Lead Architect (BioFAIR)

BioFAIR is building the future of UK life‑science data infrastructure — and we’re looking for a Lead Architect to shape it. 

Applications are invited for a Lead Architect to join the BioFAIR Hub, hosted at the Earlham Institute, Norwich, UK.

Background: 

BioFAIR is supporting the UK’s life-sciences federated digital research infrastructure to become an integrated, national BioCommons that places the data, tools and services needed to answer life-science questions directly at researchers’ fingertips. Funded by a £34M UKRI investment over five years, BioFAIR will deliver a step change in ‘Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable’ (FAIR) research data management, providing end-to-end FAIR data and analysis capabilities alongside support and training for UK researchers. 

To achieve this mission, BioFAIR is undertaking an ambitious programme to defragment the UK’s existing data and service landscape. Guided by a “reuse, don’t rebuild” philosophy, this work requires a cohesive architecture capable of onboarding mature services while also providing a framework for developing new, state-of-the-art capabilities. The architecture must evolve over time to meet changing community and research-infrastructure needs. 

BioFAIR operates through a distributed Hub and Spokes model. The Hub coordinates governance, procurement, and core services, while the Spokes deliver services across the Data, Methods, and People Commons, plus the Knowledge Hub and BioFAIR Portal. A clear, coherent architecture is essential to guide technical work across diverse partners. 

BioFAIR is now looking to recruit an experienced Lead Architect to shape our architectural foundation and to work with technology providers across the UK research ecosystem to turn our distributed BioCommons vision into operational reality. This role requires someone with deep architectural experience in research or data-intensive environments and a strong understanding of how to deliver sustainable, interoperable services at scale. 

The role: 

This senior role blends systems architecture and solutions architecture, guiding the design of a national, federated research ecosystem. You’ll create a clear technical vision, lead multi‑institution architectural decisions, and ensure interoperable, national-scale services across the UK’s life‑science community. 

The ideal candidate: 

The successful candidate will thrive in distributed teams, with a proven ability to create architectural documentation, models, and integration patterns. You will communicate technical ideas clearly and bring deep experience in cloud/HPC, workflows, metadata, and FAIR data, excelling at combining best-of-breed components into coherent solutions. 

This is a hybrid role, with BioFAIR partners distributed across the UK. As a key leadership position in the BioFAIR Hub, the post holder will spend time at the Earlham Institute and visiting UK partners. Working patterns are flexible and applications are welcomed from candidates based anywhere in the UK. 

Additional information:

Salary will be £71,100 - £90,000 per annum, depending on experience. This is a full-time post until 30 June 2029, though part-time or alternative working patterns will be considered. 

Interviews are expected on 03–04 March 2026 (TBC). 

This role meets the criteria for a visa application. Please contact the Human Resources Team if you have any questions regarding your application or visa options 

For further information and details of how to apply, please visit our website via the 'Apply' button above or contact the Human Resources team on 01603 450814 or nbi.recruitment@nbi.ac.uk quoting reference 1005015. 

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for this vacancy. 

The closing date for applications will be Friday 30 January 2026

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