Senior data architect

Band 8b · Data architect · 613 job evaluation points

UK GDaD PCF level: Senior data architect

Most often performed at Civil Service grade G7 or G6.

A senior data architect delivers the vision for the organisation as set by the chief data architect.
At this role level, you will:
design data models and metadata systems
help chief data architects to interpret an organisation’s needs
provide oversight and advice to other data architects who are designing and producing data artefacts
design and support the management of data dictionaries
make sure that your teams are working to the standards set for the organisation by the chief data architects
work with technical architects to make sure that an organisation’s systems are designed in accordance with the appropriate data architecture

Contains public sector information from the UK Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework (https://understand-digital-data-roles-skills.service.gov.uk/), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright.

Responsibilities

Design the data architecture for a major domain, such as the shared care record or the analytics platform.
Make sure data designs across teams follow the organization's data standards and models.
Design how data is shared with partner organizations, including standards, controls, and data sharing agreements.
Advise information governance and clinical safety colleagues on the data risks of new designs.
Review and guide the work of data architects.

Skills

Skill	Expected level	What this level means
Communicating between the technical and non-technicalUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: listen to and interpret the needs of technical and non-technical stakeholders, and manage their expectations manage active and reactive communication support or host difficult discussions within the team or with diverse senior stakeholders
Communicating dataUK GDaD PCF	Working (2)	You can: understand the appropriate media to communicate findings shape communications for the audience
Data analysis and synthesisUK GDaD PCF	Working (2)	You can: undertake data profiling and source system analysis present clear insights to colleagues to support the end use of the data
Data governance (data architect)UK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: evolve and define data governance take responsibility for supporting and collaborating around wider governance assure and integrate data services to meet the needs of multiple business services work proactively to ensure the organisation designs architecture that considers data
Data innovationUK GDaD PCF	Working (2)	You can: experiment with unfamiliar and emerging technologies, or familiar technologies in new data contexts, with guidance share what you learn with the team, explaining potential benefits, risks, and practical considerations identify opportunities to apply technology to improve data processes or outcomes in an operational setting or the wider organisation
Data modellingUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: produce relevant data models across multiple subject areas explain which models to use for which purpose understand industry-recognised data modelling patterns and standards, and when to apply them compare and align different data models
Data standardsUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: create data standards for different subjects and ensure senior leaders understand them work with subject matter experts across the organisation to introduce data standards best practice monitor compliance with policies and standards in the organisation make recommendations about how the organisation should resolve breaches of standards
Metadata managementUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: design an appropriate metadata repository suggest changes to improve current metadata repositories understand a range of tools for storing and working with metadata advise less experienced members of the team about metadata management
Problem managementUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: ensure that the right actions are taken to investigate, resolve and anticipate problems co-ordinate the team to investigate problems, implement solutions and take preventive measures
Strategic thinkingUK GDaD PCF	Working (2)	You can: work within a strategic context and communicate how activities meet strategic goals contribute to the development of strategy and policies
Turning business problems into data designUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: design data architecture that deals with problems spanning different business areas identify links between problems to devise common solutions work across multiple subject areas, or a single large or complicated subject area produce appropriate patterns
Understanding health and care servicesThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: analyze how a service fits into care pathways across organizations work with clinicians, care staff, and patients to shape digital services explain the effect of digital decisions on care, safety, and staff workload
Clinical terminology and classificationThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: design data models and reference sets using clinical terminologies map between terminologies and classifications, and explain the limits of a mapping advise teams on terminology use in products and analytics
Health data interoperabilityThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: design and build integrations using FHIR, HL7 version 2, and messaging patterns write and profile FHIR resources and implementation guides resolve complex mapping and data quality issues between systems
Information governance and data protectionThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: lead data protection impact assessments and information sharing agreements advise teams on lawful basis, consent, confidentiality, and retention investigate incidents and recommend improvements
Data quality managementThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: define data quality rules and measures work with data providers to fix the root causes of poor quality
Clinical risk managementThis reference	Working (2)	You can: take part in hazard workshops and contribute to a hazard log follow the clinical risk management process for your work provide evidence for a clinical safety case, such as test results
People managementThis reference	Working (2)	You can: supervise day-to-day work and give feedback take part in recruitment and induction hold regular one-to-one conversations

Typical qualifications and experience

Extensive experience of data architecture for complex organizations.

Band 8b outline

Knowledge: Expert knowledge across several disciplines or a large service.
Autonomy: Shapes policy and strategy for a large area.
Scope: Several services or teams, or a principal-level discipline.
Leadership: Manages managers, or is the principal authority in a discipline.
Accountability: Several services, their staff, and their budgets.

Job evaluation (illustrative)

Factor	Level	Level summary	Points
Communication and relationship skills	5	Gives highly complex or contentious information needing developed persuasion and negotiation, presents to large groups, or communicates where there are significant barriers to acceptance.	45
Knowledge, training, and experience	8	Advanced knowledge (doctorate plus further training or equivalent), or specialist knowledge across more than one discipline built over a long period.	240
Analytical and judgmental skills	5	Judgments on highly complex facts or situations needing analysis, interpretation, and comparison of options.	60
Planning and organizational skills	4	Plans a broad range of complex activities or strategies, adjusting them as needed.	42
Physical skills	2	Skills gained through practice, such as standard keyboard use or driving.	15
Responsibility for patient and client care	1	Helps patients, clients, or relatives during incidental contact.	4
Responsibility for policy and service development	4	Implements policy and develops policy or services for a service or several areas.	32
Responsibility for financial and physical resources	3	Authorizes payments, buys some assets or supplies, monitors or holds a delegated budget, or maintains assets.	21
Responsibility for people	3	Manages a group of staff day to day, teaches core or specialist training, or gives core HR advice.	21
Responsibility for information resources	5	Designs and develops major information systems, or runs information systems for several services as the main duty.	34
Responsibility for research and development	3	Carries out research or development within formal programs as a main duty.	21
Freedom to act	5	Works within general policies, and in most cases decides how to interpret them.	45
Physical effort	1	Sitting, standing, and walking, with little physical effort.	3
Mental effort	4	Frequent prolonged concentration, or occasional intense concentration.	18
Emotional effort	1	Rare exposure, or occasional indirect exposure, to distressing circumstances.	5
Working conditions	2	Occasional unpleasant conditions, frequent travel or outdoor work, or near-continuous screen use on most days.	7
Total (Band 8b: 585 to 629)			613