Enterprise Data Architect

We’re 1st Central, a market-leading insurance company utilising smart data and technology at pace. Rapid growth has been based on giving our 1.4 million customers exactly what they want: great value insurance with an excellent service. And that’s the same for our colleagues too; we won Insurance Employer of the Year at the British Insurance Awards 2024 and our Glassdoor score is pretty mega too!

We’re on the hunt for an experienced Enterprise Data Architect to join our Tech pillar where you’ll proactively and holistically design, create and manage 1st Central’s overall data architecture.  In this exciting role you’ll be responsible for setting and managing the strategy for the organisation’s data architecture, providing architectural direction for the Data Platform, supporting the delivery and formulation of business outcomes and the data capabilities required to deliver them. 

We value flexible working arrangements, so you can choose to work remotely or maybe you live within a commutable distance from one of our offices in Salford Quays, Manchester, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, or Guernsey, and want to work in the office occasionally.  

Core skills were looking for to succeed in the role:  

• Effective leadership skills with exceptional soft and interpersonal skills, including teamwork, facilitation and negotiation. 

• Ability to collaborate and excel in complex, cross-functional teams involving data scientists, business analysts, and stakeholders 

• Strong consulting skills such as targeted communications, engagement management, stakeholder management and business development.  

• Familiarity with enterprise architecture tools, related graphical models, and frameworks. 

• Formal enterprise architectural certification is preferred 

• Experience of using data modelling and data governance tooling 

• Identification and management of risk  

• Problem solving skills, with the ability to adopt a logical approach 

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills 

• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills 

What’s Involved: 

• You’ll lead analysis of the business’ future-state data capabilities and future (and current) Technology environment to detect gaps and opportunities and recommend solutions for improvement to drive the business towards its targeted outcomes. 

• You’ll interpret and deliver impactful strategic plans improving data integration, data quality, and data delivery in support of business initiatives and roadmaps 

• You’ll proactively lead definition of the Enterprise Data Architecture through standards, reference models and architecture designs to govern/assess the impact of new and ongoing technology investment on the business and enterprise, ensuring alignment to the Enterprise Architecture, technology strategy and wider business plans. 

• You’ll develop a roadmap for the evolution of the enterprise data architecture from current to future state, identifying and defining enablers to that evolution 

• You’ll review emerging technology trends and disruptions, within the data domain, and their practical application to enable new and evolving business and operating models  

• You’ll present gap analysis and data technology investment roadmaps that reflect the status of the existing enterprise and its ability to contribute to future-state business capabilities, recommending opportunities and solutions for improvement 

• You’ll facilitate a collaborative relationship across architecture community, business leaders, product management and delivery teams to ensure consistency with the enterprise architecture, as well as to leverage shared technologies, tools and processes that impact speed to value and time to market. 

• You’ll monitor the current-state data enterprise to identify deficiencies through aging of the technologies used or misalignment with business and technology strategies 

• You'll collaborate across business and technology teams to understand data consumers’ needs and develop solutions 

• You’ll develop conceptual, logical and physical data models  

• You’ll lead the development and management of an Enterprise view of data consumption and production 

• You'll comply with the requirements, and act in accordance with, the Group Code of Conduct and Fitness and Propriety policies at all times 

• You’ll ensure compliance with Company Policies, Values and guidelines and other relevant standards/ regulations at all times,  

• You’ll take responsibility for maintaining department risk registers (as applicable), providing evidence and commentary for controls, updates for Mitigation Actions and maintaining control matrices and Attestations. 

• You’ll create and present recommendation papers to governance 

Experience & Knowledge 

• Significant experience in previous enterprise and data architecture roles 

• Exposure to multiple, diverse technologies, platforms, and processing environments 

• Good understanding of strategic and emerging technology trends, and the practical application of existing and emerging technologies to new and evolving business and operating models 

• Proficiency in the design and implementation of modern data platforms, architectures and concepts such as cloud services, real-time data distribution and modern data warehouse tools (Datalake, Databricks, Synapse, PowerBI) 

• Experience of creation and maintenance of an Enterprise Data Architecture within the scope of large organisations leveraging an Agile approach to change 

• Experience with database technologies  

• Experience of development and contributing to data governance frameworks 

• Significant experience of entity-relationship modelling, metadata systems, and data quality tools and techniques 

• Knowledge of analysis, design, modelling and Enterprise Architecture techniques  

• Experience developing architecture blueprints, strategies, and roadmaps, ideally leveraging architectural tooling 

• Experience delivering presentations to senior-level executives and technical audience 

• Good understanding of business models, operating models, financial models, cost-benefit analysis, budgeting and risk management. 

• Understanding of various change models such as project-centric and product-centric and also different types of agile principles, methodologies and frameworks, especially those designed to be scaled at the enterprise level. 

• Awareness of existing, new and emerging technologies, and processing environments. 

• Ability to communicate complex and abstract concepts in an easy to understand and follow manner 

• Ideally an insurance or financial Services background, although other backgrounds will be considered 

• Knowledge of FCA requirements (including Consumer Duty) 

Skills 

• Effective leadership skills with exceptional soft and interpersonal skills, including teamwork, facilitation and negotiation. 

• Ability to collaborate and excel in complex, cross-functional teams involving data scientists, business analysts, and stakeholders 

• Strong consulting skills such as targeted communications, engagement management, stakeholder management and business development.  

• Familiarity with enterprise architecture tools, related graphical models, and frameworks. 

• Formal enterprise architectural certification is preferred 

• Experience of using data modelling and data governance tooling 

• Identification and management of risk  

• Problem solving skills, with the ability to adopt a logical approach 

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills 

• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills 

Behaviours  

• Acts as a mentor, leading by example to continuously improve services and processes and grow Enterprise Architecture skillsets across the team 

• Understands, advocates and augments the business and technology strategies — and, more specifically, EA development and service delivery. Is prepared to “sell” the EA process (overall, not just for enterprise technology architecture), its outcome and ongoing results, and to lead the communication or marketing activities needed to ensure enterprise success and use. 

• Commercially focussed and results driven taking a pragmatic approach to delivering value 

• Self-motivated and enthusiastic 

• An organised and pro-active approach 

• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team 

• A flexible approach and positive attitude 

• Emphasis on attention to detail and accuracy 

• Takes initiative to make decisions  

• Strives to drive business improvements to contribute to the success of the business 

What can we do for you?

People first. Always. We’re passionate about our colleagues and know the best people deserve an extraordinary working environment. We owe it to them so that’s what we offer. Our workplaces are energetic, inspirational, supportive. To get a taste of the advantages you’ll enjoy, take a look at all our perks in full here. 

Intrigued? Our Talent team can tell you everything you need to know about what we want and what we’re offering, so feel free to get in touch.