Principal Data & Systems Architect

Job summary

The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) is responsible for delivering a compensation scheme that has been long awaited by the infected blood community to provide financial compensation to victims of infected blood on a UK-wide basis.

This role sits within our Data Operations team in the IBCA Data Directorate and will lead the team of data solution, and data architects that are focus on the design of the IBCA data platform and organisational wide data modelling.

The Data Operations team is responsible for developing and running safe and secure data solutions that provide a single source of truth for those going through their compensation journey. They are designing and building a new data platform using Amazon Web Services (AWS) and data management and intelligence products using Databricks and Quantexa.

We are taking a product-centric approach treating data as a product and are building squads around our products, with a focus on paying compensation to those impacted by the infected blood scandal seamlessly.

You will focus on designing scalable and flexible data solutions for data management processes (including data integration and master data management), ensuring data quality and continuous data publication to our consuming users and services, and driving a culture of problem statement driven design.

Working at IBCA gives you a huge opportunity to make an impact on those who deserve compensation, and this role suits a candidate who can spearhead solutions from the ground up to take from ideation to reality so that data is an enabler to everything IBCA does.

Job description

As the Principle Data & Systems Architect for our data platform and products, you’ll be critical to delivering the design of the IBCA data platform through technical solution and data architecture in addition to data modelling capabilities. You will mature the quality of our architecture practices and should be committed to delivering high-impact, secure data solutions to achieve IBCA’s objectives.

This post is within a data delivery setting, especially one focussed on AWS, Quantexa and Databricks.

You will:

• Set the direction for data and systems architecture ensuring infrastructure is modular, resilient and aligned with business objectives
• Provide technical guidance for the development of designs across the data platform including integration and master data management encompassing secure by design principles such as ‘privacy by design’ and ‘zero trust’ architectures
• Ensure designs are scalable, secure and efficient and that they create systemic resilience of all data assets against emerging threats
• Lead efforts to standardise the enterprise data fabric streamlining ingestion patterns and integrating data from various sources of varying fidelity, ensuring a ‘single source of truth’ that promotes data consistency, accuracy, and quality
• Be responsible for data ontology ensuring that there are enterprise logical and physical data models embedded across the organisation to support operational efficiency and analytical capabilities, and these follow set data standards and data management policies
• Build and mentor a high-performing architecture function, fostering a culture of technical excellence and
  cross-functional collaboration.
• Help the data architecture practices thrive, you will call on your expertise in emerging data management approaches including on data centralisation and apply these to help the organisation deliver success
• Develop our internal data architecture capability by developing L&D routeways, shaping careers paths and recruiting talent to the organisation
• Provide leadership and guidance to the team, further developing your own architecture, delivery management and leadership skills
• Work with business stakeholders and across digital service teams, understanding their needs and translating them into high- and low-level architecture designs
• Work with industry partners to leverage the best of new and emerging tools and approaches

Responsibilities

• Strategic Planning: Develop and execute the Data & Systems Architecture strategy. You will ensure the technical roadmap doesn't just store data, but actively powers business intelligence and AI readiness, aligning complex infrastructure with long-term organisational goals.
• Team Leadership: Use your expertise to build and maintain excellence in data & system architecture capabilities by building, leading, and mentoring a team of technical solution architects, data architects and modellers, fostering a collaborative and high-performing culture that bridges the gap between engineering
  and strategic business value.
• Data Platform Solution Design: Design and model robust, scalable, efficient and cost-effective data solutions for data ingestion, transformation, integration, publication and storage – and be the assurer of designs at architecture review boards such as Technical Design Authority.
• Data Quality: Ensure data quality and integrity across the data platform.
• Data Governance: Prescribe the level of data governance required, taking responsibility for assurance and make recommendations to ensure compliance with legal, regulatory and security standards.
• System Interoperability: Define the standards for the Data Platform to ensure API-first architecture and microservices so they there is seamless data flow and system integration via data publication.
• Collaboration: Work closely with business teams to understand data requirements and recommend design choices and provide technical expertise; and partner with senior leaders to provide assurance on solutions as they transition between design, implementation and live.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Accomplished expert with extensive hands-on experience at a senior level of defining and implementing data and system architecture. You must have significant experience in designing AWS ecosystems that host data management systems and orchestrate data integration, data quality & transformation processes, data matching and master data management and data publication. (Lead essential criteria)
• Deep proficiency in architecting end-to-end data lifecycles. This includes the strategic application of Data Lakes, Lakehouses, and NoSQL/SQL environments, with a focus on system interoperability.
• Demonstrable experience in building or radically transforming data & system architecture functions from scratch, particularly within high-sensitivity or regulated environments (e.g. handling PII/sensitive personal data at scale).
• Expert-level knowledge of embedding GDPR, Cloud Security Principles, and Zero-Trust frameworks into the very fabric of data system designs, rather than treating them as "bolt-on" compliance tasks.
• Expert in managing the balance between rapid delivery and long-term technical sustainability, and managing these standards through architecture peer review such as Technical Design Authority.
• Significant experience leading and scaling multi-disciplinary architecture teams. You have a proven ability to mentor and foster a culture of high performance within Agile/DevOps frameworks.
• Working at senior leadership level, establishing and maintaining organisational level networks and actively engaging other senior leaders.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working with the Quantexa Decision Intelligence Platform and Databricks.
• Management of contracts and 3rd party suppliers for software and professional services.

Additional information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Technical design throughout the lifecycle (Expert)
• Turning business problems into data design (Expert)
• Data modelling (Expert)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £72,717, Infected Blood Compensation Authority contributes £21,066 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Premium allowance paid monthly after probation
• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%
• 32.5 days of paid annual leave plus 8 bank holidays
• Family friendly policies to support you and your everyday responsibilities
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave, up to 12 months shared parental leave

Recent changes in skilled worker visa eligibility mean that a Skilled Worker must have a job offer in an eligible skilled occupation from a Home Office-approved sponsor. From 22 July 2025, the job must normally be skilled to level 6 (graduate level) on the Regulated Qualifications Framework for England and Northern Ireland, or the equivalent level in Wales or Scotland, or be included on either the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List. Please be aware that if the role is not eligible for a skilled worker visa that we will be unable to provide sponsorship.

Things you need to know

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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

As part of your application you will be required to provide a CV setting out your career historyhighlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role.

You will also be required to provide a Statement of Suitability (1000 words max.)

Please use your statement of suitability to (in no more than 1000 words) to explain how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification section of the job advert.

Your CV and Statement of Suitability will be assessed against the essential criteria listed in the 'Person Specification' section of the job advert.

Should you be successful at sift, you will be invited to attend an interview where you will be assessed on Behaviours and Technical skills.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – 16/03/2026
Expected interview date/s – 30/03/2026
Interview location - Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via IBCA.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
• Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to IBCA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website)

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to
the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the IBCA if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

PLEASE NOTE: IBCA employees are public servants, therefore the Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNR) do not apply. Candidates who do not meet the CSNR are welcome to apply and applications will not be rejected: successful candidates however will be subject to a Right to Work check to work within the UK.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a 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 vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : IBCA Recruitment Team
• Email : ibca.recruitment@ibca.org.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : IBCA.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment on the basis of merit by a fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact the Resourcing Team at IBCA.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Attachments

Employee Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 1851kB)