Enterprise Data Architect

Aztec Financial Services (UK) Limited; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible, hybrid working

Generous holiday allowance

Private medical insurance

Job summary

Aztec Financial Services (UK) Limited is seeking an Enterprise Data Architect to join our architecture team. You will own the Databricks Lakehouse platform, define target-state data architectures, and align the data strategy with our Azure-based environment to support analytics and AI initiatives.

You will collaborate with governance, security, and AI/ML teams, design data sharing patterns with external partners, implement MDM, and optimise performance and cost while ensuring GDPR compliance.

Qualifications

• Hands-on Databricks with Unity Catalog, Delta Lake, and workflows.
• Experience designing external data sharing patterns (Delta Sharing, APIs).
• Strong MDM design and data governance.
• Proficient in Azure data platform components and security controls.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain enterprise data architecture, roadmaps and standards.
• Own Databricks Lakehouse architecture including workspace and medallion design.
• Design data integration patterns for sharing data with external clients.
• Lead MDM initiatives including golden-record rules and stewardship.
• Ensure GDPR and data residency compliance across platforms.
• Collaborate with AI/ML teams on feature engineering and data pipelines.

Skills

Databricks

Azure

SQL

Python/Spark

Data Modeling

Data Governance

Security & Compliance

Communication

Stakeholder Management

Cost Optimisation

Tools

Delta Lake

Delta Sharing

Unity Catalog

Purview

APIs

Databricks Workflows

Job description

Overview

At Aztec, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce where everyone is valued, respected, and able to grow. We welcome applications from all individuals and encourage candidates who are excited about the role, even if every listed requirement is not met. We are seeking an Enterprise Data Architect to join the architecture team to help deliver our technology strategy on the Azure Data Platform, leveraging Databricks. This role reports to the Head of Enterprise Architecture and focuses on design, implementation, and maintenance of data models and related architecture.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain the enterprise data architecture, including target-state designs, roadmaps, and architectural standards and patterns.
• Own the architecture of the Databricks Lakehouse platform, including workspace design, Unity Catalog structure, medallion architecture, and environment strategy.
• Design and govern data integration patterns for sharing data with external clients and third parties, including secure, scalable approaches using Databricks Delta Sharing, APIs, and file-based exchange where appropriate.
• Lead the design and adoption of Master Data Management (MDM), including entity definitions, golden-record strategy, match-and-merge rules, and stewardship processes.
• Establish standards and practices for optimizing Databricks performance and cost — cluster and compute strategy, Delta table management, caching, and workload right-sizing.
• Define data modelling standards (conceptual, logical, physical) across analytical and operational domains.
• Collaborate with data governance to embed data quality, lineage, cataloguing, classification, and access-control policies into platform design.
• Ensure architectures meet security, privacy, and regulatory requirements, including GDPR and data residency considerations.
• Review solution designs, provide architectural assurance, and support engineering teams through design authority and peer review.
• Design data architectures that enable AI adoption — ensuring data is discoverable, well-governed, and AI-ready for machine learning, GenAI, and agentic use cases across the business.
• Partner with AI/ML teams to define patterns for feature engineering, model data pipelines, vector search, and safe exposure of enterprise data to AI systems.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and make pragmatic build/buy/adopt recommendations for data and AI enablement opportunities.

Qualifications

• Deep, hands-on proficiency with Databricks, including Unity Catalog, Delta Lake, workflows, and platform administration concepts.
• Practical experience with Databricks Delta Sharing and designing integration patterns for external data sharing (e.g. Delta Sharing, secure APIs, event streaming, managed file transfer), including security and contractual considerations.
• Strong track record designing and implementing Master Data Management solutions, including tooling selection, data stewardship models, and reference data management.
• Demonstrable expertise in Databricks performance and cost optimisation at scale.
• Strong data modelling skills (dimensional, 3NF, Data Vault or similar) and experience defining enterprise data models.
• Solid grounding in Azure, including storage, networking, and identity concepts relevant to data platforms.
• Experience with data governance frameworks and tools (e.g. Microsoft Purview), data quality management, metadata, and lineage tooling.
• Strong SQL and working knowledge of Python and/or Spark.
• Understanding of data security and privacy: encryption, access control (RBAC/ABAC), data masking, and regulatory compliance (GDPR).
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain architectural decisions to executive and non-technical audiences.

Benefits

• Discretionary bonus scheme
• Flexible, hybrid working
• Ability to work abroad for up to 3 weeks per annum
• Generous holiday allowance
• Pension scheme
• Private medical insurance, including eye care
• Life assurance (death in service and critical illness benefit)
• Worldwide travel insurance
• Health and wellbeing programmes
• On-site parking (location dependent)

We are an ambitious company, committed to building long-term partnerships with our clients and delivering operational excellence at every stage of our fund’s lifecycle. Our culture places people at the heart of the business, with values focused on putting clients first, delivering service excellence, teamwork, and ongoing professional development. Join us to explore a bright alternative and advance your career with Aztec.