PACT Solutions
Data Integration Lead
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Location: Bristol or Manchester hybrid (regular travel to partner sites across the UK and Ireland as needed)
Role Type: Permanent (full-time preferred, flexible working considered)
About PACT Solutions
PACT Solutions is a specialist management and digital transformation consultancy working exclusively with higher education institutions across the UK.
We help universities solve complex challenges across strategy, student records, data, change and delivery. Our work often sits at the heart of major institutional transformation, helping partners improve the student journey, modernise operations and deliver change more effectively.
PACT has grown quickly and is now entering its next phase. We are moving from a founder-led boutique consultancy into a more scaled and structured business, while protecting the quality, culture and partner focus that have made us successful.
Our culture is crucial to our success. Each day, our team significantly contributes to our business and that of our partners.
We combine the agility and collaborative spirit of a close-knit consultancy with the credibility, structure, and professionalism needed to deliver meaningful digital transformation.
Our values sit at the heart of everything we do and are core to our business.
- Partnership: We work with you, not for you.
- Integrity: We do the right thing, even when it requires difficult conversations.
- Inquisitive: We dig deeper to uncover what will truly deliver value.
- Transformative: We focus on outcomes that create lasting, measurable improvement.
The Role
We are looking for a Data Integration Lead to lead data integration workstreams and small-to-medium integration projects across our higher education partners.
This role combines delivery leadership with deep technical expertise in integration architecture, Azure Integration Services and software engineering. You will shape, build and assure secure, resilient integrations that connect institutional platforms, data and services.
You will operate with a high degree of autonomy and play a key role in both delivery and the growth of PACT's Data Integration capability.
Purpose of the role
To lead the design, build and delivery of high-quality data integrations within transformation programmes, ensuring secure, scalable and supportable solutions that meet partner needs.
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Key Responsibilities
Data integration delivery leadership (primary focus)
- Lead data integration workstreams or full integration project components.
- Define delivery approaches, plans, milestones, technical assurance and governance
- Lead the design, build, testing and deployment of integrations across programmes
- Manage dependencies between source and target systems, data flows, interfaces and wider programme delivery
- Manage technical risks, dependencies and priorities across complex integration landscapes
- Ensure delivery is structured, controlled, secure and outcome-focused
Integration architecture and engineering
- Design and deliver practical, scalable and maintainable integration solutions.
- Define integration architecture, patterns, standards and reusable components
- Design and build integrations using Azure Integration Services, including Azure Service Bus, APIs and related Azure services
- Develop integration services and automation using Python and.NET, applying sound engineering and testing practices
- Provide expert input on data contracts, message design, error handling, observability, security and technical trade-offs
Stakeholder leadership
- Lead engagement with senior stakeholders.
- Own relationships up to Head of Service / senior manager level
- Lead workshops, design sessions and decision forums
- Provide clear recommendations and challenge constructively
- Translate technical concepts into clear business language
Team leadership and quality assurance
- Support delivery quality and team development.
- Coach and mentor Consultants and Analysts
- Review and assure deliverables
- Set standards for integration documentation, code quality, technical assurance and delivery outputs
- Support development of capability within the team
Delivery assurance and governance
- Ensure high-quality, controlled delivery.
- Oversee RAID management and reporting
- Ensure alignment with programme governance and delivery frameworks
- Lead integration testing, deployment, cutover planning, monitoring and go-live activity
- Ensure integrations are secure, resilient, scalable, observable and supportable
Commercial contribution
- Support growth and development of PACT.
- Contribute to proposals, bids and estimates
- Shape delivery approaches and resourcing plans
- Identify follow-on opportunities with partners
- Support account development
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Internal contribution
- Help develop PACT's Data Integration capability.
- Contribute to integration methodologies, engineering standards, reusable assets and propositions
- Support knowledge sharing and capability development
- Contribute to thought leadership where appropriate
Accountability
- Accountable for delivery of data integration scope to agreed outcomes, quality and technical standards
- Responsible for governance, reporting and risk management
- Accountable for quality assurance of team outputs
What We Offer
You will have the opportunity to:
- Lead data integration delivery across major transformation programmes
- Work with Azure Integration Services, Azure Service Bus, Python and.NET in complex enterprise environments
- Development of leadership, consulting and technical capability
- Clear progression to Manager-level roles
- Opportunity to shape PACT's Data Integration capability
At PACT, we value people who are proactive about their growth, open to feedback, and motivated to keep developing their skills, judgement and impact.
This role sits at the Senior Consultant level within PACT's consulting career pathway (Analyst → Consultant → Senior Consultant → Lead → Principal), combining delivery leadership with deeper expertise and team responsibility.
Requirements
Essential experience
- Strong experience leading data integration delivery and hands-on integration engineering
- Experience leading workstreams or small projects
- Strong understanding of integration architecture, API design, messaging patterns and asynchronous processing
- Hands-on experience with Azure Integration Services, particularly Azure Service Bus, APIs and related Azure services
- Strong Python and/or.NET development capability, with experience building production-grade integration services
- Ability to design secure, scalable and maintainable integrations across complex enterprise environments
- Experience mentoring or supporting junior team members and assuring technical outputs
Desirable
- Experience within higher education
- Experience integrating enterprise platforms (SIS, ERP, CRM, VLE, etc.)
- Experience with Azure DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, source control and automated testing
- Experience in consultancy or transformation environments
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