Lead Data Architect

Maxwell Bond; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 117,000 - 143,000; Full time

Job summary

Maxwell Bond is seeking a Lead Data Architect in London to drive Azure-based data architectures for insurance clients. The role is senior and client-facing, requiring strong commercial awareness and ability to engage with C-Suite stakeholders.

Hybrid working in London with 2-3 days onsite will shape delivery of strategic data solutions. The candidate will define data strategies, governance, and transformation roadmaps, and provide leadership across data engineering, cloud technologies, and

Qualifications

• Proven experience in senior data architecture roles.
• Experience in the insurance sector is essential.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication.
• Ability to translate business needs into data strategy.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and delivery of scalable, secure data architectures within the Azure ecosystem.
• Engage with senior stakeholders, including C-Suite executives, to align data strategy with business goals.
• Define data strategies, target architectures, and transformation roadmaps for insurance clients.
• Provide leadership across data engineering, architecture, cloud technologies, and integrations.
• Drive best practices across Azure platforms, governance, security, and architectural standards.
• Collaborate with business, analytics and tech teams to unlock data value for informed decisions.

Skills

Azure architecture

Stakeholder engagement

Leadership

Data governance

Insurance domain

Tools

Azure

SQL

Job description

Lead Data Architect

Salary: Up to £130,000 + Bonus

London - Hybrid (2-3 days onsite)

We're supporting a consultancy who are looking for a Lead Data Architect to join their team and help shape and deliver strategic data solutions for clients across the insurance sector.

This is a senior, client-facing role that would suit someone who combines deep Azure data architecture and engineering skills with strong commercial awareness and the ability to engage confidently with stakeholders at C-Suite and executive level. You'll play a key role in defining data strategies, influencing business decisions, and delivering modern, scalable cloud-based solutions that drive measurable business value.

As their Lead Data Architect, you’ll:

• Lead the design and delivery of scalable, secure, and business-aligned data architectures within the Azure ecosystem.
• Engage with senior stakeholders, including C-Suite executives, to understand business challenges and translate them into strategic technology solutions.
• Define data strategies, target architectures, and transformation roadmaps for insurance clients.
• Provide leadership across data engineering, architecture, cloud technologies, integrations, and modernisation programmes.
• Drive best practice across Azure data platforms, governance, security, and architecture standards.
• Work with business, analytics, and technology teams to unlock value from data and support informed decision-making.
• Support key insurance functions including underwriting, claims, policy administration, and customer operations.
• Present architecture recommendations and strategic insights to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Provide architectural governance and guidance throughout the full project lifecycle.

Key Requirements:

• Proven experience in a Lead Data Architect, Principal Data Architect, or similar senior architecture role.
• Strong expertise designing and delivering Azure-based data platforms and cloud architectures.
• Background in both data architecture and data engineering, with a strong understanding of modern data ecosystems.
• Demonstrable experience working within the insurance industry (essential).
• Commercially minded, with the ability to align technology decisions to business outcomes.
• Comfortable engaging with senior business leaders and influencing executive-level stakeholders.
• Strong communication, consulting, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience leading architecture strategy, governance, and transformation initiatives.

Salary Up to £130,000 base salary + bonus, Hybrid working (2-3 days onsite in their London office)