Consulting Senior Manager - Principal Databricks Architect (DSA)

Cognizant; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognizant Consulting in London seeks a Consulting Senior Manager - Principal Databricks Data Architect to lead transforming a large data estate into a modern, trusted asset.

You will define target-state architecture and platform strategy, govern data products and data contracts, and present roadmaps to senior stakeholders including CDO/CTO/CIO. This hybrid role requires SC clearance and UK residency, with flexible office-based and client-site work.

Qualifications

• Experience designing target-state enterprise architectures for large data estates.
• Hands-on experience with the Databricks Lakehouse Platform.
• Knowledge of medallion architecture, data ontologies and data contracts.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and secure approvals.

Responsibilities

• Define target-state data architecture and ontology across the data estate.
• Direct data integration, engineering and pipeline standards.
• Present roadmaps, investment cases and risk positions to steering groups.
• Provide senior technical leadership across architecture review boards.
• Coach and mentor engineering teams on platform best practices.

Skills

Data architecture

Data governance

Stakeholder management

Security clearance

Platform leadership

Tools

Databricks Lakehouse Platform

Delta Lake

Unity Catalog

Apache Iceberg

Job description

About Cognizant Consulting

Cognizant Consulting is more than Cognizant’s consulting practice, we’re a global community of 5,000+ experts dedicated to helping clients reimagine their business. Blending our deep industry and technology advisory capability, we create innovative business solutions for Fortune 500 clients. And now, we’re looking for our next colleague who’ll join us in shaping the future of business. Could it be you?

About the role

As a Consulting Senior Manager - Principal Databricks Data Architect, you will make an impact by leading the transformation of a large, complex data estate into a modern, trusted and value-generating asset, defining the target-state data architecture, ontology and platform strategy that underpins enterprise analytics, AI and digital transformation. You will be a valued member of the Cognizant Consulting team and work collaboratively with steering groups, architecture review boards and senior stakeholders including CDO, CTO and CIO, and clients.

In this role, you will

• Define and govern the target-state data architecture, ontology, data products, data contracts, and medallion and data mesh architectures across a distributed technology landscape
• Direct data integration, engineering and pipeline standards, including enterprise-wide matching and entity resolution capabilities
• Present architecture roadmaps, investment cases and risk positions to steering groups, translating deep technical judgement into commercially compelling narrative
• Provide senior technical leadership across architecture review boards and design authorities, balancing long-term architectural vision with pragmatic, incremental delivery
• Coach and mentor engineering teams on platform best practice, embedding governance-by-design and reusable standards across the data estate

Work model

At Cognizant, we strive to provide flexibility wherever possible. Based on this role's business requirements, this is a hybrid position requiring 3 days a week in a client or Cognizant office in London. Regardless of your working arrangement, we are here to support a healthy work-life balance through our various wellbeing programs.

The working arrangements for this role are accurate as of the date of posting. This may change based on the project you're engaged in, as well as business and client requirements. Rest assured; we will always be clear about role expectations.

What you must have to be considered

• Proven track record designing target-state enterprise architectures for large, complex, multi-domain data estates spanning legacy, cloud and hybrid environments
• Comprehensive, hands-on experience architecting enterprise-scale solutions on the Databricks Lakehouse Platform, including workspace design, cluster strategy, Delta Lake and Unity Catalog
• Deep expertise in medallion architecture, data ontologies, data products and data contracts, with strong command of data quality frameworks such as Great Expectations
• Proven ability to architect enterprise integration, master data management, matching and entity resolution to produce trusted, deduplicated golden records
• Demonstrated experience presenting architecture strategy, investment cases and risk positions to Boards and Committees, with the gravitas to influence senior stakeholders (CDO, CTO, CIO). SC (Security Check) clearance is required, including 5 years' UK residency; successfully obtaining security clearance is a condition of employment

These will help you succeed

• Strong working knowledge of Apache Iceberg and open table formats, with the ability to architect interoperable strategies that avoid vendor lock-in
• Practical experience designing or transitioning organisations towards data mesh principles, including federated governance and domain-oriented ownership
• Experience establishing enterprise data governance frameworks covering quality, stewardship, privacy and regulatory compliance
• Experience designing identity resolution and linkage strategies across POLE (people, object, location, event) and operational domains
• Strong commercial acumen, able to translate technical architecture decisions into business value, cost and risk narratives for non-technical audiences

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