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Data architect

Find out what a data architect in government does and the skills you need to do the job at each level.

Last updated 31 July 2023 — See all updates

What a data architect does

A data architect sets the vision for the organisation’s use of data, through data design, to ensure that data is managed properly and meets the organisation’s needs.

Data architect role levels

There are 3 data architect role levels, from data architect to chief data architect.

The typical responsibilities and skills for each role level are described in the sections below. You can use this to identify the skills you need to progress in your career, or simply to learn more about each role in the Government Digital and Data profession.

1. Data architect

A data architect designs and builds data models to fulfil the strategic data needs of the organisation, as defined by chief data architects.

At this role level, you will:

  • design, support and provide guidance for the upgrade, management, decommission and archive of data in compliance with data policy
  • provide input into data dictionaries
  • define and maintain the data technology architecture, including metadata, integration and business intelligence or data warehouse architecture

This role level is often performed at the Civil Service job grade of:

  • HEO (Higher Executive Officer)
  • SEO (Senior Executive Officer)
Skill Description

Communicating between the technical and non-technical

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders
  • support and host discussions within a multidisciplinary team, with potentially difficult dynamics
  • be an advocate for the team externally, and can manage differing perspectives

Communicating data

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • show an awareness that data needs to be aligned to the needs of the end user
  • create basic visuals and presentations

Data analysis and synthesis

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

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)

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • understand what data governance is required
  • take responsibility for the assurance of data solutions and make recommendations to ensure compliance

Data innovation

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • show an awareness of opportunities for innovation with new tools and uses of data

Data modelling

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • explain the concepts and principles of data modelling
  • produce, maintain and update relevant data models for an organisation’s specific needs
  • reverse-engineer data models from a live system

Data standards (data architect)

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • develop data standards for a specific component
  • analyse where data standards have been applied or breached, and undertake an impact analysis of that breach

Metadata management

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • work with metadata repositories to complete complex tasks such as data and systems integration impact analysis
  • maintain a repository to ensure information remains accurate and up to date

Problem management (data architect)

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • initiate and monitor actions to investigate patterns and trends to resolve problems
  • effectively consult specialists where required
  • determine the appropriate remedy and assist with its implementation
  • determine preventative measures

Strategic thinking

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • explain the strategic context of your work and why it is important
  • support strategic planning in an administrative capacity

Turning business problems into data design

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • design data architecture by dealing with specific business problems and aligning it to enterprise-wide standards and principles
  • work within the context of well understood architecture, and identify appropriate patterns

2. Senior data architect

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

This role level is often performed at the Civil Service job grade of:

  • G7 (Grade 7)
  • G6 (Grade 6)
Skill Description

Communicating between the technical and non-technical

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • listen to the needs of technical and business stakeholders, and interpret them
  • effectively manage stakeholder expectations
  • manage active and reactive communication
  • support or host difficult discussions within the team or with diverse senior stakeholders

Communicating data

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • understand the appropriate media to communicate findings
  • shape communications for the audience

Data analysis and synthesis

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

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)

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

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 innovation

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • understand the impact on the organisation of emerging trends in data tools, analysis techniques and data usage

Data modelling

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

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 standards (data architect)

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • develop and set data standards across multiple subject areas
  • act as the escalation point for breaches of data standards and make recommendations about how the organisation should resolve them

Metadata management

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • design an appropriate metadata repository and present changes to existing metadata repositories
  • understand a range of tools for storing and working with metadata
  • provide oversight and advice to more inexperienced members of the team

Problem management (data architect)

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

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 thinking

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

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 design

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

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

3. Chief data architect

A chief data architect sets the vision for the organisation’s use of data as directed by the appropriate governance body.

At this role level, you will:

  • oversee the design of multiple data models and have a broad understanding of how each model fulfils the needs of the organisation
  • be accountable for supporting and aligning to the organisation’s data strategy
  • champion data architecture both internally and through collaborating and communicating at the most senior levels across government
  • set the standards and ways of working for the data architecture community
  • be accountable for assuring data models at the level of a project or enterprise
  • provide advice to project teams and oversee the management of the full data product life cycle
  • be responsible for ensuring that the organisation’s systems are designed in accordance with the enterprise data architecture

This role level is often performed at the Civil Service job grade of:

  • G6 (Grade 6)
Skill Description

Communicating between the technical and non-technical

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • listen to the needs of technical and business stakeholders, and interpret them
  • effectively manage stakeholder expectations
  • manage active and reactive communication
  • support or host difficult discussions within the team or with diverse senior stakeholders

Communicating data

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • turn complex data into clear and well understood solutions, which can be acted upon
  • share data communication skills with the team and organisation
  • understand and communicate different options, taking into account risks and uncertainties

Data analysis and synthesis

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

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)

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • ensure data governance supports changes to the organisational strategy
  • align data governance with wider governance (for example, budget)
  • assure corporate services by understanding important risks and providing mitigation through assurance mechanisms

Data innovation

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • identify areas of innovation in data tools and techniques, and recognise appropriate timing for adoption

Data modelling

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • understand the concepts and principles of data modelling and can produce relevant data models
  • work across government and industry, recognising opportunities for the reuse and alignment of data models in different organisations
  • design the method to categorise data models within an organisation

Data standards (data architect)

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • develop and set data standards for an organisation
  • communicate the business benefit of data standards, championing and governing them across the organisation
  • understand where standards need to be set across an organisation, and how to set the standards within an organisation in the wider context of government

Metadata management

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • understand how metadata repositories can support different areas of the business
  • promote and communicate the value of metadata repositories
  • set up robust governance processes to keep repositories up to date

Problem management (data architect)

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • anticipate problems and defend against them at the right time
  • understand how the problem fits into the larger picture
  • articulate the problem and help others to do so
  • build problem-solving capabilities in others

Strategic thinking

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • define strategies and policies, providing guidance to others on working in the strategic context
  • evaluate current strategies to ensure business requirements are being met and exceeded where possible

Turning business problems into data design

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • design data architecture that deals with problems across the enterprise
  • work across all organisational subject areas and internal and external programmes
Role Shared skills
Data engineer

Communicating between the technical and non-technical

Data analysis and synthesis

Data innovation

Data modelling

Metadata management

Data governance manager

Communicating between the technical and non-technical

Data innovation

Strategic thinking

Graphic designer

Communicating between the technical and non-technical

Strategic thinking

Interaction designer

Communicating between the technical and non-technical

Strategic thinking

Service designer

Communicating between the technical and non-technical

Strategic thinking

Updates

Published 7 January 2020

Last updated 31 July 2023

31 July 2023

  • Data architect was moved to the new architecture role group.

31 March 2023

  • Data architect has new role level descriptions and updated skills. The role has been moved from the technical role group to the data role group.

30 August 2022

  • The ‘communication skills (data)’ skill has been renamed ‘communicating between the technical and non-technical’. The 'data communication' skill has been renamed 'communicating data'. This is to ensure consistency across the DDaT Profession Capability Framework.

7 January 2020

  • First published.