Senior Data Architect - UKHSA - G7

The United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is a system leader for health security; taking action internationally to strengthen global health security, providing trusted advice to government and the public and reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by infectious disease, environmental hazards, and other threats to health.

UKHSA’s remit, as an agency with a global-to-local reach, is to protect the health of the nation from infectious diseases and other external threats to health. As the nation’s expert national health security agency UKHSA will:

• Prevent: anticipate threats to health and help build the nation’s readiness, defences and health security
• Detect: use cutting edge environmental and biological surveillance to proactively detect and monitor infectious diseases and threats to health
• Analyse: use world-class science and data analytics to assess and continually monitor threats to health, identifying how best to control and mitigate the risks
• Respond: take rapid, collaborative and effective actions nationally and locally to mitigate threats to health when they materialise
• Lead: lead strong and sustainable global, national, regional and local partnerships designed to save lives, protect the nation from public health threats and reduce inequalities.

At the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), our mission is to ensure national health security by addressing infectious diseases and external threats. We serve as a trusted advisory resource to both the government and the public, focusing on minimizing health inequalities in various communities. Our mission is both challenging and innovative, driving us to create a diverse, skilled workforce, which is representative of the communities we serve.

The UKHSA Digital and Data Directorate strategically manages a suite of modern, secure data tools and platforms, ensuring access to high-quality data services. The DD&A team within the directorate comprises solution architects, data architects, and data modelers, and collaborates with organizational units throughout UKHSA. They provide expertise in data modelling, flow design, and tooling, utilizing top-tier cloud and on-prem solutions to deliver insights for safeguarding public health. As a Senior Data Architect, you will lead data design programmes, collaborating with peers to analyse, design, and implement our evolving data and analytics estate.

Job description

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Analyse and translate business need into sustainable data flows.
• Evaluate, understand, and document existing data systems.
• Assess the impact of change, and effectively communicate data design and change implications.
• Collaborate with and guide multiple stakeholders on data-centric initiatives.
• Maintain a broad knowledge of our existing and planned data estate.
• Stay current on modern data tooling, select, and evaluate options as needed.
• Optimize how data is stored and moved through UKHSA, aligning with strategic objectives and operational efficiency.
• Address specific data challenges within a governmental/health context.
• Provide thought leadership, patterns, and best practices across diverse data domains.
• Communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Manage processes related to data architecture, ensuring adherence to standards, policies, and best practices

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary.

Person specification

Essential Criteria - you will be assessed against the below 6 essential criteria, which have been selected from the Job Description Document.

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology or equivalent experience
• Producing relevant data models across multiple subject areas
• Explaining which models to use for which purpose
• Understanding industry-recognised data modelling patterns and standards, and when to apply them
• Comparing the development and optimization of sophisticated data models
• Establishing design patterns and blueprints for data solutions, integrating the latest industry best practice