Data Architect

TEKsystems; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Royal London is seeking an experienced Data Architect / Solution Architect to back a strategic transformation programme, shaping end-to-end data and application architectures and managing migration from legacy and third-party platforms.

The role is based in Glasgow or Edinburgh with a hybrid working pattern, focusing on cloud-enabled data platforms, governance and regulatory compliance, and close collaboration across engineering, platform, security and business teams.

Qualifications

• Proven data architect / solution architect on complex transformation programmes.
• Experience delivering large-scale data migration and platform transformation.
• Ability to design end-to-end architectures across data, applications and integrations.

Responsibilities

• Define and govern data architecture and solution architecture across the programme.
• Lead decisions on data migration, integration and target-state solutions.
• Create transition architectures from legacy and third-party platforms to cloud-based future landscape.
• Design scalable, secure, compliant end-to-end solutions.
• Collaborate with engineering, security, data and business teams to align with objectives.
• Provide architectural leadership across delivery teams.
• Support stakeholders in evaluating risk, cost, and long-term value.

Skills

Migration

Azure

Tools

Azure

Job description

One of the top UK's Mutual Life and Pension Companies are seeking an experienced Data Architect / Solution Architect to support a strategic transformation programme focused on bringing policy administration and associated data services back in-house.

Job Title

Data Architect

Location

Glasgow or Edinburgh (Hybrid)

Job Type

Contract

Description

This role will combine data architecture, solution architecture and large-scale migration expertise, helping define both the target-state architecture and the transition approach from legacy and third-party platforms into Royal London's future technology landscape. The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping end-to-end solutions, making critical architecture decisions, and ensuring business, technology and regulatory requirements are met throughout the programme.

Key Requirements

Essential Experience

• Proven Experience as a Data Architect, Solution Architect, or Hybrid Data/Solution Architect on complex transformation programmes.
• Strong Experience delivering large-scale data migration and platform transformation initiatives.
• Ability to design and govern end-to-end solution architectures, covering applications, integrations, data flows and target operating models.
• Experience working across both legacy and cloud-based technology environments.
• Strong understanding of Cloud/Azure technologies ideally, including:
• Azure Data Lake
• Azure Data Factory
• Databricks
• Synapse Analytics
• Azure SQL
• Strong data modelling, integration and enterprise architecture skills.
• Excellent stakeholder management and ability to communicate architectural decisions to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Industry Experience

• Financial Services Experience is essential.
• Experience operating within highly regulated environments.
• Experience supporting large-scale business or technology change programmes.

Highly Desirable

• Experience supporting Mergers & Acquisitions, business integrations, separations or carve-outs.
• Experience leading architecture workstreams across complex organisational change programmes.
• Experience with policy administration or customer data platforms.
• Knowledge of data governance, lineage, compliance and regulatory reporting.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and govern both data architecture and solution architecture across the strategic transformation programme
• Lead architecture decisions relating to data migration, integration, application design and target-state solutions.
• Create transition architectures that support migration from legacy and third-party platforms while avoiding long-term technical debt.
• Design scalable, secure and compliant end-to-end solutions across business and technology domains.
• Collaborate with engineering, platform, security, data and business teams to ensure solutions align with strategic objectives.
• Provide architectural leadership and challenge across programme delivery teams.
• Support senior stakeholders in evaluating trade-offs between risk, cost, speed and long-term business value.

Ideal Candidate

An experienced Data Architect or Solution Architect with deep data migration expertise, Financial Services Experience and exposure to complex integration or M&A programmes. Comfortable operating at both strategic and hands-on levels, with the ability to shape end-to-end solutions while driving key architectural decisions across a major transformation programme.

Skills

• Migration
• Azure