Data Architect

Contract Data Architect - Senior SME (Modern Data Platform)

Contract Length: 12-18 months (strong potential to extend or move permanent) It will be Inside IR35
Day Rate: Flexible / TBC
Location: UK‑based, primarily remote
Ad hoc travel to Stratford‑upon‑Avon & London for workshops and occasional travel to Bucharest the main office is in Stratford.

Overview

We are seeking a Senior Data Architect to act as a subject matter expert for the design and build of a modern, enterprise‑scale data platform. This is a high‑impact contract role with full ownership of the data domain, supporting a multi‑year roadmap to transform an existing platform into a cloud‑native, federated data architecture on Azure.

The organisation is in the process of lifting and modernising a large‑scale data landscape into Azure, with a strong likelihood of winning a major government contract, making this a long‑term and strategically critical engagement.

This role requires a hands‑on architect - someone who can define strategy and architecture, but also work closely with delivery teams to ensure successful execution.

Key Responsibilities

* Own and shape the end‑to‑end data architecture and data strategy, treating the data platform as a product
* Design and build a modern Azure‑based data platform supporting large‑scale data processing
* Define and implement modern federated data architecture principles
* Lead the adoption of Medallion Architecture (Bronze / Silver / Gold)
* Design and oversee robust data ingestion and data pipeline frameworks, including ingestion of poor‑quality and complex data
* Provide architectural leadership for:

* Data lakes and lakehouse patterns
* Analytics and reporting platforms
* Master Data Management (MDM)

* Act as a hands‑on technical authority, supporting and mentoring engineering teams
* Collaborate with business and technical stakeholders across the UK and near‑shore teams in Bucharest
* Ensure platforms are scalable, secure, and fit for future government and enterprise needs

Technical Environment

You will work extensively with:

* Azure Data Platform
* Databricks (Lakehouse architecture)
* Cosmos DB
* Azure Data Factory
* Talend (ETL)
* Power BI & Qlik
* Large‑scale data processing and analytics
* Master Data Management (MDM) concepts and tooling

Required Experience

* Proven experience as a Senior / Lead Data Architect on complex data transformation programmes
* Strong background designing and delivering modern cloud data platforms on Azure
* Hands‑on experience with Databricks, Azure data services, and modern ETL pipelines
* Deep understanding of data architecture patterns, including lakehouse and federated models
* Experience working with imperfect and complex data sources
* Comfortable operating as the single point of ownership for a data domain
* Ability to translate strategy into detailed, actionable architecture
* Strong stakeholder engagement skills

Desirable

* Experience working in regulated or government‑aligned environments
* Prior exposure to long‑term platform rebuild programmes
* Mentoring or leadership of multi‑disciplinary data teams

Why Apply?

* Long‑term 12-18 month contract with strong extension or permanent potential
* Opportunity to own and architect a modern data platform end‑to‑end
* Significant influence on a multi‑year data transformation roadmap
* Flexible day rate
* High‑profile programme with future government exposure