Data Architect

Senior Data Architect Jobs at DWP – £57,946 to £79,501 | Grade 7

UK-BASED APPLICANTS ONLY

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is recruiting 4 Senior Data Architects to join DWP Digital. This permanent Grade 7 opportunity offers a salary of £57,946 to £79,501, depending on candidate type and applicable Government Digital and Data allowance.

Application deadline: Sunday 30 August 2026 at 11:55 pm

JOB OVERVIEW

Job Title: Senior Data Architect
Employer: Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
Business Area: DWP Digital
Job Reference: 473421
Grade: Grade 7
Contract: Permanent
Number of positions: 4
Salary: £57,946 – £79,501
Government Digital and Data Allowance: Up to £11,296
Working Pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Job Share, Flexible Working
Locations: Birmingham, Blackpool, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle or Sheffield
Closing Date: 30 August 2026 at 11:55 pm

ABOUT THE ROLE

DWP Digital is looking for experienced Senior Data Architects who can work confidently on data-focused products and services within complex digital environments.

The successful candidates will collaborate with technical specialists, architects, delivery teams and stakeholders across DWP Digital to:

• Design modern data architectures.
• Develop data models and metadata systems.
• Provide expert architectural advice.
• Develop options and recommendations for technology decisions.
• Support major digital transformation initiatives.
• Ensure data architecture aligns with organisational standards.
• Work with technical architects to deliver appropriate system and data architectures.
• Provide oversight and guidance to other data architects.

LOCATION

The role may be based in:

• Birmingham
• Blackpool
• Leeds
• Manchester
• Newcastle
• Sheffield

For candidates requesting Newcastle, the role will initially be based at Benton Park View before moving to 1 Pilgrim Place in Newcastle city centre, expected by the end of 2027.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

As a Senior Data Architect, you will work across multiple projects or teams on complex problems requiring broad architectural thinking.

Your responsibilities include:

• Designing data models and metadata systems.
• Applying data architecture patterns, tools and standards.
• Interpreting organisational data requirements.
• Providing architectural oversight and advice.
• Supporting the development of data artefacts.
• Designing and supporting data dictionaries.
• Ensuring teams follow organisational data architecture standards.
• Working with technical architects to ensure systems follow appropriate data architecture principles.

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Applicants should demonstrate experience in:

• Data architecture design.
• Data modelling techniques.
• Architecture patterns, tools and standards.
• Master Data Management (MDM).
• Metadata management.
• Data governance.
• Data dictionaries and standards.
• Event-based architecture.
• Pub-sub architecture and data streaming.
• Public cloud technologies.
• Cloud hosting and networking.
• Container technologies.
• AWS, Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud Platform.
• Agile delivery methodologies.
• DevOps.
• Continuous Integration (CI).
• Continuous Delivery (CD).
• Technology initiatives, projects, programmes and portfolios.

BEHAVIOURS ASSESSED

Candidates will be assessed against:

• Leadership
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing

TECHNICAL SKILLS ASSESSED

The recruitment process will assess:

• Communicating Data – Practitioner
• Data Governance (Data Architect) – Practitioner
• Data Modelling – Practitioner
• Data Standards (Data Architect) – Practitioner
• Metadata Management – Practitioner
• Turning Business Problems into Data Design – Practitioner

SALARY AND ALLOWANCE

The role forms part of the Government Digital and Data profession.

External applicants:
£57,946 basic salary plus a Government Digital and Data Allowance of up to £11,296.

Internal and OGD applicants:
£57,946 to £68,205, with potential eligibility for a Government Digital and Data Allowance of up to £11,296.

The allowance is discretionary, non-consolidated and non-pensionable.

CIVIL SERVICE PENSION

The position includes membership of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme.

The advert states that DWP contributes £16,786 towards the pension scheme alongside the salary of £57,946.

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

Benefits include:

• At least 25 days’ annual leave on entry.
• Up to 30 days’ annual leave over time.
• 9 days of public and privilege leave.
• Flexible working.
• Job sharing.
• Term-time working.
• Flexi-time.
• Compressed hours.
• Interest-free season ticket loans.
• Cycle-to-work scheme.
• Employee discount scheme.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Health and wellbeing support.
• Family-friendly policies.
• Enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after one year’s continuous service.
• Funded learning and development.
• Industry-recognised qualifications and accreditations.
• Coaching and mentoring.
• Talent development programmes.
• Professional networks.

HYBRID WORKING

The role may be suitable for hybrid working.

Where hybrid working is agreed, employees will normally be required to spend a minimum of 60% of contracted working hours in the DWP office.

The arrangement is voluntary and non-contractual, with the office remaining the contractual place of work.

VISA SPONSORSHIP

The advert states that candidates requiring visa sponsorship should consult an immigration specialist or qualified adviser before applying.

DWP may consider sponsorship requests in accordance with current DWP guidance and Home Office policy, but sponsorship cannot be guaranteed.

Applicants should therefore not assume that this vacancy automatically provides Skilled Worker visa sponsorship.

APPLICATION PROCESS

The vacancy uses the Civil Service Success Profiles framework.

The application consists of:

1. Personal details application form.
2. Employment history.
3. Personal statement of up to 1,250 words.

The personal statement should provide evidence showing how you meet the essential criteria.

Important: Personal identifying information, including your name, contact details and address, must be removed from the employment history and personal statement. The advert states that applications containing personal details may be withdrawn.

STAGE 2 – FIRST INTERVIEW

Successful candidates from the initial sift may be invited to a Microsoft Teams video interview.

Candidates will deliver a 10-minute presentation assessing the technical skill Communicating Data – Practitioner.

The presentation should address a data architecture supporting the modernisation and transition of an on-premises application to a distributed, event-driven, cloud-hosted architecture.

It should cover, where possible:

• Operational data.
• Analytics data.
• Architecture patterns.
• Standards.
• Best practices.
• Models.
• Architecture principles.
• Tools.
• Relevant architecture paradigms.

STAGE 3 – SECOND INTERVIEW

Successful candidates will proceed to a second Microsoft Teams interview.

The interview will assess:

Behaviours

• Leadership.
• Working Together.
• Communicating and Influencing.

Technical Skills

• Data Governance – Practitioner.
• Data Modelling – Practitioner.
• Data Standards – Practitioner.
• Metadata Management – Practitioner.
• Turning Business Problems into Data Design – Practitioner.

Interviews are expected to take place from the end of September 2026.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Candidates may use AI tools to support their application, but all examples and statements must be:

• Truthful.
• Factually accurate.
• Based on their own experience.
• Written in their own words.

Inappropriate AI use or plagiarism may result in the application being withdrawn.

SECURITY CHECKS

Successful applicants will undergo relevant pre-employment checks, which may include:

• Basic or equivalent criminal record checks.
• Baseline Personnel Security Standard checks.
• Internal Fraud Database checks.
• Other relevant pre-employment screening.

NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS

The vacancy is broadly open to eligible:

• UK nationals.
• Republic of Ireland nationals.
• Commonwealth nationals with the right to work in the UK.
• Eligible EU, Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic and Liechtenstein nationals with relevant EUSS status.
• Certain individuals with limited or indefinite leave to remain.
• Eligible Turkish nationals and certain family members with the right to work in the Civil Service.

DISABILITY CONFIDENT SCHEME

DWP supports the Disability Confident Scheme and encourages applications from candidates with disabilities who meet the required standards.

REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS

Applicants requiring reasonable adjustments should contact the Government Recruitment Service before the closing date to discuss their requirements.

RESERVE LIST

A reserve list may be maintained for six months, from which further appointments may be made.

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

This opportunity may suit experienced professionals working in:

• Data Architecture.
• Data Engineering.
• Enterprise Architecture.
• Cloud Architecture.
• Data Governance.
• Data Modelling.
• Master Data Management.
• Metadata Management.
• Event-Driven Architecture.
• Cloud Data Platforms.
• Digital Transformation.
• DevOps and CI/CD.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Sunday 30 August 2026 at 11:55 pm

Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications before the deadline.

HOW TO APPLY

Job Reference: 473421
Vacancy: Senior Data Architect
Employer: Department for Work and Pensions
Number of vacancies: 4

Official application:
https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jobs.cgi?jcode=2008744

Review the official vacancy carefully before applying, particularly the eligibility, sponsorship, location and application requirements.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Job Contact: Aisha Gultasab
Email: aisha.gultasab@dwp.gov.uk

Recruitment Team:
digitalrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

IMPORTANT NOTICE

This job information has been arranged for easier reading from the official vacancy details.

Applicants should verify the latest information directly with Civil Service Jobs before applying, particularly regarding:

• Closing date.
• Salary.
• Location.
• Eligibility.
• Visa sponsorship.
• Recruitment stages.
• Application requirements.

Sponsorship is not guaranteed by DWP. Candidates requiring sponsorship should obtain appropriate immigration advice before applying.

JOB SUMMARY AT A GLANCE