Data Architect

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is responsible for the administration of criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals in England and Wales. Our roles support our service users and colleagues, where people and businesses access potentially life-changing justice. We’re looking for individuals who are committed to public service and want to make a difference in people’s lives in delivering justice. If you’re interested in developing a career with a real purpose, please apply., You will be working for the Principal Enterprise Architect, as part of the Digital Architecture, Strategy and Innovation function (DASI).

As a Senior Data Architect, you will be responsible for designing the data architecture and ensure that it is in line with the business data strategy, taking into consideration the various data sources, information assets, consumers of it, and the management systems. You will be operating within one of the areas of the business, such as Crime, Civil, Family & Tribunals, Judicial and Operations or Headquarters functions of HMCTS.

You’ll have a vision for government services and communicate this to technical and non-technical stakeholders alike. You’ll ensure a project’s overall data design meets user needs and acceptance criteria, whilst conforming to time and budget constraints. You’ll thrive using agile methods and enjoy working collaboratively with Heads of IT Departments and multidisciplinary teams.

You will require a balance of good technical know-how with leadership and relationship skills to effectively influence key decision makers and to manage & direct service providers or solution delivery partners.

You will have strong leadership, communication and relationship building skills and a highly collaborative team player approach as well as the ability to interact with senior stakeholders and manage feedback from multiple stakeholder groups.

You will work proactively to highlight and evaluate new or innovative opportunities that are enabled by the HMCTS Digital Architecture and Collaborate with MoJ Digital Services to ensure that shared or integrated services and technology continue to provide HMCTS with effective solutions into the future.

You will be an effective liaison with Government Digital Services (GDS) to verify, clarify and interpret government standards as part of the definition and evolution of HMCTS Digital Standards and actively maintain the architecture knowledge base for DASI to reflect changes in the solution landscape, standards, strategies and roadmaps.

Your role as Senior Data Architect will encompass several key responsibilities listed below (but not limited to):

• Develop information models within the business function that you are responsible for and ensure it is aligned with strategy (and other) needs. Contribute to the wider HMCTS information model as required;

• Ensure the information model and its metadata is integrated with wider architectures (business, technology, security etc.) needs, within the business function that you are responsible for;

• Advises stakeholders on improvements to information model to gain improvements to their business;

• Understand and assure data operations such as data interfaces within the organisation - an expert and in-depth knowledge of data received, consumed, processed and produced - within the business function that you are responsible for and wider HMCTS as required;

• Gate keeper of data architectural standards, patterns, and modelling techniques, develops where appropriate and ensures they are developed by the appropriate teams / programmes;

• Active engagement in information governance to review, approve, communicate and ensure adherence to the Information and Data Strategy. Define where required, and contribute to the suitable means and processes for the assurance and governance process;

• Contribute to, and define where appropriate, the data (schema) modelling and analysis tools, methods and standards and seeks to continually improve them;

• Deliver architectural artefacts pertinent to data and information, ranging from high level enterprise architecture to ER modelling, API specifications, and data flow diagrams;

• Support information management colleagues delivering data analytics and other key information capabilities, while liaising with other stakeholders including Information Architects;

• Work closely with the Information Assurance and other members of the Cyber Security team to ensure HMCTS’s information is managed safely, securely and legally;

• Assist, and lead where required, Operations or other teams in undertaking sizing exercises and capacity planning focusing on storage;
• Write or contribute to commercial specifications through various procurement vehicles and frameworks, throughout the procurement process, The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity.

Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised role: all successful candidates will be appointed to the nearest viable office nearest to their home postcode and on its respective pay scale. This will be at either a HQ building (subject to desk allocation, a Justice Collaboration Centre (JCC) or a Justice Satellite Office (JSO) - See Map. All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity).

For current MoJ employees, your base location will need to be changed to the nearest viable office (to your home postcode), either at a HQ building, JCC or JSO within the National Office Network and moved its location’s respective pay scale (any legacy arrangements/locations will need to be amended).

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on ‘modernised’ terms in their current post or onto ‘unmodernised’ MoJ terms if they are on ‘unmodernised’ terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer.

All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ’s Flexible Working policy.

• Ability and experience of engaging with senior management and stakeholders and leading the representation of the work of your team and demonstrating its contribution to overall organisation goals, while communicating complex ideas in a focused, simple and commercially relevant manner to technical and non-technical senior audience;

• Experience of working collaboratively with Senior Heads of Departments and multi-disciplinary teams;

• Experience and understanding of defining and building information/data models to provide a full understanding of data and expose relevant issues, risks and opportunities managing cyber and information security challenges for digital services, including metadata management and data governance;

• Experience in CASE and data modelling tools (Erwin or similar), conversant with data modelling notations, data architecture design techniques, patterns, standards and modelling tools;

• Profound understanding of data lifecycle, from acquisition / data entry through to data management and retrieval, and archiving, including Master Data Management (MDM);

• Profound understanding of how information and data are used to support delivery of business outcomes;

• Experience of working in large, complex organisations with multiple data requirements and a data catalogue containing 100s of datasets with comprehensive metadata;

• Experience in creating and managing data using RDBMS or No SQL, writing ETL processes and retrieving data using languages such as SQL, SPARQL, Xpath etc, with knowledge of event-driven architecture patterns including publish-subscribe and data streaming;

• Experience in leading on, or playing a major role, in procurements of data (data acquisition), services and onboarding of new suppliers;

• Experience presenting data architecture designs to technical governance forums. Experience in one or more of the following is desirable: GIS, BI, visualisation, Python., Please provide a Statement of Suitability of no more than 750, outlining how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the requirements for this role. We are particularly interested in examples that demonstrate your expertise in data architecture and data modelling, your understanding of cloud-based technologies and platforms, and your ability to provide leadership, influence senior stakeholders and drive strategic data outcomes. Please use specific examples from your own experience, ideally using the STAR format. All information provided must be truthful, factually accurate and reflect your own work and experience. Please note that plagiarism includes presenting the work, ideas or experiences of others, or content generated by artificial intelligence, as your own, Communicating and Influencing Leadership Seeing the Big Picture Making Effective Decisions Level of security checks required

The national salary range is £58,511 - £65,329, London salary range is £63,343 - £70,725. Your salary will be dependent on your base location, The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.

There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Support

• A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
• Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
• For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on www.GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
• Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
• Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

• To Transformative Business Services (0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk);
• To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (resourcing-management-office@justice.gov.uk);
• To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

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 Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The “Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans” initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces. For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans