Data Architect - OFGEM - G6

Successful candidates may be based in any of our office locations - Cardiff, Glasgow or London. We especially welcome applicants from Cardiff and Glasgow.

As the energy sector evolves, trusted and well-structured data is becoming increasingly important to how renewable energy schemes are delivered, governed and assured. At Ofgem, we're seeking a Data Architect to help shape the structures, standards and approaches that support this work. Ofgem is Great Britain's independent energy regulator. We're at the forefront of change across the sector, driving toward Net Zero whilst protecting consumers, especially vulnerable people.

We're offering a permanent opportunity within our Delivery & Schemes division, which is responsible for administering a range of government renewable energy support schemes. This is a varied and evolving environment, with a broad programme of work focused on efficiency, assurance and delivering value for money for UK consumers.

You'll be responsible for shaping how data is structured, governed and utilised across the division, ensuring that renewable energy schemes are backed and supported by data. Working across strategy and delivery, you'll help define practical data approaches that support both current services and future development across the division.

With the chance to influence how data architecture develops, you'll work across a broad range of programmes and services, with technology, governance and delivery teams, playing a key role in shaping the data foundations that support the division's ongoing success with renewable energy.

You'll bring significant experience operating as a Senior Data Architect within a complex organisation, alongside strong expertise in data modelling, integration technologies and cloud-based data architectures. You'll also understand how to develop structured data standards, governance approaches and interface documentation, with a strong awareness of data security, privacy and information governance requirements. The ability to operate effectively at both strategic and delivery levels will be essential.

In return, you'll join a collaborative and supportive environment, where you can apply your expertise to meaningful work that supports major renewable energy schemes, and enjoy a comprehensive benefits package and an environment focused on your development, career path and goals.

We have a critical purpose to ensure renewable energy schemes are delivered efficiently, and the data surrounding them is high-quality and connected. Join us and help shape the data foundations that support that mission.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and maintain enterprise data architecture artefacts, including conceptual, logical and physical data models.
• Own and evolve data architecture principles, standards, and patterns.
• Ensure consistency and reuse of data designs across Ofgem's digital and data landscape.
• Lead data architecture design for projects and services, covering data ingestion, storage, and transformation, integration and data sharing, analytics and reporting.
• Review and assure solution designs to ensure alignment with enterprise architecture and regulatory requirements.
• Provide pragmatic architectural direction that supports delivery while managing long term risk.
• Ensure data architectures comply with DDaT and GDS standards, data protection legislation (UK GDPR), security and information assurance policies.
• Contribute to architecture governance forums and formal design reviews.
• Identify, document, and manage data related architectural risks, including technical debt and obsolescence.
• Support DPIAs and security design reviews from a data architecture perspective.
• Contribute to D&S' data strategy, roadmap, and target architecture.
• Define approaches to master and reference data management, metadata, lineage, and data cataloguing, data quality and stewardship.
• Enable teams to make effective use of data platforms through clear architectural guidance.
• Work closely with business teams, analysts, engineers, product managers, and architects.
• Communicate complex data architectures clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Provide expert advice and consultancy on data related challenges and opportunities.
• Support capability development across the DDaT and Data communities.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Strong experience developing OLAP data models.
• Experience integrating data from various sources and providing data to third-party stakeholders using secure methods with appropriate usage of policies, access controls, performance, and monitoring (i.e. API Management).
• Experience developing and applying industry standard data architecture principles, patterns, and technologies to address user needs.
• Experience developing reference libraries, patterns and metadata repositories with reusability at the centre of their design.
• Strong stakeholder management with the ability to translate complex business requirements into scalable, interoperable, and flexible solutions.
• Ability to communicate in technical detail on topics of data lineage, data usage and data structures.

Desirable Criteria

• Track record of working within a cloud-based technology landscape.
• Experience in integrating complex, cross-organisation processes and data models, ideally within a highly regulated environment.