Data Architect

Reply; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Reply is hiring a Data Architect to design practical, scalable, and secure data solutions with a strong emphasis on Microsoft Azure. You will engage with clients, delivery teams, and stakeholders to translate business needs into architectures spanning ingestion, storage, and analytics.

The role progresses from data engineering toward architecture and governance, with a focus on secure, maintainable, cost-aware designs.

Qualifications

• Experience in data engineering, data solution design, or data architecture roles.
• Strong expertise in Microsoft Azure data services and modern cloud platforms.
• Experience with Azure Data Factory, Databricks, Synapse Analytics, Fabric, or Data Lake Storage.

Responsibilities

• Design end-to-end data solutions across ingestion, transformation, storage, modelling, and consumption layers.
• Work with clients to understand business goals, reporting needs, data challenges, and technical constraints.
• Produce high-quality architecture documentation, solution designs, and data models.
• Design secure, scalable, resilient, and supportable data platforms and solutions.
• Define patterns for data integration, transformation, storage, and analytics.
• Support the design of lakehouse, warehouse, and reporting solutions using Azure-based services.
• Ensure data quality, lineage, governance, and security are incorporated into solution design.
• Collaborate with engineers and consultants and facilitate workshops and design discussions with clients and delivery teams.
• Evaluate design options and contribute to best practices, reusable assets, and mentoring of junior team members.

Skills

Azure data services

Data modelling

Data governance

Client-facing

Python/SQL/Spark

Tools

Databricks

Synapse Analytics

Power BI

Fabric

Data Factory

Purview

Job description

Reply specialises in designing and implementing solutions based on new communication channels and digital media. Structured as a network of highly specialised companies, Reply supports leading European industrial groups in sectors such as Telco & Media, Industry and Services, Banking and Insurance, and Public Administration, helping define and develop business models enabled by new paradigms such as AI, Cloud Computing, Digital Media, and the Internet of Things. Reply's services include Consulting, System Integration, and Digital Services.

Role Overview:

As a Data Architect, you will design practical, scalable, and secure data solutions for clients, with a strong focus on Microsoft Azure and modern data platform services. You will work closely with customers, delivery teams, and internal stakeholders to understand business requirements, define data architectures, and support the successful delivery of analytics and data platform solutions. This role is suited to someone with a solid background in data engineering or data solution design who is ready to take the next step into architecture, shaping end-to-end solutions across ingestion, storage, transformation, modelling, governance, and consumption. You will help clients improve the quality, accessibility, structure, and value of their data, ensuring solutions are robust, maintainable, and aligned to business goals while considering security, performance, resilience, and cost. This is a hybrid role either based in Manchester or London.

Responsibilities:

• Design end-to-end data solutions across ingestion, transformation, storage, modelling, and consumption layers
• Work with clients to understand business goals, reporting needs, data challenges, and technical constraints
• Produce high-quality architecture documentation, solution designs, and data models
• Design secure, scalable, resilient, and supportable data platforms and solutions
• Define patterns for data integration, transformation, storage, and analytics
• Support the design of lakehouse, warehouse, and reporting solutions using Azure-based services
• Ensure data quality, lineage, governance, and security are incorporated into solution design
• Collaborate with engineers and consultants and facilitate workshops and design discussions with clients and delivery teams
• Evaluate design options and contribute to best practices, reusable assets, and mentoring of junior team members

About the Candidate:

• Experience in data engineering, data solution design, or data architecture roles, with strong expertise in Microsoft Azure data services and modern cloud platforms (e.g. Databricks)
• Good understanding of end-to-end data architecture, including ingestion, transformation, storage, modelling, and reporting
• Experience with Azure services such as Data Factory, Databricks, Synapse Analytics, Fabric, or Data Lake Storage
• Strong understanding of data modelling concepts, including logical, physical, dimensional, and analytical models
• Ability to design practical, maintainable data solutions aligned to business and technical requirements, and produce architecture artefacts and technical documentation
• Experience working in customer-facing roles, engaging effectively with clients and stakeholders
• Strong understanding of data quality, security, access control, and governance principles, with good communication, facilitation, and problem-solving skills
• Self-sufficient and collaborative, with the ability to work independently, alongside a structured, detail-oriented, and outcome-focused approach
• Experience with Microsoft Fabric, lakehouse architectures, and hands-on development using Python, SQL, or Spark would be advantageous, along with familiarity with integration technologies
• Knowledge of DevOps practices, Infrastructure as Code, data governance tools (e.g. Purview), Power BI, other cloud platforms, and exposure to AI/ML use cases would be beneficial

Reply is an Equal Opportunities Employer and committed to embracing diversity in the workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type regardless of age, sexual orientation, gender, identity, pregnancy, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, disability, medical history, skin colour, marital status or parental status or any other characteristic protected by the Law.

Reply is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. To help you during the recruitment process, please let us know of any Reasonable Adjustments you may need.