Data Architect (SC Cleared) Location: Edinburgh or Newcastle preferred Other locations considered: Luton, Bristol, Southampton (Hybrid – predominantly onsite )
Contract: 6 months initially (potential to extend) Rate: Up to £69.44 per hour umbrella ( rate may be negotiable ) Clearance: Active SC clearance required Nationality: UK Eyes Only – sole British nationality required
The Opportunity We are seeking an experienced Data Architect to support a high-profile, security-critical programme within a UK government/defence environment.
This role focuses on the design, implementation and governance of enterprise-level data architectures, ensuring data is accurate, secure, accessible, and fit for purpose across complex systems. You will work closely with technical teams and stakeholders to take data solutions from initial requirements through to delivery, operating in a highly regulated setting.
What You'll Be Doing Design and implement enterprise data architecture solutions, including databases, data warehouses and data lakes
Develop and maintain conceptual, logical and physical data models
Define and enforce data management standards, policies and best practices
Work closely with data engineers to design and optimise ETL / ELT pipelines for structured and unstructured data
Ensure data quality, consistency and security across platforms
Collaborate with business and technical stakeholders to translate data requirements into technical solutions
Oversee data integration across cloud and on-prem environments
Support data governance initiatives including metadata management, MDM and compliance
Evaluate and recommend new data technologies, tools and platforms
Provide technical leadership and guidance to data engineering and analytics teams
What We're Looking For Essential:
Degree in STEM, Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Science, or similar (Master's preferred)
Strong experience in data architecture, database design or data engineering
Proven experience delivering data-intensive systems end to end
Strong SQL skills and experience with relational databases (e.g. Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL)
Experience with data warehouse and lakehouse architectures
Experience designing and governing data models and data flows
Experience establishing and working within data governance frameworks
Strong understanding of data security and compliance requirements
Excellent communication, problem-solving and documentation skills
Desirable:
Experience with cloud data platforms (AWS, Azure or GCP)
Exposure to big data technologies (Hadoop, Spark, Kafka)
Familiarity with ETL / orchestration tools (e.g. Informatica, Talend, Airflow)
Experience with API integration and microservices data flows
Familiarity with AI/ML data pipelines or analytics platforms
Experience using UML / SysML
Security Requirements Due to the nature of the work:
Candidates must hold active SC clearance
UK Eyes Only restrictions apply - pplicants must be sole British nationals (no dual nationality)
Why Apply Work on a high-impact, security-critical programme
Opportunity to shape and influence enterprise data architecture
Strong likelihood of contract extension
Competitive rate with flexibility for the right candidate
Collaborative environment with experienced technical teams
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