- Employment Type: Full-time, Fixed Term 12-month contract.
- Remuneration: Competitive Total Remuneration Package
- Location: Kensington, NSW (Hybrid working model)
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
The successful applicant will be required to undertake and have experience in the following areas of expertise:
- 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.
For further information on the role & responsibilities, please refer to the Position Description
How to Apply: Submit your CV & cover letter detailing your interest and suitability for the job (as per the skills & experience bullet points in the Position Description) before Sunday 7th June by 11:55pm.
Please note: Sponsorship is not available for this role, valid Australian working rights are required on application.
UNSW Benefits and Culture: People are at the core of everything we do. We recognise it is the contributions of our staff who make UNSW one of the best universities in Australia and the world. Our benefits include:
- Flexible Working Options (work from home, flexible hours etc)
- Additional 3 days leave during December festive period.
- Career development opportunities
- Up to 50% discount on UNSW courses
- Flexible 17% Superannuation contributions, additional leave-loading payments and salary sacrifice.
- Discounts and entitlements (retail, education, fitness passport)
UNSW is committed to equity diversity and inclusion. Applications from women, people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, those living with disabilities, members of the LGBTIQ+ community; and people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, are encouraged. UNSW provides workplace adjustments for people with disability, and access to flexible work options for eligible staff.
Pre-Employment Checks
Aligned with UNSW’s focus on cultivating a workplace defined by safety, ethical conduct, and strong integrity preferred candidates will be required to participate in a combination of pre-employment checks relevant to the role they have applied for.
These pre-employment checks may include a combination of some of the following checks:-
- National and International Criminal history checks
- Entitlement to work and ID checks
- Working With Children Checks
- Completion of a Gender-Based Violence Prevention Declaration
- Verification of relevant qualifications
- Verification of relevant professional membership
- Employment history and reference checks
- Financial responsibility assessments/checks.
- Medical Checks and Assessments
Compliance with the necessary combination of these checks is a condition of employment at UNSW.
