Senior Data Architect

£115,000 GBP

Hybrid WORKING

Location: Leeds, Yorkshire and the Humber - United Kingdom Type: Permanent

A leading digital transformation and technology organisation is looking for an experienced Data Architect Manager to join its growing Data & AI practice.

This is a senior technical leadership opportunity for a data architecture professional with experience across the UK Healthcare or Public Sector. The successful candidate will work closely with clients to understand complex data challenges, define effective architecture strategies and ensure that data solutions are scalable, secure and fit for purpose.

The role combines hands-on data architecture, client consulting, technical leadership and people management, making it well suited to an experienced Data Architect who is ready to take greater ownership of both technical delivery and the development of other data professionals.

The organisation has built a strong reputation through successful long-term client relationships and repeat business. Its expanding Data & AI capability is delivering innovative solutions that use modern data technologies to address complex, real-world challenges across the public sector and healthcare.

The Opportunity

The Data Architect Manager will act as a Data Architecture Subject Matter Expert, providing technical direction across complex data programmes and helping clients make informed decisions about their data strategy, architecture and technology landscape.

The role will cover both project and enterprise-level architecture. This could involve designing data structures and flows, resolving data ownership and definition challenges, establishing governance approaches or helping organisations develop a coherent approach to data across complex stakeholder environments.

Alongside technical responsibilities, the successful candidate will lead, coach and develop a small team of data professionals, supporting performance, career progression and continuous technical development.

Key Responsibilities

Data Architecture & Technical Leadership

• Lead the design of robust and scalable data architectures across complex transformation programmes.
• Provide specialist guidance across data modelling, data structures, data flows, data sourcing, data transformation, data migration and master data.
• Translate business and technical requirements into practical data architecture solutions.
• Assess existing data environments and identify opportunities for improvement, modernisation and optimisation.
• Provide architecture assurance throughout the project lifecycle, ensuring solutions meet business, technical and regulatory requirements.
• Establish and promote data architecture standards, patterns, methodologies and best practices.
• Support the resolution of complex data definition, ownership, mastering and information-management challenges.
• Contribute to solution-level and enterprise data architecture decisions where required.
• Evaluate and recommend appropriate data technologies and products based on client requirements.

Client Consulting & Stakeholder Engagement

• Work directly with clients to understand their data challenges, requirements and strategic objectives.
• Build effective relationships with technical and non-technical stakeholders, including senior decision-makers.
• Communicate complex data architecture concepts clearly to audiences with different levels of technical expertise.
• Provide independent advice and thought leadership on data architecture, technology and emerging industry practices.
• Facilitate discussions and workshops to help clients establish clear data strategies and architectural direction.
• Act as a trusted advisor, challenging assumptions and helping clients make informed technology decisions.

Data Governance & Strategy

• Help organisations establish effective data governance frameworks, processes and controls.
• Support the definition of information-handling models across heterogeneous data environments.
• Address data quality, ownership, metadata and master-data challenges.
• Contribute to capacity planning and architectural decision-making across multiple data-storage technologies.
• Help clients develop sustainable approaches to managing data throughout its lifecycle.

Modern Data Platforms

• Design and assure solutions across modern data-platform environments.
• Contribute to data lake architecture and solutions operating within data lake ecosystems.
• Assess different approaches to data storage, integration, processing and analytics.
• Maintain awareness of emerging cloud, data platform, analytics and AI technologies and their practical application within enterprise environments.

People Leadership & Development

• Manage, coach and develop a small team of data professionals.
• Support individual performance, career planning and professional development.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to junior and experienced members of the wider data community.
• Create an environment that encourages knowledge sharing, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Help strengthen organisational data architecture capability through the development of standards, reusable approaches and technical expertise.

What They're Looking For

The ideal candidate will bring substantial experience in Data Architecture, combined with strong client-facing and technical leadership capabilities.

They should have:

• Professional experience within the UK Healthcare or Public Sector.
• Strong technical expertise across data modelling, data analysis, metadata management, data transformation, data migration and master data.
• A proven track record of providing technical leadership across data projects and programmes.
• Experience providing architecture assurance, mentoring and technical standards definition.
• Strong knowledge of recognised data architecture methodologies, patterns and best practices.
• Experience selecting data products and technologies at project or enterprise level.
• Demonstrable ability to engage effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Confidence providing technical thought leadership to clients and internal teams.
• Strong knowledge of at least three mainstream data technologies, together with an understanding of wider developments within the data technology landscape.
• A proactive approach and the ability to operate effectively when requirements, priorities or technical environments are uncertain.
• Previous experience managing, coaching or developing junior data professionals.

Desirable Experience

Experience in the following areas would be advantageous:

• Defining information-handling models across heterogeneous data-storage technologies.
• Capacity planning across complex data environments.
• Establishing and embedding data governance processes and frameworks.
• Designing and implementing data lake architectures.
• Working with solutions built within modern data lake ecosystems.
• Enterprise-level Data Architecture and strategic data planning.
• Experience within highly regulated, complex or large-scale public-sector environments.
• Awareness of modern cloud data platforms and emerging Data & AI technologies.