Data Architect & Engineering Lead

We are seeking an experienced and forward-thinking Data Architect and Engineering Lead to play a pivotal role in the development of a modern data platform, that underpins reporting, analytics, and decision-making across clinical and corporate services.

The role will provide leadership for the Trust's data architecture, ensuring that high-quality, trusted data is available to support better patient outcomes, service improvement, and organisational performance. This role offers the opportunity to make a significant impact by combining technical leadership and transformation within an organisation where data is increasingly central to delivering high-quality healthcare services., The Data Architect & Engineering Lead will:

• Oversee the design, build, and maintenance of the data platform, including storage, data movement, and transformation.

• Use data modelling and engineering skills to support operational systems, business intelligence, and analytics.

• Provide technical leadership and lead data engineers

• Produce and maintain high-quality documentation., * Define and own the Trust's data architecture and engineering strategy, aligning with organizational priorities and digital transformation goals.

• Champion the adoption of modern data technologies (cloud, data lakes, streaming pipelines) to future-proof the Trust's architecture.

• Oversee the design, build, and maintenance of the enterprise data platform, ensuring resilience, scalability, and performance.

• Lead the integration of disparate clinical and operational systems into a unified warehouse

• Establish data quality standards for data ingestion, transformation, and storage, ensuring consistency across all pipelines.

• Ensure the data platform supports predictive modelling, AI/ML initiatives, and near real-time reporting

• Provide ongoing source of expertise in database design, development and maintenance of the data environment. Identify, report on and implement new techniques, tools and best practices where they will benefit the organisation.

• To maintain technical, professional and specialist knowledge and understanding - and be competent in the use - of a wide range of specialist software packages, including, but not limited to Microsoft SQL Server (including MSSQL, Reporting Services, Integration Services, Analytical Services) and Power BI.

• To specify and develop solutions that will drive automation and efficiency across data engineering processes.

• Interpret; analyse; investigate; and resolve complex data warehouse problems and evaluate and analyse a range of options to implement the most cost-effective solution to prevent reoccurrence of the problems.

• Skilled in data modelling techniques and tools to design, optimize, and manage data structures

• To create and maintain high quality documentation for all data warehouse and data engineering related processes.

• Able to document using approaches such as Entity Relationship diagrams, Data Flow Diagrams or Star Schema Diagrams

• Develop detailed technical designs, SOPs, and post-incident reports to support continuous improvement.

• Keep documentation up to date to minimise recurrence of issues and support future development.

Analysing and Judgement

· Independently exercise sound judgment in complex situations, requiring thorough analysis, and interpretation of patterns and anomalies in data..

· Analyse, investigate and resolve complex data queries and data quality issues (e.g. missing data, erroneous data, inaccurate data translation) using in-depth knowledge and advanced analysis skills.

Planning and Organising

• Responsible for planning, organising, and coordinating both their own work and the work of a direct report. The role will break down complex technical requirements into actionable tasks, define timelines and milestones, and proactively manage risks, dependencies, and resource needs. For instance, the delivery of the data models part of the Trust PowerBI reporting project.
• Ability to organise, prioritise and manage a complex, heavy workload. This will include the ability to adjust plans at short notice to reflect changing priorities for projects and programmes that impact across departments.
• Use proven organisational skills to influence and empower less experienced stakeholders in a project.
• Able to ensure timely, appropriate updates to managers and project managers, highlighting areas of concerns around meeting deadlines.
• Ability to delegate appropriately to ensure the team meets deadlines.
• To inform and make recommendations to support the digital deployment and roll out of project plans.

Reporting

• Support the development of business intelligence (BI) reporting systems, ensuring solutions are efficient, scalable, and future proof.
• Lead the development of nationally mandated datasets, adhering to relevant standards and timelines.
• Implement changes to IM&T practices and procedures in response to evolving reporting requirements or identified data quality concerns.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Act as the senior authority on data architecture and engineering, advising stakeholders on opportunities and risks.
• Build strong partnerships with external suppliers (e.g., clinical system vendors) to facilitate seamless data integration.
• Negotiate technical requirements, SLAs, and compliance standards with third-party providers.
• Represent the Trust in external forums, ensuring alignment with industry best practices and regulatory frameworks.
• Consult with all relevant stakeholders to develop the trust's various data warehouses to meet the full range of clinical and operational needs, including near real-time as well as retrospective reporting.
• Act as a key technical advisor during digital transformation initiatives such as system migrations, upgrades and procurements.
• Communicate complex integration concepts to non-technical stakeholders, fostering shared understanding and trust.

• Significant experience in data architecture and engineering leadership roles.
• Extensive experience in designing and delivering large scale data solutions.
• Experience of data modelling techniques and tools to design and manage data structures., * Knowledge of data governance and data quality assurance.
• Experience of designing and implementing data quality frameworks.
• Proven experience of using Microsoft BI stack (SSIS), SQL Server and Reporting Services (SSRS, Power BI), Analytical Service (SSAS), Fabric.

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of Mental Health Services.
• Knowledge of hospital information systems, particularly patient administration and clinical management systems., * A master's degree or postgraduate qualification in a related technical discipline and / or equivalent professional experience.
• Educated to degree level in Computer Science, data engineering, or a related technical discipline; or equivalent experience working in complex corporate IT operational environments.
• Evidence of continued professional development.

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission. Our family of over 4,500 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout, HPFT supports people with mental ill health, learning disabilities and autism across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Norfolk and Essex. We employ around 4,500 people who deliver these services within the community and in inpatient settings. We also deliver a range of nationally commissioned specialist services including Tier 4 services for children and young people, perinatal services and medium and low secure learning disabilities services. We have operated as a NHS Foundation Trust since our authorisation in August 2007.