Overview

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Beazley is committed to doing the right thing and adhering to its core values and behaviours in all interactions.

Job Details

Job Title: Head of Data Architecture

Reports To: CDO

Key Relationships: IT and Data Management, Data Science, Actuarial, Business Analysts, Platform Leads, Product Owners, Business Stakeholders

Job Summary

Beazley’s data reflects the complexity of our business, and our data architecture is in need of modernisation and rationalisation. We are seeking a visionary and technically skilled Head of Data Architecture to lead this transformation. This role is pivotal to our evolution into a digital-first organisation and supports our ambitious growth plans.

You will be a passionate data leader, capable of inspiring and influencing stakeholders across the business. You will shape and lead a high-performing team of expert data architects and data modellers responsible for enabling data-driven business outcomes, maturing our platform governance, delivery cadence, and overall capability across our platform(s). You will work collaboratively with adjacent functions including our IT team, given. The role operates within a matrix reporting structure, with accountability to both the Head of Enterprise Architecture and the Head of Data Engineering to ensure alignment between IT strategy, Data Strategy and Enterprise standards and guardrails. This is a strategic leadership role, requiring a blend of technical depth, architectural vision, and stakeholder engagement to drive the design and delivery of modern, scalable, and governed data platforms.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership
• Continuous improvement of Beazley’s data architecture vision aligned with business goals and technology strategy.
• Enhancing data governance and data product frameworks including data modelling, data quality, metadata management, and data lineage.
• Collaborating with senior stakeholders (CDO, CIO, Head of Shared Services Engineering, Head of Enterprise Architecture) to ensure data architecture supports enterprise initiatives.

• Architecture Design & Oversight
• Designing scalable, secure, and resilient data architectures (data lakes, data warehouses, real-time streaming platforms).
• Standardising technologies (cloud platforms, ETL tools, data modelling tools).
• Ensuring interoperability of data products across systems and platforms (APIs, data integration patterns).
• Optimising use of data platforms, reducing technical debt, and decommissioning legacy systems.

• Team & Capability Building
• Lead and mentor data architects, modellers and engineers, fostering a high-performing team.
• Develop architectural standards and best practices, ensuring consistency across projects.
• Support hiring and capability development in data architecture, data products and engineering.

• Governance & Compliance
• Ensure compliance with data privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA).
• Implement data security protocols and access controls.
• Monitor data usage and integrity, ensuring ethical and compliant data practices.

• Innovation & Continuous Improvement
• Evaluate emerging technologies (AI, data mesh, lakehouse, AI/ML platforms).
• Lead technical design and implementation of Beazley’s Modern Data Platform, ensuring architecture, engineering and data modelling unlocks reuse, and scale for our data product blueprint.
• Drive modernisation initiatives, such as cloud migration and legacy system decommissioning.

• Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement
• Work closely with business units to understand data needs and translate them into architectural solutions.
• Partner with software engineering, analytics, and product teams to ensure data architecture supports their workflows.
• Communicate architectural decisions clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.

General

Adhere to Beazley’s culture of being bold, striving for better, and doing the right thing. Comply with Beazley procedures, policies and regulations including the code of conduct and relevant regulatory rules. Undertake training on Beazley policies as directed by line managers or assurance teams. Display business ethics that uphold the interests of all customers and ensure interactions focused on delivering a fair outcome.

Carry out additional responsibilities as notified, including potential membership of Beazley committees or working groups.

Education

Personal Specification:

• Bachelor's degree in data-relevant areas such as STEM, finance, economics or related fields is desirable but not essential.

Knowledge & Experience

• Experience managing small teams of experts is highly desirable.
• Extensive knowledge of RDBMS architectures, including SQL and ETL languages/tools.
• Understanding of data concepts such as ACID/BASE and how to apply them to business problems.
• Ability to translate complex data problems into logical models and physical solutions.
• Knowledge of Event Streaming architectures desirable.
• Hands-on experience with and thought leadership on Beazley’s technology stack is highly desirable:
• Kafka (Confluent)
• ADLS
• Snowflake
• Power BI / Fabric
• SQL Server
• Azure PostgreSQL and similar Azure options
• Integration of the above in a zero-trust hybrid cloud architecture
• Knowledge of business re-engineering principles and processes.
• Strong modelling capability with the ability to graphically represent complex ideas.
• Familiar with modelling approaches, tools and model repositories.
• Ability to translate complex domain concepts into knowledge accessible across domains.

Competencies

• Highly supportive of the business and its strategies
• Neutral toward technology, vendor and product choices; focused on results
• Ability to deliver projects without compromising wider strategy
• Motivated by long-term results
• Stakeholder management and influencing skills
• Collaboration skills across multiple management chains
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, teamwork, facilitation, and negotiation
• Excellent problem solving and analytical skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Seniority level

• Director

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Engineering and Information Technology

Industries

• Insurance