Job Title: Data Architect
Position Role Type: Hybrid
Location: Harlow (Hybrid)
Clearance: SC Eligible
Duration: Fixed Term Contract - 12 months
Hours: Full Time - 37 hours per week
About the role:
We are seeking an experienced Data Architect to help establish a newly created data practice within the Digital Technology function. This is a pivotal role in shaping the foundations of an enterprise‑wide data capability, setting direction for data architecture, governance, processes, and technology choices that will underpin a major transformation programme.
You will be aligned to a financial planning transformation programme, and you will help design and implement a new data platform, working closely with enterprise architects, delivery teams, and core platform system owners. You will play a central role in enabling the creation, integration, and consumption of high‑quality, compliant, trustworthy data across the organisation to fulfil organisational needs.
This is an opportunity for a strategically minded and hands-on architect who can operate confidently in a highly regulated environment with complex data requirements and regulatory obligations.
Key Responsibilities:
Data Architecture & Platform Design:
- Help define the enterprise data architecture vision, standards, and roadmap.
- Aid in the design the initial data platform to support integration with core systems and future enterprise-scale data needs.
- Evaluate, recommend, and drive the adoption of modern data technologies, tools, and patterns (e.g., data lakehouse, ETL/ELT, event streaming, metadata management).
Data Practice:
- Help establish the foundational processes for data modelling, data quality, metadata, lineage, security, and governance.
- Build and lead a small team of data professionals (e.g., data engineers, analysts, stewards).
- Embed architectural best practices and influence stakeholders across the business to adopt a data‑driven approach.
Transformation Delivery:
- Embed in a global ERP transformation programme teams to define data interfaces, and flows whilst keeping security requirements paramount.
- Ensure data solutions integrate effectively with financial and operational systems.
- Provide architectural oversight and assurance across data design and implementation activities.
Regulatory & Risk Management:
- Ensure all data-related solutions comply with relevant regulatory frameworks and internal risk controls.
- Interpret complex regulatory requirements into actionable architectural principles and system designs.
- Champion secure and ethically responsible data management practices.
Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement:
- Partner closely with the wider Architecture function to align data architecture with enterprise technology strategies.
- Engage senior stakeholders to articulate the need for modern data capabilities.
- Provide expert guidance to business and technology teams on data standards and integration patterns.
Candidate requirements
Essential:
- Proven experience as a Data Architect in a complex, highly regulated environment.
- Track record of designing and implementing enterprise data platforms or large-scale data architectures.
- Strong knowledge of data modelling, integration patterns, data governance, data quality frameworks, and security controls.
- Experience selecting and implementing modern data technologies (cloud data platforms, pipelines, storage layers, catalogues, etc.).
- Exceptional communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence at senior levels.
- Comfortable driving a data agenda in environments with legacy systems, evolving requirements, and strong regulatory constraints.
Desirable Skills:
- Experience working with finance systems and associated data structures.
- Familiarity with cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, or GCP), especially modern data stack tools.
- Background in enterprise transformation programmes.
- Knowledge of regulatory domains such as GDPR, financial reporting standards, or sector‑specific data controls.