Principal Data Architect

Location

East Midlands (England), East of England, London (region), North East England, North West England, Scotland, South East England, South West England, Wales, West Midlands (England), Yorkshire and the Humber

We're recruiting for a
Principal Data Architect
here at Justice Digital, to be part of our warm and collaborative Data Architecture team.

This role aligns against the
Chief Data Architect role
from the Government Digital and Data Framework
We're establishing a dedicated Data Architecture function to support the Ministry of Justice's growing and evolving needs – enabling delivery of strategic and transformational priorities, such as the independent sentencing review recommendations. This is an exciting opportunity for a Principal Data Architect to shape the department's architecture from the ground up, leading an end-to-end journey from concept to implementation.

As our first permanent Principal Data Architect, you'll lead the Data Architecture profession and help define how data is structured, governed, and made accessible across prisons, courts, probation, and more. As the Principal Data Architect, you'll report to the Chief Data Architect and work in close partnership with the Heads of Data teams across multiple portfolios, ensuring our data foundations are robust, interoperable, and future-ready. You will build and lead a team of talented data architects, work closely with engineers, analysts, and digital teams, and shape the future of how we design, govern, and manage data at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).7

This role sits within the newly established Chief Technology Office (CTO), which leads the Ministry's technology strategy and delivery across prisons, agencies, probation services, and the MoJ corporate centre. The CTO works across the Chief Digital and Information Office (CDIO) to shape principles, processes, design patterns and roadmaps that underpin resilient, secure and cost-effective technology solutions. As part of this team, you'll contribute to shaping a compelling 3–5 year vision, enable and support strategic and analytical initiatives for the Director of CDIO, and help model modern ways of working. You will champion rapid prototyping, cross-functional collaboration, and performance-driven prioritisation.

To help picture your life at MoJ Justice Digital please take a look at our blog and our Digital and Technology strategy 2025

Key Responsibilities

• Build and lead a team of Data Architects, fostering a collaborative and inclusive culture.
• Enable and support professional development through mentoring, coaching, and clear career pathways.
• Champion data architecture as a strategic enabler across the organisation.
• Define and embed architectural standards, principles, and patterns for data across MoJ systems.
• Oversee data model development and alignment across programmes, ensuring reusability and consistency.
• Ensure alignment with enterprise architecture and data governance frameworks.
• Stay close to emerging tools, technologies, and methods, bringing fresh thinking from industry and government.
• Represent MoJ in government-wide data architecture communities and working groups.
• Be the Head of Profession for Data Architecture, working closely with the capability and GDS leads.
• Ensure consistent standards are understood and applied within the wider profession, and support profession leads in driving continuous improvement across Justice Digital.
• Work with the other heads of profession and leads to ensure consistency across GDD professions
• Ensure effective use of L&D budgets
• Ensure we attract, develop and retain high calibre talent within the profession, building the digital capability, skills and competencies needed within Justice Digital and across the MoJ

If this feels like an exciting challenge, something you are enthusiastic about, and want to join our team please read on and apply

Person Specification
Essential

• Deep expertise in data architecture or related fields (e.g. technical architecture, data engineering).
• Demonstrable knowledge of cloud-based architecture (e.g., Azure / AWS / GCP) and appropriate tech stack, including open-source tools.
• Proven experience leading technical direction and delivering data architecture solutions across large, complex organisations, with a customer-centric mindset that aligns strategies to business outcomes.
• Ability to influence and collaborate with senior stakeholders across technical and non-technical domains, applying commercial and financial understanding to shape strategy.
• Track record of building, leading, and developing high-performing technical teams, fostering a collaborative and inclusive culture.

Willingness to be assessed against
the requirements
for SC clearance.