Data Architect - Contract

Forward Role; Manchester; Remote; GBP 111,000 - 185,000; Part time

Job summary

Forward Role is seeking a seasoned data architect to lead a new data architecture function for a well-known UK business. You will own analytics data modelling standards, guide a capable team, and drive ownership from day one in a remote role with occasional on-site travel.

You will shape how data is modeled for analytics, collaborate with business stakeholders, and coach others while setting the standards for the practice.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a data architect or senior data modeller leading analytical model design.
• Strong Kimball and dimensional modelling expertise, including grain and conformed dimensions.
• Hands-on experience with Snowflake and working knowledge of dbt.
• Confidence working with business stakeholders and translating requirements into clear designs.
• Track record of setting standards and coaching or mentoring others.

Responsibilities

• Understand how the business operates, including processes, events, and data creation points.
• Collaborate with business teams to define measurement needs and build a shared data language.
• Design dimensional models and data marts in Snowflake.
• Decide grain, keys, and dimensions reusable across the business.
• Transform complex source data into clean, business-friendly models.
• Produce conceptual, logical and physical data models.
• Partner with the solution architect and hand designs to data/BI engineers in dbt.
• Set modelling standards and coach the team.

Skills

Data architecture

Dimensional modelling

Kimball method

Stakeholder engagement

Team coaching

Retail/ecommerce experience

Tools

Snowflake

dbt

Job description

Contract length: 6 months initially
Rate: Competitive day rate, outside IR35
Location: Remote, with occasional travel on site

The opportunity

A well-known UK business is building a data architecture function from scratch and needs a seasoned data architect to lead it. You'll own how data is modelled for analytics, set the standards, and bring a capable team along with you.

This isn't a role for someone who waits to be told what to build. They want someone who has done it before, takes ownership from day one, and enjoys coaching others as they go.

What you'll be doing

• Getting under the skin of how the business works, from processes and key events to where data is created along the way
• Working with business teams to agree what they need to measure and how, and building a shared language around it
• Designing dimensional models and subject-area data marts in Snowflake
• Making the key design decisions: grain, keys, and dimensions that can be reused across the business
• Turning complex source data into clean, business-friendly models
• Producing conceptual, logical and physical models
• Partnering with the solution architect, and handing designs over to data and BI engineers who build in dbt
• Setting modelling standards and coaching the team

What you'll bring

• Proven experience as a data architect or senior data modeller, owning analytical model design
• Strong Kimball and dimensional modelling expertise, including grain and conformed dimensions
• Hands-on experience with Snowflake, and a good working knowledge of dbt
• Confidence working with business stakeholders and turning requirements into clear designs
• A track record of setting standards and coaching or mentoring others
• Retail or ecommerce experience is a real bonus