Principal Data Solution Architect

Overview

As Data Architect, you will set the technical direction for the data programme and govern architecture across delivery. You’ll shape the Data Transformation Programme roadmap and ensure alignment with business goals, while uplifting the team and mentoring engineers. You will lead architecture reviews, define data standards, and design end-to-end data solutions that integrate legacy and cloud-native systems. The role combines hands-on architecture with stakeholder influence in a public-sector context, offering a meaningful impact on data-enabled decision making.

Pay / Benefits

• 25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays with option to buy 10 extra days
• pension salary exchange scheme with 4% employer contribution and 5% employee contribution
• Private Medical Insurance for dependents
• Life Assurance of 4x base salary
• Wellness 24/7 confidential employee assistance programme
• Volunteering - 2 paid days per year

Responsibilities

• Act as senior technical authority, defining direction, priorities, standards, and decisions
• Create and maintain the Data Transformation Programme roadmap aligning with target architecture
• Set priorities, guide technical workstreams, and redirect low-value activities
• Uplift team capability and mentor architects and engineers
• Establish engineering practices and develop Fabric knowledge within Methods and client teams
• Chair architecture reviews, design authorities, governance forums, and data platform standards reviews
• Advocate data standards and govern their adoption across projects
• Communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences
• Design data exposure via APIs and real-time streams, and link data from multiple systems
• Ensure deployment risks are understood and documented
• Design end-to-end data solutions from requirements to implementation with architecture blueprints
• Lead complex data migration from legacy systems to cloud-native platforms
• Evaluate technologies across the modern data stack to meet client needs
• Enable data-driven decision making and adoption of modern data platforms and AI-enabled analytics

Key requirements

• Deep knowledge of Fabric architecture, governance, OneLake, Real-Time Intelligence, Data Engineering, Warehousing and Power BI integration
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and secure agreement on technical direction
• Deep knowledge of the Azure data stack (Azure SQL Server, CosmosDB, Azure Data Factory, Purview, Synapse, Event Hub, Azure Databricks/Fabric)
• Extensive data modelling experience (normalised and star schema/dimensional models)
• Excellent relational database design with performance optimisation across SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and cloud databases
• Proven track record with large-scale data migrations (terabyte+ datasets, multiple legacy sources)
• Proficiency with Parquet/Delta Lake and other modern storage formats
• Experience with streaming architectures (Kafka, Event Hubs, Kinesis)
• Knowledge of data architectures for AI/ML workloads (vector databases, feature stores, MLOps)
• Experience with unstructured data (text, images, logs, sensor data)
• Understanding of Lambda and Kappa patterns
• Exposure to Infrastructure as Code and DevOps practices
• Awareness of government practices and security clearance requirements is a plus

• stakeholder influence
• clear communicator
• leadership and mentoring
• Fabric architecture
• OneLake
• Real-Time Intelligence

Full job description from WhatJobs. Apply for this role →