The Ministry of Defence is seeking a permanent Chief Data and Information Architect, and exciting and challenging role within MOD's Defence Digital Organisation.

Defence is on a transformational journey to become a digital and data enabled organisation leveraging data as a strategic asset. MOD are driving a paradigm shift in data and instilling a culture where data pervades beyond individual use, project or programme, and can be leveraged to drive persistent value pan-Defence. The Defence Data Office is professionalising MOD's data capabilities, which are a fundamental pillar of our digital backbone, to drive exploitation and realise military advantage and business efficiency; recognising that data is both an offensive and defensive weapon.

The Chief Data and Information Architect will provide drive and leadership and is critical in enabling the interoperability of data and information that will ensure data and information is exploited at scale and speed across the full Defence estate, across military and all business domains.

This is a unique career opportunity, where you will report into one of the Civil Service's thought leaders on accurate and robust data usage in Caroline Bellamy (Chief Data Officer).

As Chief Data and Information Architect, you will be based from MOD's offices in Corsham (Wiltshire) or London, however flexible working is available. The Deputy Director grade role (SCS1) will command a financial package of up to GBP120,000 per annum (GBP85,000 with potential Pivotal Role Allowance of up to GBP35,000 per annum). This role is available on a 2-year Fixed Term basis.

This role is responsible and accountable for defining, maintaining, and driving the adoption of human and machine-ready enterprise data and information architectures, technical standards and tools across Defence. The postholder will own the direction and coordination of the Data and Information Architecture division to lead and cohere across the operational environment and all business functions that will enable Defence outcomes: defining how to access data in a consistent and standardised manner, leveraging Defence's investment in technology, enabling the agility to adapt and ensure that data is dynamic and can flow across platforms for pan-Defence exploitation and re-use.

This role will ensure that programmes and projects pan-Defence will be supported in designing and developing mature architectures and models in line with the overarching architecture, providing architectural assurance and enabling advanced exploitation capabilities. You will set standards and ways of working for the data architecture community, playing a pivotal role in delivery of the Data Strategy, driving Information Advantage and ensuring Defence fully leverages data as a strategic asset.

This is an inward and outward facing role, allowing the post holder to engage and influence across Defence but also with their corresponding Partners Across Government (PAGs) and coalition allies (such as NATO and our Five Eyes community) on the data agenda.

The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate their experience and skills against the following essential criteria:

• Strategic thinking. You are proficient within a strategic context and able to communicate how activities meet strategic goals. You contribute to the development of strategy and policies, take accountability for strategic issues that occur and are proactive in searching for potential problems. You achieve excellent strategic user outcomes.
• Extensive knowledge of data architecture. Experience and understanding of data and information architecture artefacts and advances in technology, understanding how these impact in a public sector or complex operational environment context. You have experience in designing data and information architectures that address business problems across a varied enterprise. You will have foundational knowledge of associated technologies and systems that support data re-use and standardisation and ensure that these are designed in accordance with the organisation's data and information architecture. You have experience in engaging across industry, and preferably government, to understand opportunities for re-use and alignment between architecture artefacts in different organisations.
• Operational & Business improvement. You understand how to analyse current or in development data services and processes to seek and identify areas of improvements. Appreciate and manage advanced and complex situations across more than one operational/business function or programme. Know how to gather insight from senior stakeholders and communicate improvement results clearly to them.
• Relationship management. You are adept at establishing strong, collaborative working relationships with a diverse set of customers and suppliers with a broad range of requirements. Able to actively manage multiple stakeholder perspectives, across levels of seniority. The post holder must be able to influence across a broad spectrum, resolve conflicts and bring gravitas to each situation.
• Requirement definition and management. You can facilitate the setting of business and operational priorities in a public sector or complex operational environment for change initiatives of high complexity. Lead on requirements analysis and take responsibility for the investigation and implementation of changes to programme scope. Manage and guide expectations to create a compelling case for data change and coherence across a public sector or complex operational environment.

Please view the candidate pack for further details on the role and additional information on the MOD.

Applicants will be required to provide an up to date CV and supporting statement (up to 1,250 words) detailing how you meet the role's requirements. You will also provide a completed diversity form.

The closing date for applications is Wednesday 20th July at 23:55.

The MOD are open to applicants from all backgrounds and sectors. Prior Civil Service experience is not a pre-requisite, however, applicants must demonstrate the ability to operate a scale in a complex environment. The MOD are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity in our organisation.