Deputy Director of Data Technology

Deputy Director of Data Technology. £86,731 per annum. Permanent. Full-time/Part Time (Minimum 29.6 hours per week). Based at Polaris House, Swindon. Hybrid working options are available. This is a chance to shape one of the UK's 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 an exciting chance to collaborate with talented colleagues across multiple research councils solving challenging problems at the intersection of data, governance, and organisational transformation. About the Role: You will shape and deliver the next generation of data platforms, services, and culture across UKRI. This role operates as a dedicated enterprise leader for UKRI's 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 thrive 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 will include (but are not limited to): Leading multi-disciplinary Matrix teams of data engineers, architects, and platform specialists. Building permanent capability, reducing reliance on contractors. Mandating cloud-native, secure, and scalable data solutions, enabling analytics, AI/ML, and evidence-based decision-making. Driving adoption of the Data Operating Model across UKRI, ensuring consistent architecture, metadata plumbing, lineage enablement, and platform-level quality gates. Scanning the horizon for emerging technologies and integrating these into UKRI's enterprise patterns through enforceable design authority decisions where they deliver measurable value. What we offer Our benefits include a flexible working scheme (subject to business requirements), defined benefit pension scheme, 30 days annual leave allowance plus 10.5 bank holiday/privilege days and many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance! As one of Europe's largest research organisations, this is a place where there's always something new to learn - about the world around us, about your career, but most of all, about yourself. You will need: To be a proven leader in modern data engineering, data architecture, and platform delivery, with experience at scale in AWS and Azure. Experience in enterprise design and operation of data platforms in complex multi-domain or federated organisations. Evidenced knowledge of modern data technologies (streaming, orchestration, Lakehouse platforms, APIs, DevSecOps). Experience in leading Change, for example in complex platform transformations. Join us and let's transform tomorrow together! How to apply Applicants are required to provide a CV and include a cover letter providing evidence of how they meet the criteria described. To apply, and for further details on the role, please visit our job board, quoting reference 1997:  Closing Date for applications is Sunday 29th March 2026. Interviews are planned to take place during the week commencing 20th April 2026.