Data Architect (Fabric)

Methods; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Autonomy

Leadership

Learning budget

Wellness program

Pension

Private medical insurance

Travel opportunities

Job summary

Methods is recruiting for a Data Architect with deep knowledge of Fabric architecture to join our team on a permanent basis. The role will be largely remote, with travel to client sites and our offices in London and Sheffield.

You will be the senior technical authority, defining direction, priorities, standards and decisions while accelerating data platform delivery. You will shape the Data Transformation Programme roadmap, guide engineering workstreams, mentor architects, and champion data

Qualifications

• Proficiency with Parquet/Delta Lake or other modern data storage formats.
• Excellent relational database design skills across SQL Server, PostgreSQL and cloud databases.
• Ability to communicate technical decisions to executives and secure agreement on direction.

Responsibilities

• Be the senior technical authority for the programme, defining technical direction, priorities, standards and decisions.
• Create and maintain the Data Transformation Programme roadmap and align workstreams to architecture and business goals.
• Lead architecture reviews, design authorities and governance forums; set data platform standards.

Skills

Data architecture

Azure data stack

Data modelling

Technical leadership

Stakeholder communication

Education

TOGAF 9 or AZ-305

CDMP

Bachelor’s in Computer Science

Tools

Azure SQL Server

CosmosDB

Azure Data Factory

Azure Databricks

OneLake

Power BI

Job description

• Methods is recruiting for a Data Architect with deep knowledge of Fabric architecture to join our team a permanent basis
• This role will be mainly remote but require flexibility to travel to client sites, and our offices based in London, Sheffield
• Be the senior technical authority for the programme, responsible for defining technical direction, priorities, standards and decision-making
• Be accountable for creating and maintaining the Data Transformation Programme roadmap and ensuring all workstreams align to the target architecture and business objectives
• Setting priorities
• Guiding technical workstreams
• Identifying incorrect or low-value activities
• Redirecting effort towards programme outcomes
• Uplift the capability of the existing team
• Mentor architects and engineers
• Establish good engineering practices
• Develop Fabric knowledge within both Methods and the customer team
• Chair or lead: Architecture reviews. Design authorities, Technical governance forums and Data platform standards reviews
• Advocate the business benefit of data standards, championing and governing those standards across projects and the organisation
• Demonstrate an overall perspective on business issues and activities, determining patterns, standards, policies, roadmaps and vision statements
• Make and guide effective decisions, explaining clearly how decisions have been reached and resolving technical disputes across varying levels of complexity and risk
• Communicate effectively across organisational, technical and political boundaries, making complex technical information accessible for non-technical audiences
• Design how to expose data from systems (APIs, real-time streams), link data from multiple systems, and deliver modern data services
• Ensure that risks associated with deployment are adequately understood and documented
• Design end-to-end data solutions from requirements through implementation, including technical documentation and architecture blueprints
• Lead complex data migration projects from legacy systems to modern cloud-native platforms
• Evaluate and recommend appropriate technologies across the modern data stack to meet specific client needs
• Enable transformative business decisions through robust, scalable data architectures
• Drive adoption of modern data platforms and AI-enabled analytics solutions
• Establish technical standards and architectural patterns that ensure quality, security, and maintainability
• Help cultivate a data-driven culture within client organisations and internally
• Deliver architectures that seamlessly integrate traditional and modern data systems

Benefits

• Autonomy to develop and grow your skills and experience
• Be part of exciting project work that is making a difference in society
• Strong, inspiring and thought-provoking leadership
• A supportive and collaborative environment
• Development access to LinkedIn Learning, a management development programme and training
• Wellness 24/7 Confidential employee assistance programme
• Social - Breakfast Tuesdays, Pizza Thursday monthly, weekly social in the office and commitment to charitable causes
• Time off 25 days a year
• Pension Salary Exchange Scheme with 4% employer contribution and 5% employee contribution
• Discretionary Company Bonus based on company and individual performance
• Life Assurance of 4 times base salary
• Private Medical Insurance which is non-contributory (spouse and dependants included)
• Worldwide Travel Insurance which is non-contributory (spouse and dependants included)
• Benefits Platform offering various retail and leisure discounts

Proficiency with Parquet/Delta Lake or other modern data storage formatsExcellent relational database design skills with expertise in diagnosing and optimising performance across SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and cloud databasesAbility to communicate technical decisions to non-technical executives and secure agreement on technical directionExperience processing and managing unstructured data types (text, images, logs, sensor data)Deep knowledge of the Azure data stack (Azure SQL Server, CosmosDB, Azure Data Factory, Purview, Synapse, Event Hub, Azure Databricks/Fabric)Knowledge of data architectures supporting AI/ML workloads, including vector databases, feature stores and MLOps pipelinesUnderstanding of Lambda and Kappa architectural patterns and when to apply eachExtensive data modelling experience: both normalised relational models and de-normalised Star Schema/dimensional modelsExperience with streaming architectures using Kafka, Event Hubs, or Kinesis for real-time data processingDeep knowledge of Fabric architecture, governance, OneLake, Real-Time Intelligence, Data Engineering, Warehousing and Power BI integrationCapability to influence senior stakeholders, programme sponsors and project boardsProven track record with complex data migration projects (terabyte+ datasets, multiple legacy source systems, structures and unstructured data)Exposure to high-performing, low latency or large volume data systemsKnowledge of and/or experience with Government Digital Service practices across Discovery/Alpha/Beta/Live phasesUnderstanding of vector databases and similarity search for AI applicationsKnowledge of how to design and analyse operational logs for data processing, and triage incidentsExperience with Infrastructure as Code and modern DevOps practicesAwareness of advances in AI technologies, data services, and architectural practicesPublic sector or defence experienceIndustry specialisation in specific sectors (Engineering, Manufacturing, Healthcare etc.)Relevant industry certifications such as TOGAF 9, CDMP (Certified Data Management Professional), or Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305)Understanding of data mesh or data fabric architectural approachesUKSV (United Kingdom Security Vetting) clearance is required for this role, with Security Check (SC) as the minimum standard, either already held or with a willingness to undergo the process. As part of the onboarding process candidates will be asked to complete a Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)