Data Architect

at  Department for Energy Security Net Zero

JOB SUMMARY

Do you want a career where you can make a real difference? Do you want to work at the forefront of current policy making decisions? Do you want to have an impact on the UK and beyond? If yes, then a career at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) could be for you.
Here at DESNZ we are delivering our mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower, with clean electricity by 2030 and accelerating the UK’s journey to net zero.
Our work is helping ensure clean energy for all, keep bills down and seize the opportunities to lead the world in new green industries, taking back control of our energy with Great British Energy and encouraging greater energy efficiency across the UK. The work of the department has never been more timely or relevant, and by joining us you will be part of making that difference.
Our work is varied, interesting and most importantly it’s impactful. Our DESNZ Values are interwoven into everything we do; we are bold, we are collaborative, we are inclusive, and we learn. As a department we are committed to these values to build a culture where everyone can thrive
We offer great working benefits including a world-class pension, flexible working options and a career where your learning and development is taken seriously. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support candidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process. Information about disability confidence and just some examples of the adjustments that you can request can be found in the reasonable adjustment section below.
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero mission is to ensure the department has the data and evidence it needs, when it needs it to support decision-making and enable delivery of our core objectives, including ensuring energy security, bringing down energy bills, and delivering net zero emissions by 2050.
This role is a fantastic opportunity to develop as an architecture change agent playing a critical role in the drive towards Net-Zero through ensuring that the department has a clear and consistent approach to how it uses data. The role is part of the Data Strategy, Platforms & Governance (DSPG) Team in the new Department for Energy Security & Net Zero.
The team is led by the Chief Data Architect. The architectural activity within the team is ultimately governed by the Director-level Data Governance Board which spans the entire department. As a Data Architect, you will be one of the pioneers in your profession to join the department and will play a key role in shaping a new capability of Enterprise Data Architecture. You will work to ensure that the developing departmental data architecture and its management processes are consistent, coherent, and compliant with the DESNZ Data Governance Framework. You will also provide guidance and feedback to data owners, stewards, and users on data management best practices.
You will be joining a new team and will play a role in fostering positive working culture based on trust, inclusivity and a fail-fast mentality. You will be a change agent in the department, advocating for the effective use of data to meet key policy priorities and continually spotting opportunities to innovate.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Our team exists to drive change in the organisation, and as such we are looking for someone who is proactive and organised, who is comfortable working in ambiguity, is a highly effective communicator, who can work at the interface of technical and non-technical stakeholders, and who is unreasonably positive. In return we will offer you an inclusive working environment that prioritises your wellbeing and flexes around your life, a culture of continuous learning that is comfortable with trying things that might not work, and a solution-oriented, glass half-full mentality where we focus on the positives and support one another to develop and grow.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

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

• Data Modelling
• Turning Business Problems into Data Design
• Communicating between the Technical and Non-Technical

We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:

• Data Modelling

Benefits
Alongside your salary of £52,985, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero contributes £15,349 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

• A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
• Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
• An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
• Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.
• A hybrid office/home based working model where staff will spend a norm of 40-60% of their time in the office (minimum of 40%) over a month with flex dependent on balancing business and individual need.

NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand business needs and translate these into coherent data architectures that align to the DESNZ Data Strategy.
• Effectively communicate complex data concepts and insights to non-technical stakeholders, ensuring a clear understanding of data-driven implications and fostering informed decision-making across the department.
• Utilise data analysis and synthesis techniques to derive meaningful insights from complex datasets, supporting appropriate end use of the data.
• Ensure that data governance policies are enabled through data architecture.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and departmental and cross-government data standards.
• Design data flows and champion data standardisation, advising on appropriateness of data and metadata standards to ensure smooth data flow and data discoverability in the organisation
• Develop the Enterprise Data Model for DESNZ, reflecting subject areas, domains, entities and their relationships to ensure consistent data management across the organisation
• Develop and maintain appropriate and comprehensive data models and schemas across a variety of use cases
• Develop and maintain key metadata products and standards for DESNZ across its various datasets and platforms, including data catalogues, data dictionaries and standards
• Foster a culture of data innovation by exploring and implementing new technologies and methodologies, driving continuous improvement
• Proactively identify and resolve data-related challenges, ensuring the stability and reliability of the overall data ecosystem.
• Provide strategic advice on data management, data integration, and data warehousing, optimising solutions for scalability, efficiency and reliability across the DESNZ data estate.
• Foster collaboration in development of the design and implementation of a coherent and robust data architecture for DESNZ, ensuring alignment with the department’s conceptual data model, its core objectives and industry best practices.