Data Architect / Lead Data Engineer

Hewett Recruitment; Worcester; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Hybrid working

Company pension

Life assurance

Critical illness cover

25 days holiday

Holiday purchase scheme

Flexible start/finish

Employee discounts

Wellbeing benefits

Job summary

Hewett Recruitment in Worcester is seeking a Data Architect / Lead Data Engineer to shape data architecture while delivering hands-on engineering. You will work across cloud data platforms including Databricks, building data pipelines, governance and analytics capabilities.

The role blends architectural leadership with practical delivery across data products and platforms. Ideal candidates will have extensive Databricks experience, advanced data modelling skills, and proficiency in Python,

Qualifications

• Databricks experience is essential and hands-on.
• Experience with Unity Catalog, notebooks, Delta Lake or Delta Live Tables.
• Proficient in data modelling (relational, dimensional, Data Vault).
• Strong Python, PySpark or SQL skills.
• Experience building or improving cloud-based data platforms.
• Familiarity with batch, streaming or event-driven integration.
• Experience with Azure data services is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Define and evolve data architecture principles, standards and roadmaps.
• Design conceptual, logical and physical data models.
• Hands-on work with Databricks, notebooks and data pipelines.
• Support delivery of internal and customer-facing data products.
• Review designs and guide engineering teams on architecture decisions.
• Establish reusable patterns and reduce duplications and debt.
• Support data quality, metadata, lineage and access controls via Unity Catalog.
• Design batch, streaming and event-driven integration approaches.
• Assist migration from legacy systems to modern cloud platforms.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring without direct management.

Skills

Databricks experience

Unity Catalog

Notebooks

Delta Lake/Delta Live Tables

Data lakehouse architecture

Advanced data modelling

Python

PySpark

SQL

Cloud platforms

Data migration

Batch/streaming integration

Azure data services

Power BI or analytics tools

Data governance and security

Technical leadership

Tools

Databricks

Job description

Data Architect / Lead Data Engineer - Databricks

Worcester | Hybrid working
£70,000 - £80,000 plus bonus and benefits
Permanent

We are recruiting for a newly created Data Architect position within an established technology-led organisation based in Worcester.

This is a hands-on role for someone who can combine data architecture with practical engineering delivery. You will help shape the organisation's data architecture while remaining close to the technology, building solutions, reviewing designs and supporting the delivery of new data products.

We are open to experienced Data Architects as well as Lead or Principal Data Engineers who already take ownership of architecture and platform design.

The role

You will work across modern cloud data platforms, helping the organisation improve how data is structured, governed, integrated and delivered. The environment includes Databricks, cloud technologies, data lakes, analytics, reporting and emerging AI and machine-learning products.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Defining and evolving data architecture principles, standards and technical roadmaps
• Designing conceptual, logical and physical data models
• Remaining hands-on with Databricks, notebooks, pipelines and data modelling
• Supporting the delivery of internal and customer-facing data products
• Reviewing technical designs and helping engineering teams make sound architectural decisions
• Establishing reusable patterns and reducing duplication and technical debt
• Supporting data quality, metadata, lineage and access controls through Unity Catalog
• Designing batch, streaming and event-driven integration approaches
• Helping migrate data from legacy systems into modern cloud platforms
• Providing technical leadership and mentoring without direct line-management responsibility
• Working closely with data engineering, data science, product and governance teams

What we are looking for

Databricks experience is essential. You should be comfortable working directly with the platform rather than operating purely at a strategic level.

Ideally, your experience will include several of the following:

• Strong commercial experience with Databricks
• Unity Catalog, notebooks, Delta Lake or Delta Live Tables
• Data lakehouse and medallion architecture
• Advanced data modelling, including relational, dimensional, Data Vault or similar approaches
• Python, PySpark or SQL
• Building or improving cloud-based data platforms
• Large-scale data migration or platform-modernisation projects
• Batch, streaming or event-driven data integration
• Azure data services, although other cloud-platform experience will be considered
• Power BI or other reporting and analytics technologies
• Data governance, lineage, quality and security
• Technical leadership, design assurance or architectural decision-making

You will need to be collaborative and approachable, with the technical authority to guide others while remaining willing to get involved in delivery. This would suit someone who enjoys solving problems with engineering teams rather than working as a purely high-level or documentation-focused architect.

Previous experience within insurance, financial services or another regulated environment would be useful, but it is not essential.

What is on offer

• Salary of £70,000 - £80,000 depending on experience
• Annual bonus opportunity
• Hybrid working with 2 days per week in the Worcester office
• Company pension
• Life assurance and critical illness cover
• 25 days' holiday, increasing with service
• Holiday purchase scheme
• Flexible start and finish times
• Employee discounts and wellbeing benefits