Salary: £36,000 - 76,000 per year Requirements: Degree in STEM, Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Science, or similar (Masters 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 Experience with cloud data platforms (AWS, Azure or GCP) - Desirable Exposure to big data technologies (Hadoop, Spark, Kafka) - Desirable Familiarity with ETL / orchestration tools (e.g. Informatica, Talend, Airflow) - Desirable Experience with API integration and microservices data flows - Desirable Familiarity with AI/ML data pipelines or analytics platforms - Desirable Experience using UML / SysML - Desirable Responsibilities: 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 Technologies: AI Airflow API AWS Architect Azure Big Data Cloud Data Warehouse ETL GCP Hadoop Informatica Support Kafka MySQL Oracle PostgreSQL SQL Security Spark Talend UML microservices More: We are seeking an experienced Data Architect to support a high-profile, security-critical programme within a UK government/defence environment, preferably located in Edinburgh or Newcastle but other locations such as Luton, Bristol, and Southampton will also be considered. This is a 6-month contract position that offers a competitive rate, with potential for extension. Our team operates in a collaborative environment and offers the opportunity to shape and influence enterprise data architecture. Candidates must possess active SC clearance and be sole British nationals due to the nature of the work. last updated 5 week of 2026