Data Architect

Talent; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 112,000 - 147,000; Full time

Job summary

Talent is seeking a hands-on Data Architect to lead architectural design and governance for enterprise data and automation initiatives within a major public sector body. You will own architectural activities across modern data platforms and intelligent automation capabilities, guiding from stabilization to scalable iteration.

You will partner with delivery teams to ensure designs meet governance standards, security requirements, and long-term data strategy while building cross-functional,

Qualifications

• Extensive experience delivering scalable data platforms with ETL/ELT pipelines.
• Proven track record across on-prem, cloud, and hybrid environments.
• Experience with intelligent automation or analytics in production.
• Ability to translate complex requirements into robust technical blueprints.
• Familiarity with architecture modeling notations and governance boards.
• Experience leading technical discussions and mentoring peers.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end architectural design and governance for core data platforms.
• Oversee intelligent automation platform architecture from discovery to production.
• Provide SME guidance for enterprise data initiatives across departments.
• Ensure designs comply with architecture principles and public sector standards.
• Collaborate with delivery teams across Agile, Waterfall, and hybrid models.

Skills

Data architecture

ETL/ELT pipelines

Data governance

Hybrid cloud

Intelligent automation

Archimate/UML

Leadership

Tools

ArchiMate

Job description

• Daily Rate: Up to £700 per day (Inside IR35)
• Location: Sheffield or Leeds (Hybrid: 3 days per week on-site)
• Security Clearance: BPSS (or eligibility to undergo BPSS clearance)
• Contract Length: Initial 6 months (with scope for extension)

Role Overview

We are looking for a hands‑on Data Architect to lead the architectural design and governance for critical enterprise data and automation initiatives within a major public sector body. In this role, you will take ownership of architectural activities across modern data platforms and intelligent automation capabilities. You will lead the transition from initial platform stabilization into progressive iteration, scaling capabilities across ingestion, transformation, exploitation, and data security.

Key Responsibilities

• Enterprise Data Platform Evolution: Lead the end-to-end architectural design and formal governance approval for core data and analytics platforms. Deliver initial stabilization followed by iterative enhancement across data ingestion, system integration, transformation, exploitation, and data security.
• Intelligent Automation: Lead the technical architecture and governance sign-off for a new intelligent automation platform designed to trial, scale, and productionize data-driven frontline operational improvements.
• Strategic SME Oversight: Provide subject matter expertise on enterprise-wide unified data platform initiatives, ensuring alignment with domain-specific requirements and long-term data strategy.
• Full Lifecycle Architecture Delivery: Partner closely with delivery teams to guide architectural solutions from discovery, concept, and prototyping through to deployment and live operation.
• Governance and Standards: Ensure designs strictly adhere to established architecture principles, target‑state patterns, tech radars, and public sector compliance standards.

Required Skills And Experience

• Proven Data Architecture Delivery: Deep experience architecting scalable data platforms covering complex ETL/ELT pipelines, warehousing/lakes, data governance, and secure data exploitation.
• Multi‑Environment Architecture: Demonstrable track record designing architectures across on‑premise, cloud, and hybrid infrastructures incorporating networking, security, presentation, middleware, databases, and enterprise integration.
• Intelligent Automation and Advanced Analytics: Practical architectural knowledge of intelligent automation, machine learning enablement, or advanced analytics integration in production environments.
• Translating Complex Requirements: Proven capability to translate intricate business and service‑design requirements into robust technical blueprints with clear, traceable lineage for diverse stakeholders.
• Delivery Frameworks: Extensive background collaborating with multidisciplinary delivery teams across Agile, Waterfall, and hybrid delivery models.
• Architecture Modeling: Strong proficiency using standard architecture modeling tools, notations (e.g., ArchiMate/UML), and documentation frameworks to present designs for technical governance boards.
• Leadership and Mentorship: Ability to lead technical discussions, advise senior leadership, and mentor engineering and architecture peers.

£650.00 - £700.00 / day