Data Architect

Ascendion; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading consultancy in data strategy in London is looking for a Data Strategy Consultant / Data Architect to lead data strategy projects for mergers and acquisitions. Candidates must have over 8 years of experience in a similar role, strong expertise in data governance, and knowledge of data platforms like Azure and AWS. This role offers a hybrid working model.

Qualifications

• 8+ years experience as a Data Architect or Consultant.
• Strong understanding of data governance and management.
• Experience with data strategies for M&A projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead data strategy and architecture for merger/demerger projects.
• Conduct data discovery and assessment to identify data sources.
• Develop and implement data governance frameworks.

Skills

Data governance

Data management

Stakeholder management

Data quality principles

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Tools

Azure

AWS

GCP

Collibra

Alation

Informatica

Job description

Overview

Job Title: Data Strategy Consultant / Data Architect
Location: London, UK (Hybrid)

Responsibilities

• Lead the data strategy and architecture workstream for merger/demerger projects, aligning data initiatives with overall business transformation goals.
• Conduct data discovery and assessment activities to identify data sources, quality issues, dependencies, and integration needs.
• Develop and implement data governance frameworks, ensuring compliance, consistency, and control across systems and entities.
• Define target data architectures and transition roadmaps to support the separation or integration of systems.
• Partner with business stakeholders, IT, and program leads to translate business requirements into actionable data strategies.
• Provide thought leadership on data management, governance, and analytics best practices.
• Support design and delivery of data migration and data quality improvement initiatives.
• Create and maintain data models, dictionaries, lineage documentation, and related artefacts.
• Advise on data platform choices (on-premises or cloud) to optimize performance, scalability, and compliance.

Key Skills & Experience

• Proven experience (8+ years) as a Data Architect, Data Strategy Consultant, or similar role.
• Strong understanding of data governance, data management, metadata management, and data quality principles.
• Demonstrated experience delivering data strategies for M&A or corporate restructuring (merger/demerger) projects.
• Expertise in data discovery, data lineage, and data mapping activities.
• Familiarity with data frameworks and standards such as DAMA-DMBOK, DCAM, or EDM Council best practices.
• Hands-on experience with data platforms (e.g., Azure, AWS, GCP), data cataloging tools (e.g., Collibra, Alation, Informatica), and ETL/Integration solutions.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence both business and technical teams.
• Strong analytical, documentation, and presentation abilities.