Deputy Director of Data Technology

UKRI
Salary: 86731.
Band: UKRI Band H.
Contract Type: Open ended.
Hours:Full-time/ Part Time (Minimum 29.6 hours per week) (flexible working available).
Location: Swindon - Hybrid working available.

Closing Date:Sunday 29^th March 2026.

Interviews: Proposed to take place week commencing 20^th April.

About the role

We are seeking a Deputy Director of Data Technology that has a passion for data as a force for research innovation and public good to provide the technical leadership that will turn our ambitious data strategy into reality. Supporting the Chief Data Officer you will shape and deliver the next generation of data platforms services and values across UKRI.

This exciting role operates as an enterprise leader for UKRIs data systems shaping behaviours ensuring compliance with standards and driving adoption across all UKRI Councils corporate platforms organisational units and programmes. The role is outward-facing and focused on end-to-end processes ensuring that UKRI functions as a coherent interoperable federated data organisation. You will be accountable for the technical foundations interoperability and platform standards that enable UKRI to function as a coherent data-driven organisation.

Your responsibilities

• Defining and delivering the multi-year technical roadmap for UKRIs enterprise data platforms embedding modern approaches such as data mesh data as a product and FAIR/open standards.
• Leading multi-disciplinary matrix teams of data engineers architects and platform specialists. Building permanent capability reducing reliance on contractors.
• Collaborating with senior leaders across Councils and CIO functions to adopt enterprise architecture patterns data contracts and interoperability standards.
• Mandating cloud-native secure and scalable data solutions enabling analytics AI/ML and evidence-based decision-making.
• Collaborating with senior leaders across government academia and industry to ensure interoperability data sharing and responsible innovation.
• Working with Architecture colleagues to enforce enterprise data architecture interoperability and platform standards across UKRI ensuring that all Councils and programmes adopt relevant standards and design authority decisions.
• Scanning the horizon for emerging technologies and integrating these into UKRIs enterprise patterns through enforceable design authority decisions where they deliver measurable value.
• Driving adoption of the Data Operating Model across UKRI to enforce consistent architecture metadata plumbing lineage enablement and platform-level quality gates.
• Ensuring the Data Centre of Expertise is the primary route for building permanent capability and preventing local technical divergence.
• Enabling cross-UKRI programmes through shared definitions reusable data products consistent governance and early engagement with programme directors.

Working relationships

• Leading enterprise adoption and compliance across all UKRI domains working closely with the CDO and their senior team.
• Influencing behaviours and expectations for senior leaders across UKRI.
• Connecting with senior counterparts in other Government agencies and departments.

Cultural & Behavioural Change

This role leads the cultural shift from locally built solutions to enterprise-wide standards-driven technology. You will promote modern engineering practices strengthen professional capability and encourage reuse over bespoke workarounds. You will model secure-by-design behaviours and help teams adopt UKRI-wide patterns ensuring technology is treated as a shared enterprise asset.

Personal Specification

The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S) Interview (I) or both (S&I).

Essential

• A proven dedicated leader in modern data engineering data architecture and platform delivery with experience at scale in AWS and Azure (I).
• Experience in enterprise design and operation of data platforms in complex multidomain or federated organisations (S).
• Evidenced knowledge of modern data technologies (streaming orchestration Lakehouse platforms APIs DevSecOps) (S&I).
• Demonstrable understanding of data governance and data security (e.g. security by design and privacy by design and compliance with Government functional standards. More information on this below at the bottom of the description i) (I).
• A record of building and inspiring high-performing technical and matrix managed multidisciplinary teams and of shifting organisations away from contractor dependency (I).
• Ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear insights and experience in measuring and communicating progress and outcomes for decision-makers (I).
• Experience in leading change for example in complex platform transformations (S&I).

Benefits

We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. We are committed to supporting employees development and promote a culture of continuous learning!

A list of benefits below:

• An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme.
• 30 days annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent).
• Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities.
• Employee assistance programme providing confidential help and advice.
• Flexible working options.
  

Plus many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!

For further information on our benefits please see:
Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

Please apply online if you experience any issue applying please contact .

Please note if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK as part of your sponsorship application you and any dependants travelling with you will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some orall ofthese fees after you have become an employee and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager. For more information please visit contact.

This is a chance toshape one of the UKs most significant public data programmes building the platforms that will power discovery policy and innovation for years to come. You will be joining a collaborative organisation with a unique mission to advance knowledge improve lives and drive growth that values inclusion professional growth and impact at scale.

UKRI is investing in the future of research and innovation and data is at the heart of it. We are building a modern cloud-native AI-ready data ecosystem to unlock insights power discovery and strengthen UK competitiveness.

We offer flexible working arrangements strong commitment to professional development and the chance to collaborate with talented colleagues across multiple research councils solving challenging problems at the intersection of data governance and organisational transformation.

i Including but not limited to the HMG Digital Data and Technology Functional Standard Government Data Quality Framework HMG Data Lifecycle Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) and Information Management & Retention Standards.