Data Architect
Ofwat (Water Services Regulation Authority)
Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 19th January 2025
Details
Reference number
Salary
Job grade
Contract type
Business area
Type of role
Information Technology
Working pattern
Number of jobs available
Contents
Location
About the job
Job summary
We’re Ofwat, the Water Services Regulation Authority – a non-ministerial government department responsible for regulating the water sector in England and Wales.
We are looking for a Data Architect to join our expanding Data Strategy team as part of our plans to upgrade and modernise our data platform through our dedicated programme – Programme Ocean.
Our Data Strategy team is integral to Ofwat's vision and strategy for the water sector. In addition to leading on the development of a new data platform, the team seek to shape how data is used across Ofwat, providing teams with practical solutions that result in efficiencies, enhanced visibility and access to data, as well as effective decision making and insights.
You'll be joining a dynamic data team and will be working in close collaboration with our IT team. This is a great opportunity to work with leading cloud technology and help shape the way data is used in the public sector. You will work with cutting edge and evolving technology as we look to maximise the data and bring value added insights to Ofwat.
You can find out more about why you should join Ofwat, our strategy, values and our framework for success in the attached Information for Candidates Pack.
Job description
Working closely with colleagues within the Data and IT team, your key responsibilities and deliverables will include:
- Develop and assist with defining Ofwat's strategic direction for data architecture and infrastructure, supporting the design and implementation of logical and physical data models, and the development of data standards and data management policies.
- Contribute towards the Ofwat data strategy through architecture roadmaps and reference architectures, representing technology and design choices at architecture review boards.
- Lead efforts to integrate data from various sources, ensuring data consistency, accuracy, and quality, and support the development and maintenance of these processes.
- Understand the level of data governance required, taking responsibility for assurance and make recommendations to ensure compliance with legal, regulatory and security standards.
- Work closely with internal stakeholders, including business users, data engineers and data analysts to understand data requirements, recommend design choices, and provide technical expertise.
- Continuously evaluate and improve Ofwat's data architecture, tools, and technologies. Stay updated with industry trends and best practices to recommend tools that enhance data management.
- Create and maintain comprehensive documentation with an awareness of the strategic context of your work in Ofwat, providing support to staff on data-related topics.
- Maintain an awareness of opportunities for innovation with new tools and uses of data
Person specification
To be successful in this role you will need the below essential experience, skills, knowledge and attributes:
Experience, skills and knowledge
- Technical Expertise: 5 years' experience working with cloud platforms like AWS, GCP and a minimum of 2 years' experience with Azure/Microsoft-centric data ecosystems, such as Synapse, Fabric, Power BI, MS SQL server, Azure Data Lake (Lead criterion 1).
- 3 years' proficiency in data modelling, database technologies and designs, building data pipelines, with strong knowledge of SQL, NoSQL, big data technologies, and Azure cloud-based data solutions. (Lead criterion 2).
- Experience as a Data Architect, or in a similar data management role, preferably within a complex organisational or data environment.
- Ability to make appropriate technical design choices aligning to business requirements.
- Experience in meta data management and defining data quality principles.
- Ability to analyse complex data requirements, map data relationships and recommend appropriate tools or platforms for integration with an awareness of the commercial implications of design choices.
- Experience in defining data integration designs to source, cleanse, and transform data, ensuring data quality, performance, and reliability.
- Ability to communicate effectively and produce clear advice on complex data architecture issues to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Experience working within agile delivery teams and ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
- A working knowledge and experience of defining data governance principles and where you have made recommendations to ensure compliance.
- Knowledge of computing frameworks for distributed scalability, reliability and virtualisation.
Attributes
- Promotes Collaboration
- Creates Clarity
- Champion and Leader of Change
Attributes as per Ofwat’s Framework for Success for Senior Associate Grade. You can read more about our attributes here.
Benefits
Why You Should Join Us:
We’re forward-thinking, creative, innovative, and ambitious. We constantly push the boundaries and embrace new ways of working.
With us, your work matters, your voice is heard, and your impact is felt. Ours is a culture of trust, flexibility, autonomy, collaboration, and innovation. We all want positive change for water customers, the environment, and the future of water.
But for us, change is more than what happens on the outside – we’ve always pushed boundaries internally, too. From becoming the first Civil Service organisation to achieve ‘Smarter Working’ status, to gaining our prestigious ‘Smarter Working Maturity’ award, we’ve consistently demonstrated our commitment to embracing innovative ways of working. Our people do their best work when given freedom over where, when, and how they work. Which is why we trust our teams to balance meaningful collaboration in the office with the flexibility of working from home.
You will also benefit from:
- Excellent employer pension contributions of 28.97% (around £10,700 to £15,800 per annum for this role).
- 27.5 days leave (25 days annual leave + 2.5 days privilege leave) increasing to max 32.5 days with each year of service, plus bank holidays
- Access to exclusive discounts on a variety of goods and services, including retail outlets,
theatre tickets, holidays, insurance, and a gym membership - Flexible working arrangements that suit your lifestyle
- Fees paid for membership of relevant professional bodies
- Up to 3 volunteering days per year
- Recognition vouchers scheme
- Generous shared parental leave and pay
- Enhanced sick pay
- Regular development opportunities
- Health and wellbeing initiatives
- Cycle-to-work scheme
- Season ticket loan for home-to-office travel
- Free eye tests and contribution to lenses/spectacles for VDU users
Things you need to know
Selection process details
How to apply
Apply through the Civil Service Jobs website where you’ll be asked to create an account and complete an application form (CV and personal statement). If you’re unable to make an electronic application, please contact recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk and we will support you in completing your application.
Please ensure you have submitted your application in full ahead of the deadline listed below. Unfortunately, we won't be able to consider late applications.
Please see the candidate guidance on our website for more detail and tips on how to best make your application.
Selection timetable
- Closing date: 23:55 on 19 January 2025
- Sifting: week commencing 20 January 2025
- Interview date(s): week commencing 03 February 2025
Assessment process
Sift Stage
At sift stage we assess your application against key essential skills, experience, and knowledge, listed above.
Use your personal statement to address the lead criteria (point 1 and 2):
- Technical Expertise: 5 years' experience working with cloud platforms like AWS, GCP and a minimum of 2 years' experience with Azure/Microsoft-centric data ecosystems, such as Synapse, Fabric, Power BI, MS SQL server, Azure Data Lake
- 3 years' proficiency in data modelling, database technologies and designs, building data pipelines, with strong knowledge of SQL, NoSQL, big data technologies, and Azure cloud-based data solutions.
In the CV section of your application, please state clearly how your skills, experience, and knowledge meet essential criteria 3, 4 and 5.
In the event of receiving a large number of applications, a pre-sift may take place on just the lead criteria.
Please ensure that anything submitted as part of your application is factually accurate, and you are not presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by AI, as your own.
Please note that if a high volume of candidates meet the minimum pass mark at sift stage, we will only progress the highest scoring candidates to interview. Candidates not invited to interview, who have achieved the minimum pass mark, will be placed 'on hold' until the final stage of the assessment process is completed. Should the role/s remain unfilled, candidates placed 'on hold' may be invited to interview in merit order.
Interview Stage
Our transparent interview process involves candidates receiving a list of attribute-based questions in advance. This has been proven to help neurodiverse candidates and others to perform better at interview and is part of our inclusive culture.
We will assess your Experience, Skills and Knowledge as well as Attributes (set out in the professional requirements section) at Interview Stage.
You can read more about Attributes in Ofwat’s Framework for Success.
As part of the interview process, we will require short presentation. Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates upon invitation to interview.
Please note that the interviews will be conducted via video conferencing software such as Microsoft Teams.
Please ensure anything you present in your interview answers is factually accurate, and you are not presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by AI, as your own. You may expect follow up questions.
If you have any queries about any aspect of this role, selection process, or you require any reasonable adjustments please email recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk.
Please read the attached "Candidate Information Pack" for details on terms and conditions.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk
- Email : recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk
Further information
