Job summary
These are exciting times at Companies House as we continue our transformation journey, developing new digital services that are used nationally at scale. Our services are built using the latest technology and cloud services, with a focus on microservice development on AWS. This role is a unique opportunity to shape how we develop and secure our digital services. Working within an embedded agile delivery structure you will be empowered to define the processes and technology we use to produce software.
As the Lead Technical Architect (Data), you will be responsible for defining Business and Analytics platform landscape for the future state. This will involve modelling and architecting data we use working alongside the Principal Enterprise Architect (Data). This role is responsible for transforming complex business structures, processes and activities into technical solutions with data models at their heart. A key focus will be to build our cloud data estate and transform data across all business functions into usable views with practical data models. Working closely with the data leadership team, you will contribute to defining data architecture standards and establishing best practices for data management. You will be responsible for ensuring principles and policies regarding PII data are closely adhered to.
Watch this video to find out more about working in Digital at Companies House
Companies House offers a flexible and welcoming culture that promotes a healthy work life balance as well as a proactive approach to wellbeing that allows us to be our best at work. We recognise that people are the key to our success so offer a fantastic benefits package including flexible working with no core hours, 30 days annual leave, 8 bank holidays and 1 privilege day as well as enrolment into the Civil Service Pension scheme with a contribution rate averaging 28%.
Find out more about what a great place Companies House is to work
Please note - Companies House cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. Additionally, Security Clearance is an essential requirement (minimum residency criteria is in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years). Please see 'Things you need to know' section below for more information.
Job description
This is a key role in a growing, high performing team within an organisation that truly values its staff. The team is responsible for curating and improving the data that underpins our systems and services, while supporting and encouraging one another to create the most effective designs with a focus on delivering value. Team working is highly valued along with a willingness to challenge established thinking and ways of working.
This is an opportunity to advance your knowledge and understanding in a high-profile role which has an impact across the organisation, developing systems that are used nationally and at high volume. We're currently fulfilling around 14 million search requests per day with users including the general public, businesses, the police and other government organisations.
In this role you will work with the wider Digital and Data Directorate, and business stakeholders to develop systems that address business priorities and guide the development teams in creating robust, secure solutions. You will have excellent technical skills, be a great communicator, proven data architecture design experience and a background in identifying data requirements for complex business processes.
We’re looking for those with Data Architect whose responsibilities will include:
- Driving the implementation of standards, processes, and governance controls to support the end-to-end data lifecycle within the analytics environment.
- Ownership and creation of data models that conform to existing and future standards and conventions.
- Collaborating and coordinating with multiple departments, stakeholders, partners, and external vendors.
- Data modelling – define the conceptual, logical and physical models for structures that will underpin operational and analytical systems.
- Guide project teams through the development process, ensuring that data is used effectively and created to a high standard.
- Develop comprehensive mappings between logical and physical data structures to support various applications
- Utilising agile ways of working, you will help Companies House to identify and realise value from MVP delivery.
- Contribute to implementing our Data Strategies and promoting Data and Governance practices and influence the adoption of data standards.
- Contributing to the development of Data Catalogues and Master Data Management (MDM) initiatives.
- Defining and governing data architecture standards and best practices.
This is an exciting opportunity in digital services, designing and delivering quality services to our users. By helping us to shape our services, you’ll have the opportunity to be at the forefront of digital transformation in government.
Person specification
We're looking for the following experience and technical skills, which will be assessed at sift and at interview.
We are looking for someone to be part of the team at a time of significant change and to play an integral part in shaping the architecture and design of future digital services that are used worldwide, help tackle economic crime at a national level and provide confidence to the UK economy.
We want someone keen to improve their skills using new and exciting technologies and develop their career working on diverse projects with a focus on continuous improvement, while being part of a supportive high-profile team.
We are looking for someone to be part of our Digital Transformation and join us on our journey to the cloud, while working closely with and sharing knowledge with the architecture function.
- Experience in Data Modelling: Proficiency in creating and managing data models, including conceptual, logical, and physical models.
- Experience in data platforms and/or data warehousing, defining architectures, designing pipelines and dimensional models.
- Experience of communicating the data architecture vision and roadmaps to stakeholders.
- Experience of working closely with relevant stakeholders to both understand the impact of and influence future organisational requirements to refine the data architecture roadmaps.
- Understanding of how to influence senior management and communicate with both technical and non-technical audiences.
- An eagerness to influence how digital services are designed and delivered.
- Proven ability to build consensus between diverse and often conflicting interests, to achieve agreement on technical plans.
- A systematic collaborative approach to solving problems.
- Understanding of how to influence senior management and communicate with both technical and non-technical audiences.
- An eagerness to influence how digital services are designed and delivered.
- Input innovative approaches to the delivery teams and support the successful adoption of such ideas, driving improved performance.
About us
Our aim is to be the best registry in the world achieved through brilliant people working on brilliant systems delivering brilliant services. We are currently delivering an organisation wide transformation programme focussing on a complete redesign of our digital services, target operating model and culture. This change will need different skills, capabilities and mindset where adaptable, bold and curious behaviours are the norm and empowerment is encouraged and utilised.
To find out more about the great things we're doing at Companies House please have a look at our blog posts and podcasts and watch our video to find out what it's like to work at Companies House.
Companies House values its people, their contributions and has created a real sense of community where people seek to create strong connections. Our commitment to learning and development is exceptional, and we believe passionately in the employee experience with is prevalent through the engagement, wellbeing and development strategies which have resulted in Platinum Investors in People and MIND index awards.
We encourage professional development, celebrate success and live our values to effect real change.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Communicating and Influencing
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Data modelling proficiency
- Data platforms and data warehousing approaches
- Data security and compliance
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £51,854, Companies House contributes £15,022 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
We believe that our success is driven by the well-being and satisfaction of our team members at all levels of the organisation. At Companies House we’re committed to providing a comprehensive benefits package that goes beyond the ordinary, ensuring your career journey with us is not only fulfilling, but also rewarding. We pride ourselves on offering a quality work-life balance with our employee wellbeing being central to our working practices.
Head to Our benefits - Working for us - Recruitment (companieshouse.gov.uk) to find out more about the fantastic benefits package we have at Companies House.
We celebrate diversity...
As an equal opportunity employer, we celebrate diversity, being committed to ensuring we’re representative of the citizens we serve and creating an inclusive environment. Everyone in Companies House brings something different, and so will you. To fulfil our commitment to recruiting and attracting diverse talent we welcome applications from underrepresented groups. We also welcome applications from Welsh speakers.
We are proud to be a disability confident leader. Our recruitment process is fully inclusive and we can make adjustments as needed through our process. These could include having an interview buddy, extra time at interviews/assessments and receiving interview questions in advance, to name a few.
If you require any reasonable adjustments at application stage, or if you'd like to discuss any person-centred adjustments, please contact us by emailing recruitmentCH@companieshouse.gov.uk.
Read our 'Applying under the Disability Confidence Scheme (DCS)' guide to find out how to successfully complete an application under the Disability Confidence Scheme (DCS).
Where will you be working?
We are currently using a hybrid approach to the way we work which provides opportunities for you to be adaptable in the way you work so that you can achieve a healthy balance between your work and home life. The degree of choice you have will depend on your role and your day-to-day work activities. Your manager will agree regular patterns of attendance with you, however you may be required to make yourself available to attend the office more frequently when required to meet business needs. Remote contracts will only be offered to successful candidates who are not a commutable distance to our Cardiff, Belfast or Edinburgh offices. If you are located at a reasonable distance to one our offices, you will receive a hybrid contract aligned to one of our offices.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.
In your application form we’d like you to:
- Tell us about your employment history, key responsibilities, projects worked on and achievements specifically relevant to the role responsibilities and experience required as detailed above. We're keen to know the depth of your skills and experience so please include any details to demonstrate these.
- Write a 250 word statement demonstrating your experience and level of skill against Behaviour: Communicating and Influencing.
- Write a personal statement of 1000 words where you demonstrate how you meet the behaviours required for this role, providing examples to evidence your level of skill. In your personal statement we are looking for evidence of:
- Experience in Data Modelling: Proficiency in creating and managing data models, including conceptual, logical, and physical models.
- Experience in data platforms and/or data warehousing, defining architectures, designing pipelines and dimensional models.
- Experience of communicating the data architecture vision and roadmaps to stakeholders.
- Experience of working closely with relevant stakeholders to both understand the impact of and influence future organisational requirements to refine the data architecture roadmaps.
What will the process look like?
Sift
- Once the advert has closed we will sift applications - this involves reading through them all, please bear with us as this can take some time.
- We may raise the score required if we receive a high number of applications.
- At sift we may choose to take through the highest performing candidates to the next stage. If, after the final stage is completed and roles are unfilled, we will proceed to invite lower scoring candidates to interview.
- At sift candidates will be assessed against experience listed in the advert and alongside your work history the panel will score your personal statement against the following criteria:
- Experience in Data Modelling: Proficiency in creating and managing data models, including conceptual, logical, and physical models.
- Experience in data platforms and/or data warehousing, defining architectures, designing pipelines and dimensional models.
- Experience of communicating the data architecture vision and roadmaps to stakeholders.
- Experience of working closely with relevant stakeholders to both understand the impact of and influence future organisational requirements to refine the data architecture roadmaps.
- Behaviour: Communicating and Influencing.
Interview
- Successful candidates from the sift stage will be invited to attend a virtual interview, which will conducted using Microsoft Teams.
- We use a blended interview technique, allowing us to find out more about you.
- We use the Success Profile framework and at interview we will use Success Profiles assessing the Experience, Behaviours and Technical Skills listed in the advert, and Strengths.
- As part of the interview, you'll be asked to present a data model. This will be at the beginning of the interview and details will be emailed across to you in the interview confirmation email. Approximately 10 minutes of the interview will be allocated to this presentation section (5 minutes presentation, and 5 minutes follow-up discussion). This will be assessing Technical Skill: Data modelling proficiency.
- After the presentation you'll head into the Behaviours and Strengths questions.
- A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.
- If after interview you are not found appointable at the advertised grade you may be offered the lower grade role if you are considered to meet the skills, experience and behaviours for the lower level. The benchmark for appointing to the lower grade is set at the start of each campaign. All offers will be made in merit order.
Key dates (dates are indicative only and could be subject to change)
- Closing date - Sunday 10 August 2025 (at 23:55)
- Sifting -w/c 11 August 2025 & w/c 18 August 2025
- Interviews - w/c 1 September 2025 onwards
We’re committed to being diverse and inclusive, so please make your application anonymous by removing all identifying personal information (such as names and dates) from your employment history and personal statement.
Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of recruitment based on fair and open competition with decisions made on the basis of merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
We understand that you might use AI and other resources for your application; however, please ensure all information you provide is factually accurate, truthful, and original and doesn’t include ideas or work that isn’t your own. This is so that your application is authentically and credibly your own. Your application may be rejected if evidence of plagiarism or reliance on AI is detected. Examples include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence (AI), as your own.
If you are invited to interview, please be aware the use of AI tools is prohibited (including recording or note taking) and any suspected use may result in the termination of your interview and subsequent withdrawal from the campaign.
More information on the ways you should and shouldn’t use AI can be found here.
Sponsorship
Companies House cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. Companies House holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify. Should you apply for this role and require sponsorship, your application may be rejected, and any provisional offers of employment withdrawn.
Security clearance
Successful candidates must pass a Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) check before they can be appointed.
BPSS is an entry level security check. It uses the Police National Computer (PNC) to make sure a candidate has no convictions. The check returns evidence of any current criminal record and un-spent convictions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements for Security Check (SC) before they can be appointed.
The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.
Further information on National Security Vetting
Nationality statement
Candidates will be subject to UK immigration requirements as well as Civil Service nationality rules. If you're applying for a role requiring security clearance, please be aware that foreign or dual nationality is not an automatic bar. However certain posts may have restrictions which could affect those who do not have sole British nationality or who have personal connections with certain countries outside the UK.
As part of our recruitment process, it is essential for all candidates to independently verify their eligibility to work in the UK before applying. This includes a thorough check of your right to work to ensure compliance with UK employment laws, being mindful of the recent changes to going rates detailed on GOV.UK.
Please ensure you have the necessary documentation and permissions in place. Our team is dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce and encourages applicants from all backgrounds to apply. However, it is the candidate's responsibility to ensure they meet the UK's legal requirements to work.
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
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
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.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil 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
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
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 :
- Katie Jones
- Email :
- kjones6@companieshouse.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email :
- recruitmentch@companieshouse.gov.uk
Further information
We welcome applications in Welsh / Rydym yn croesawi ceisiadau yn y Gymraeg. Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles, our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of appointment on the basis of merit by fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact infopoint@companieshouse.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission .
info@csc.gov.uk
Civil Service Commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road SW1A 2HQ
