Contract Data Architect - Senior SME (Modern Data Platform)Contract Length: 12-18 months (strong potential to extend or move permanent) It will be Inside IR35Day Rate: £600-£700 Location: UK-based, primarily remoteAd hoc travel to Stratford-upon-Avon & London for workshops and occasional travel to Bucharest the main office is in Stratford.OverviewWe 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 ResponsibilitiesOwn and shape the end-to-end data architecture and data strategy, treating the data platform as a productDesign and build a modern Azure-based data platform supporting large-scale data processingDefine and implement modern federated data architecture principlesLead 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 dataProvide architectural leadership for:Data lakes and lakehouse patternsAnalytics and reporting platformsMaster Data Management (MDM)Act as a hands-on technical authority, supporting and mentoring engineering teamsCollaborate with business and technical stakeholders across the UK and near-shore teams in BucharestEnsure platforms are scalable, secure, and fit for future government and enterprise needsTechnical EnvironmentYou will work extensively with:Azure Data PlatformDatabricks (Lakehouse architecture)Cosmos DBAzure Data FactoryTalend (ETL)Power BI & QlikLarge-scale data processing and analyticsMaster Data Management (MDM) concepts and toolingRequired ExperienceProven experience as a Senior / Lead Data Architect on complex data transformation programmesStrong background designing and delivering modern cloud data platforms on AzureHands-on experience with Databricks, Azure data services, and modern ETL pipelinesDeep understanding of data architecture patterns, including lakehouse and federated modelsExperience working with imperfect and complex data sourcesComfortable operating as the single point of ownership for a data domainAbility to translate strategy into detailed, actionable architectureStrong stakeholder engagement skillsDesirableExperience working in regulated or government-aligned environmentsPrior exposure to long-term platform rebuild programmesMentoring or leadership of multi-disciplinary data teamsWhy Apply?Long-term 12-18 month contract with strong extension or permanent potentialOpportunity to own and architect a modern data platform end-to-endSignificant influence on a multi-year data transformation roadmapFlexible day rateHigh-profile programme with future government exposure