Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Data Architect - Buildings Data Technical Lead
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Bristol, Darlington, London, Manchester, Wolverhampton
Job Summary
We are MHCLG
We are looking for a motivated Data Architect to support MHCLG’s digital and data transformation across the built environment system, with a particular focus on building data and digital architecture. You will sit within the Building Insights division and be key to the development of a new Strategic Digital and Data Hub, leading work to define and embed a clear, consistent approach to how building data is structured, managed and used across a complex and rapidly expanding portfolio of digital services.
Working across multiple programmes, you will play an important role in ensuring data is treated as a core asset, supporting effective regulation and enabling a more joined-up, data-driven system. This is an exciting opportunity to shape how building data underpins a modern regulatory system, setting clear policy, standards and expectations for how data is defined, shared and maintained.
You will operate at the intersection of policy, data and digital delivery, leading work to establish a coherent approach to building data across the system. A central part of the role will be providing technical expertise to inform digital strategy, system design and governance, ensuring policy and delivery decisions are grounded in a strong understanding of digital and data structures, standards and lifecycle management. You will identify and define common digital components and patterns for open, interoperable data, helping to reduce fragmentation and promote consistency across services. You will lead the development of policy and design for cross-service data flows and data lifecycle, setting clear expectations for how building data is created, validated, stored, shared and maintained over time.
You will also contribute to shaping requirements for key data initiatives (including the Golden Thread), ensuring that policy clearly sets out the intended outcomes, standards and information needs, while working with digital and delivery teams to translate these into practical implementation. Working closely with digital and policy colleagues, you will ensure that approaches to digital projects across building safety are technically robust, implementable and aligned with wider system design. You will support governance by ensuring data considerations, standards and definitions are clearly embedded in decision-making and assurance processes.
Find out more about our Digital teams and what they are working on through our MHCLG Digital blog. Please note that MHCLG do not offer visa sponsorship and applicants will need a valid visa for the duration of your employment.
Job Description
This role brings together technical digital leadership, policy development and cross-portfolio coordination. As a Data Architect, you'll:
- Lead the development of building open data policy, including data flows, lifecycle, standards and interoperability across the portfolio
- Provide technical data expertise to inform digital strategy and governance, ensuring alignment between policy, architecture and delivery
- Identify and define common data patterns, components and reusable structures, promoting consistency and reducing duplication across services
- Develop policy for data flows across organisational and system boundaries, enabling effective and secure data sharing
- Define policy requirements for key data initiatives, ensuring clarity on outcomes, standards and technical requirements such as APIs (including for the Golden Thread)
- Work closely with digital and policy teams to ensure policies are grounded in delivery and can be implemented in practice
- Support governance processes, ensuring data standards, definitions and lifecycle expectations are consistently applied
- Provide clear, expert advice and briefings on data issues, translating technical concepts into actionable insight
- Build and influence relationships across MHCLG and with external stakeholders, supporting alignment on data policy and standards.
- Monitor developments in digital and data approaches within the built environment, to identify opportunities and risks
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Person Specification
As a Data Architect, You'll Have
- Experience being a confident and collaborative specialist, comfortable operating in a complex and evolving environment
- Strong experience of working with data in a policy, digital or technical context, with a clear understanding of how data underpins service delivery and regulatory outcomes
- Ability to lead technical policy development, applying structured thinking to complex data challenges, and working with multidisciplinary digital teams to translate policy into implementable approaches
- Comfortability taking a system-wide view of data, identifying opportunities for standardisation, reuse and improved data flows across organisational boundaries.
- Experience leading or shaping open data policy, data standards or digital architecture in a complex environment
- Strong technical understanding of data structures, digital architecture, working with APIs, data interoperability, data flows and lifecycle management
- Experience working across programmes or portfolios with multiple systems, teams and dependencies
- The ability to apply technical digital and data expertise to strategic decision-making and digital system design
- Experience providing clear, high-quality advice and briefings on complex data issues
- Strong collaboration and influencing skills, particularly across technical and non-technical stakeholders
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £60,230, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £17,448 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
At MHCLG we offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Childcare Voucher and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click here.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection Process Details
Application and Selection
The application process will be split into 2 stages, testing the following Success Profiles:
- Behaviours
- Experience
- Strengths
- Technical
Please ensure your CV does not contain any personally identifiable information.
Note: We do not consider direct CV applications. All applications must be submitted via the provided application link.
Stage 1: Sift (CV)
Experience: Your CV will be assessed using the Experience success profile.
Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors.
In the event that we receive a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift using the lead sift question listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to interview.
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Lead sift question (Technical): Please describe how you would approach communicating data requirements and making data decisions with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Stage 2: Short Interview (30 minutes)
Technical: Candidates who are successful at sift will be asked to attend a short 30-minute interview and deliver a technical presentation. Candidates who pass this stage will be invited to a full interview.
Stage 2: Interview
Behaviours: Working Together, Seeing the Bigger Picture, Communicating and Influencing
Strengths: The strength-based questions will require natural responses from the candidates.
Sift and Interview Dates
Sifting is envisaged to take place from 23rd September 2026.
Interviews are envisaged to take place shortly after and are currently being held remotely via videocall. This could be subject to change.
Group 1 Digital & Data Roles
MHCLG has implemented the Digital and Data capability framework for Group 1 roles. Applicants that are successful and have been offered a position will be required to complete a capability assessment after the interview.
MHCLG will honour completed capability assessments for this role from other Government Departments for existing civil servants on level transfer only. Please provide a copy of your capability assessment to the Hiring Manager when applying. If you have any queries on pay, please contact the Hiring Manager.
Each experience or technical skill is assessed between 1-3, representing working towards, at or above the job level requirements. You are awarded a proficiency level accordingly, and you will be given opportunity to annually re assess your capability and potentially increase your overall remuneration, through payment of allowances, depending on level of assessed capability.
Candidates moving from another government department have the option to retain their current basic pay if this is within our pay band for the relevant grade.
Grade 7 Group 1 Digital and Data salary
The basic pay for this role will be between £65,820 - £74,413 (London), £60,230 - £68,705(National). Candidates will usually be recruited to the median of the payscale. A digital allowance may also be payable depending on the level of assessed capability, in order to meet the MHCLG overall targeted remuneration rate for the specific grade, location and capability rating. For applicants in receipt of existing allowances, we will assess each case individually, but we would seek not to exceed the MHCLG overall targeted remuneration rate for the specific grade, location and capability rating for existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply, subject to the statements above.
How We Recruit
Find out everything you need to know before applying here.
Applying
Sifting
Interview
Interview Results & Feedback
Reserve List
Near Miss
Civil Service Grades
We are a DCS, RIS & GPTWV employer
Reasonable Adjustments
Human
How To Apply
What you need to know before applying.
Security Clearance Requirements
National Office: BPSS + SC
London Office: BPSS + SC
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window). See our
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