Data Architect - MoD - SEO

Location

Eastbury, East of England, HA6 3HP

About the job

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity to join the dynamic, multi-disciplinary team at the heart of the Cyber & Specialist Operations Command (CSOC) Headquarters. CSOC’s purpose is to deliver integrated cyber and specialist capabilities, enabling the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to operate effectively in the most complex global environments. We are responsible for defending the UK in cyberspace and support capability development, resilience, and integration of cyber effects into operational planning. This includes joint capabilities such as medical services, training and education, intelligence and information systems cross all the domains.

The Data & Management Information Services (DMIS) team drives improvement in the understanding and analysis of the Command’s Portfolio. It helps the business make important decisions by connecting them with data from various systems and sources. The team works with teams to improve their data processes and accessibility of their management information outputs. The Data Architect provides technical direction and architectural design for digital services. The role works collaboratively in an agile way to ensure the appropriate infrastructure is specified. It engages with DMIS colleagues and wider business stakeholders to understand requirements, advise on data solutions, and ensure that data structure, governance and standards are consistently applied and aligned with enterprise architecture principles.

This involves working closely with developers to solve architectural and technical problems with effective backend management. It plays a key role in overseeing testing, investigating incidents during the migration of activities between environments to enable controlled go live.  As a DMIS Data Architect you will be an advocate of digital services, automation and data analysis.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

The post holder will be an experienced Data Architect and will play a key role in ensuring the smooth running of services by DMIS. A key part of this is ensuring that presented use cases are suitable for implementation so both the customers' business and operational requirements are robust and supportable. This is done by developing and maintaining the semantic data model, data flows and data manipulation using the Microsoft Power Platform. The Architect also maintains detailed solution documents to support applications whilst managing data security, standards and governance activity. This includes data cleansing, permissions management and effective decommissioning.

As part of the DMIS team this role will: 

• Establish a technical team to solve complex data problems and develop digital solutions to enable more efficient processes and informed decisions.
• Collaborate and work in multi-disciplinary agile scrum teams to develop working prototypes based on user needs.
• Establish the Development Pipeline to track progress from initial development to deployment as well as processes in the Software Development Life Cycle.
• Oversee testing, investigating incidents during the migration of activities between environments to enable controlled go live.
• Work with Microsoft Power Platform including Dataverse, PowerBI and Power Query.
• Build and maintain data models, using Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs) and maintain data dictionaries including metadata integration.
• Construct dataflows to enable data preparation and transformation within workspaces. Use of Extracting, Transforming, and Loading (ETL) to move data from various sources into a central location.
• Design solutions, support and provide guidance for the upgrade, management, decommission and archive of data in compliance with the MOD data policy and standards including access to data.
• Bridge the gap between the technical and non-technical by speaking on behalf of technical teams and facilitate relationships with indirect stakeholders.
• Design models and reference artifacts enabling re-use of solution components supporting developers to conform to required processes and standards.
• Ensure that new requirements are designed for clean integration with existing services. Considering service, applications, data and technology architectural layers and including through life compliance with policies.
• Line management responsibility of 1 HEO Civil Servant. Demonstrating the highest standards of professionalism and personal integrity in all activities. Passionate about developing staff and showing a drive for innovation and improvement.

Person specification

As a Data Architect in DMIS you will work closely with stakeholders and aligned professions including Front and Back End Engineers, Project Delivery teams and Data Analysts. You will deliver data products and services that meet the users’ needs whilst soliciting feedback and managing expectations throughout the data lifecycle. You will manage data risks and issues effectively, escalating and resolving them in a timely manner, and implementing mitigation strategies to prevent recurrence.

Essential criteria: 

• Relevant experience of working in an agile development environment in scrum teams.
• Manage workload, to ensure sprint goals are met and work as part of a highly effective team delivering results and meeting objectives.
• Identifying, collecting, and migrating data to/from a range of internal and external systems. 
• Extracting, Transforming, and Loading (ETL), Data Flow Diagrams DFD, Semantic Data Modelling.
• Dataflows and manipulation (using Power Query, Power BI, Power Apps with Dataverse knowledge)
• Strong Excel skills and DAX knowledge.
• Data quality checking and cleansing and resolving issues. 
• Working with developers to create data visualisations and reports. 
• Database management and standards.
• User requirements validation.
• Developing and coaching direct reports and effective line management.
• Highly motivated, resilient and passionate about using data to improve business outcomes.

Desirable criteria:

• Data processing at scale: handling large volumes of data efficiently.
• Datawarehouse concepts (staging/levels).
• Understand industry recognised modelling patterns and standards and know when to apply them.
• Experience in data modelling tools and methodologies.
• Experience in using cloud services such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platforms.
• DevOps knowledge.
• Fabric experience.
• Working within ITIL and having TOGAF (The Open Group Architecture Framework) or ISEB (Information Systems Examination Board).
• Experience of writing architectural strategy, policy, processes as well as writing and reviewing technical design documentation.
• Familiar with Cloud developments and technical innovation to understand the impact of emerging technology trends on the organisation and adopt as appropriate.  

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Changing and Improving
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Developing Self and Others

Technical skills

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

• Turning business problems into data design
• Metadata management
• Data modelling
• Data governance (data architect)