Data Architect

About UNSW

At UNSW, we pride ourselves on being a workplace where the best people come to do their best work. We aspire to be Australia’s global university, improving and transforming lives through excellence in research, outstanding education and a commitment to advancing a just society.

Why your role matters

The Data Architect plays a pivotal role in defining and implementing UNSW’s enterprise data architecture, ensuring secure, scalable, and interoperable data capabilities across the University. The role involves developing and maintaining data architecture strategies, standards, policies, and roadmaps to guide the planning, selection, design, and implementation of contemporary data solutions. Working in close partnership with Enterprise Architecture, the position requires deep technical expertise, modern cloud data engineering knowledge, strong stakeholder engagement skills, and the ability to translate complex business needs into sustainable, high-quality data solutions.

The role reports to the Director, Data Transformation.

About the Role

• Lead the design, architecture, and management of UNSW’s enterprise data platforms, ensuring alignment with the University’s Data & AI Strategy while representing the EDO at institutional technology forums.
• Act as the principal technical advisor for data initiatives, managing technology risk, environment changes, and the remediation of audit and cyber security findings.
• Define enterprise architecture standards for data classification, retention, and transformation to support data governance, analytics, and transformation teams.
• Partner with IT and Cyber Security to deploy secure, scalable, and resilient data solutions while maintaining EDO ownership of data governance and compliance.
• Provide expert advice to senior leaders and university forums on platform capabilities and innovation, while managing vendor performance, contracts, and budgets.
• Foster strong collaboration with the IT architecture team to ensure all data models, integration patterns, and platform capabilities align with UNSW’s broader strategic direction.

About You

• Relevant tertiary qualification in computer science, information systems, or data engineering, paired with extensive experience leading enterprise-scale data platform environments and large-scale transformation projects.
• Deep expertise in modern data architecture and engineering practices, including Lakehouse architectures, DataOps, CI/CD, and Infrastructure-as-Code to enable scalable, automated platform operations.
• Proven track record of operationalising secure, scalable, and repeatable data solutions across complex, matrixed institutional environments.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and technology leaders, providing strategic technical advice to drive alignment across IT, cyber security, and business domains.
• Extensive experience leading multidisciplinary technical teams and managing vendors, contracts, and budgets to deliver sustainable, value-for-money platform services.
• Strong communication and analytical skills to translate complex technical concepts into clear business value, while maintaining strict commitment to UNSW values, compliance, and health and safety risks.