Data Architect

Organisation: University of Sussex

Location: Brighton, UK

Application Deadline: 27 days remaining

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.

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