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About the Role
The effective use of data is key to the successful delivery of the Open University Strategic goals. Reporting to the Lead Data Architect as part of Digital Services, this is a key senior architecture function to ensure that solutions and programs are fit for purpose and in line with the larger University picture. The role works across teams to guarantee data architecture consistency in line with the business strategy and promotes cross-team working in a large and complex environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Owning the design of scalable data solutions, including conceptual data modelling, database design, and data integration processes.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including architects, data engineers, data analysts, and business stakeholders, to understand data requirements and translate them into architectural designs.
- Provide guidance and technical leadership to junior data architects, data analysts and data engineering teams.
- Support the Data Architecture team in contributing to and reviewing the Common Data Model.
- Promote and enforce data governance and data management practices to ensure data quality, integrity, and security across Digital Services.
- Evaluate and recommend new technologies, tools, and frameworks to enhance data architecture capabilities and ensure alignment with industry best practices.
- Develop and maintain data standards, policies, and procedures to ensure consistency and compliance with regulatory requirements.
- Consolidate and maintain the approved conceptual data models into an overall data catalogue, working alongside the rest of the Data Architecture team.
- Participate in the Design and Architecture Community of Practice, participation in Architecture governance process, offering insight and leadership on data design activities and conducting research on emerging data technologies and techniques in support of Digital Services' goals and commitments.
About You
- In-depth experience in conceptual and logical data modelling applied to both relational and dimensional formats covering operational and analytical applications.
- Knowledge of master data management, metadata management and integration best practices and techniques.
- Understanding of RDBMS and analytical physical data design.
- Ability to identify and solve complex data-related problems, troubleshoot issues, and optimize data architectures for performance and scalability.
- Foundation in system development, understanding of end-to-end software development lifecycle and project management approaches. Must understand what advice to give and how to influence developments towards desirable outcomes.
- Ability to conceive and portray the overall data landscape; map the systems and interfaces used to manage data.
- Experience in a Data Architect capacity, ideally TOGAF certified, with proven ability to apply the right technologies to solve business problems.
- Knowledge of web services approaches and service-oriented architectures including SOAP and REST and knowledge of technical integration platforms and their impact on business systems.
- Effective communication skills with both business stakeholders and technology SMEs in a large and complex environment. Knowledge of the Higher Education data domain would be an advantage.
- A high degree of self-motivation, being comfortable working both as part of a team and alone.
Support with your application
If you have any questions, or need support or adjustments relating to your application, the recruitment process, or the role, please contact us on 01908 541111 or email careers@open.ac.uk quoting the advert reference number.
What's in it for you?
At The Open University, we offer a range of benefits to recognise and reward great work, alongside policies and flexible working that contribute towards a great work life balance. Get all the details of what benefits we offer by visiting our Staff Benefits page (clicking this link will open a new window).
Flexible working
We are open to discussions about flexible working. Whether it’s a job share, part time, compressed hours or another working arrangement. Please reach out to us to discuss what works best for you.
It is anticipated that a hybrid working pattern can be adopted for this role, where the successful candidate can work from home and the office. However, as this role is contractually aligned to our Milton Keynes office it is expected that some attendance in the office will be required when necessary and in response to business needs. We’d expect this to be a minumum of once per month.
Next steps in the Recruitment process
We anticipate that interviews for this role will be taking place on-site at our Milton Keynes campus during the week commencing 17 November 2025.
Early closing date notification
We may close this job advert earlier than the published closing date where a satisfactory number of applications are received. We would therefore encourage early applications.
How to apply
To apply for this role please submit the following documents:
- CV
- A personal statement of up to 1000 words. You should set out in your statement why you are interested in the role and provide examples of where your skills and experience meet the required competencies for this role as detailed in the job description.
You can view your progress and application communications when you are logged into our recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folders if you do not receive associated email updates.
