of working for the Data Architecture community.
• Defining and implementing governance to ensure the data strategy is followed, with the help of the Lead Data Architect.
• Defining policies and setting standards for modelling, structuring, naming, describing, securing, and formatting data.
• Ensuring that the organisation’s systems are designed in line with the Data Architecture.
• Providing advice to project teams, using your deep knowledge of industry best practices and emerging tools and methodology, and overseeing the management of the full data lifecycle.

Essential skills:

You’ll have a demonstrable passion for Data Architecture, with the following skills or strong experience in:

• Demonstrating a deep understanding of exploiting data from a complex technical domain with multiple database technologies, data integration, metadata management, analytics and insight generation.
• Leading technology teams to adhere to good data modelling, database management principles and data governance.
• Defining and managing technical roadmaps and strategy.
• Following advances in digital analytics tools and data manipulation products.
• Identifying industry recognised data patterns and standards and applying these to any organisation.
• Designing and leading the conceptual, logical and physical design for distributed databases.
• Driving Meta Data Architecture and Master Data Management Solutions.
• Working with Cloud Data technologies, solutions and future Cloud Data Strategies.

SFIA capability framework 

Skills for the Information Age (SFIA) is the technical framework that sets the standard capability and development of all levels in the Home Office. This is a link to the capability framework:  All skills A - Z English (sfia-online.org) 

We use set SFIA technical skills to form our interview questions and we will assess you against these technical skills during the selection process. 

The essential skills listed above are reflective of the Home Office Government Digital and Data Profession Career Framework (based on the industry standard SFIA framework- Use the SFIA Levels of responsibility to understand what would be expected for each technical skill listed). Please see below for the relevant skills for your role:

SFIA Technical skills 

Strategy and Architecture

• Strategy and Planning
  • Strategic Planning (ITSP) – Level 5
  • Information Management (IRMG) – Level 4
  • Innovation (INOV) – Level 4
  • Solution Architecture (ARCH) – Level 4
• Advice and Guidance
  • Consultancy (CNSL) – Level 4

Development and Implementation

• Data and Analytics
  • Data Modelling and Design (DTAN) – Level 5

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture

Technical skills

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

• Strategic Planning (ITSP) – Level 5
• Information Management (IRMG) – Level 4
• Innovation (INOV) – Level 4
• Solution Architecture (ARCH) – Level 4
• Data Modelling and Design (DTAN) – Level 5