Overview
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: £600-£700
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 (Expanded)
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:
o Data lakes and lakehouse patterns
o Analytics and reporting platforms
o 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
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