Job Description

THE ROLE

Our client, a federal government department, is seeking an experienced Data Architect for a 6-month contract engagement based in the ACT. This is a hybrid role requiring 3–4 days per week in the office. The position sits at EL1 equivalent level and plays a central role in designing and delivering data architecture foundations for a significant whole-of-government digital initiative in the maritime domain.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the design and development of a complex information model, including conceptual and logical data models and associated schemas to support a major government program and related ICT initiatives
• Translate business and regulatory requirements into logical data models, defining entities, relationships, attributes, business rules and constraints in collaboration with subject matter experts
• Lead mapping of regulatory reporting forms and data elements across agencies, aligning to relevant national and international standards, and documenting crosswalks and transformation rules
• Define and maintain reference data and harmonisation approaches — including code sets, controlled vocabularies and domain definitions — to enable consistent interpretation and interoperability across agencies and systems
• Undertake data stocktakes and mapping of available data sources, documenting data owners, access pathways, metadata and integration considerations
• Design and document structured data exchange artefacts (e.g., XML or other structured message formats), including mappings from the logical model to exchange structures and validation rules
• Advise on integration approaches and patterns, including event-driven patterns, to support exchange of information with downstream systems and whole-of-government partners
• Contribute to data governance arrangements, including defining data quality expectations, documenting metadata and lineage, and supporting traceability from source data through to downstream use
• Lead cross-agency engagement on data architecture matters, preparing papers and presenting recommendations to relevant working groups
• Build and maintain reusable data architecture artefacts and repositories — models, schemas, specifications, mappings and documentation — to support transparency and reuse
• Assess data quality, completeness and fitness-for-purpose; identify data risks and gaps; and recommend remediation actions or controls
• Plan and deliver knowledge transfer and handover of data architecture deliverables to build internal capability and support ongoing use after engagement close

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Demonstrated experience in data modelling and schema design — conceptual and logical modelling — for complex business and regulatory domains (SFIA Data Modelling and Design Level 4 or equivalent)
• Strong capability in data management, including devising master data management processes and deriving data management structures and metadata (SFIA Data Management Level 5 or equivalent)
• Proven experience translating business and regulatory requirements into logical data models, including defining entities, relationships, attributes, business rules and constraints
• Experience building data reference models, datasets and supporting artefacts such as data dictionaries, mapping specifications and metadata
• Demonstrated experience in reference data management and data harmonisation across organisations, including code sets, controlled vocabularies and domain definitions
• Ability to obtain and maintain an Australian Government Baseline security clearance
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce clear documentation and present technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders

HIGHLY DESIRABLE

• Database design expertise at SFIA Level 5, including experience with database management systems or data warehouse architectures
• Demonstrated ability to provide specialist advice and consolidate expertise from multiple sources to support organisational objectives (SFIA Specialist Advice Level 5)
• Stakeholder relationship management experience at SFIA Level 4, including implementing engagement plans and managing cross-agency relationships
• Experience with systems design, including modelling techniques, design standards and producing detailed design specifications (SFIA Systems Design Level 4)
• Familiarity with maritime regulatory frameworks or international maritime reporting obligations such as the IMO Compendium

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