Overview
The University of Sussex is seeking to appoint a Data Architect to play a key role in shaping the future of data across the institution. Data will be central to enabling the University’s strategic ambitions across teaching and learning, research, operational effectiveness and institutional decision‑making. This role will contribute to a significant architectural reset, establishing the future data management model, enterprise data architecture and associated standards and frameworks that will underpin Sussex’s digital and data future. Working within Information Technology Services, you will provide architectural leadership across the University, ensuring that data is managed as a strategic institutional asset and that Sussex is well positioned to use data responsibly and effectively, including in support of innovation, automation and the ethical application of artificial intelligence.
Strategic Context
The University of Sussex is delivering Sussex 2035: Creating Progressive Futures, with a strong focus in its first phase on recovery and rebuilding, including student number recovery, income growth, reputation building and improving efficiency and effectiveness. High‑quality, trusted data is central to achieving these ambitions, enabling better insight, stronger operational performance, and evidence‑informed decision‑making. Digital and Data Futures is one of the University’s core transformational themes, setting out a long‑term vision for Sussex to become a digitally empowered and data‑informed university. Through the Digital and Data Futures Strategic Plan, the University is strengthening its data foundations, enterprise architecture, governance, and ethical use of artificial intelligence. The Data Architect role sits at the heart of this work, supporting Sussex’s strategic priorities now and over the coming decade.
Key Responsibilities
* Lead the development of the University’s enterprise data architecture and target data models.
* Define and establish institutional data architecture principles, standards, patterns and governance frameworks.
* Shape the University’s strategic data management model, including approaches to data ownership, stewardship and lifecycle management.
* Provide architectural leadership across major transformation programmes and digital initiatives.
* Work collaboratively with colleagues across academic Schools and Professional Services to improve the consistency, accessibility, quality and strategic use of institutional data.
* Contribute to the architectural foundations required for the responsible, practical and ethical deployment of automation, advanced analytics and artificial intelligence.
About You
You will have demonstrable experience working as a Data Architect, or in a similar senior data or information architecture role, with a strong understanding of enterprise data architectures, models and governance approaches. You will be confident working with a wide range of stakeholders, able to communicate complex concepts clearly, and comfortable providing architectural leadership within a complex organisation. Experience of working with recognised data and architecture frameworks and standards (such as TOGAF, Entity Relationship Modelling, DMN, Archimate) would be advantageous.
About Our Division
Led by our Chief Digital Technology Officer and his Leadership team, we are now embarking on an ambitious programme of change. Over the coming years, this digital transition will be an ever-developing programme supported by senior stakeholders both financially and strategically. This University will be a very different world in years to come and aspires to achieve excellent levels of performance and digital delivery. All of this is underpinned by major construction and estate renewal, an exciting programme of work to add thousands of accommodation spaces, and a network replacement project to install the latest digital infrastructure as part of the journey towards a fully data-enabled organisation. Please find further information regarding the division at IT Services & Sussex Projects: University of Sussex
Why work here
Our university is situated off the A27, next to the beautiful South Downs where you will enjoy everything that our 150-acre campus has to offer. We are accessible by public transport; Falmer train station is a five-minute walk to campus and several bus stops are located within campus. We also have dedicated cycling paths and encourage our staff to use these with our offering of a cycle to work scheme. Sussex is a renowned, multi-accredited, research-led International University and this is only possible because of the people that work here. Whether you are a member of Faculty, part of a Professional Services team or a Student, it’s our people that make us great and we want you to be part of that.
Find Out More About Our Reward And Benefits Package
Find out about our equality, diversity and inclusion.
Further Key Information
Please contact Peter Collier (p.collier@sussex.ac.uk) for informal enquiries. For full details and how to apply see our vacancies page.
Eligibility
The University requires that work undertaken for the University is performed in the UK. This role may be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route. The assigned SOC code is 2133 IT business analysts, architects and systems designers and the going rate is £54,900. Eligibility for sponsorship will depend on the salary offered and may require the candidate to make use of tradeable points to meet the salary offered.
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