Lead Data Architect - Cheltenham

Sanderson Government and Defence; Cheltenham; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Sanderson Government and Defence in the United Kingdom is seeking an experienced Lead Data Architect to shape and deliver secure, large-scale data platforms for high-profile, mission-critical programmes. You will lead data strategy, design resilient cloud architectures, and guide teams across complex environments.

The role requires strong collaboration with senior stakeholders, deep AWS expertise, and a focus on regulatory compliance and security by design.

Qualifications

• 6 years experience in data architecture on complex, secure programmes.
• Strong hands-on AWS experience including EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda, and Redshift.
• Experience leading, mentoring, and developing technical teams.
• Exposure to cyber security and secure-by-design principles.
• Desirable Scala, Spark, and wider big data ecosystem experience.

Responsibilities

• Engage with senior stakeholders to understand requirements and provide strategic data architecture guidance.
• Design and deliver secure, scalable data platforms aligned to performance and regulatory requirements.
• Architect cloud-native batch and real-time data solutions using AWS and other public cloud platforms.
• Provide technical leadership across cross-functional teams and set best practice standards.
• Design data models, ETL pipelines, warehousing solutions, and distributed systems.
• Build and support real-time streaming platforms using Apache Flink and related technologies.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards and government regulations.
• Track delivery against agreed designs and manage design deviations.
• Support pre-sales and bids with technical input and solution design.
• Advise on data standard breaches and recommend remediation approaches.
• Stay current with emerging data, cloud, and security technologies.

Skills

Data architecture

AWS

Flink

Cloud platforms

Leadership

Security by design

Tools

EC2

S3

RDS

Lambda

Redshift

Azure

GCP

Spark

Scala

DevOps

ETL

Job description

Salary: £100,000 - 100,000 per year

Requirements

• 6 years experience in data architecture on complex, secure programmes
• Strong hands-on AWS experience, including EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda, and Redshift; Azure or GCP is a bonus
• Proven experience using Apache Flink for real-time, high-throughput data processing
• Experience leading, mentoring, and developing technical teams
• Confidence engaging with senior technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Knowledge of recognised data modelling patterns and standards
• Experience working in sensitive or regulated data environments
• Exposure to cyber security teams and secure-by-design principles
• Desirable experience with Scala, Spark, and wider big data ecosystems
• Strong understanding of cloud operating models, DevOps, and modern delivery practices

Responsibilities

• Engage with senior stakeholders to understand requirements and provide strategic data architecture guidance
• Design and deliver secure, scalable data platforms aligned to performance and regulatory requirements
• Architect cloud-native batch and real-time data solutions using AWS and other public cloud platforms
• Provide technical leadership across cross-functional teams and set best practice standards
• Design data models, ETL pipelines, warehousing solutions, and distributed systems
• Build and support real-time streaming platforms using Apache Flink and related technologies
• Ensure compliance with industry standards and government regulations
• Track delivery against agreed designs and manage design deviations
• Support pre-sales and bids with technical input and solution design
• Advise on data standard breaches and recommend remediation approaches
• Stay current with emerging data, cloud, and security technologies

Technologies

• AWS
• Lambda
• Redshift
• Architect
• Azure
• Big Data
• Cloud
• DevOps
• EC2
• ETL
• Flink
• GCP
• Support
• Scala
• Security
• Spark

More

We are hiring an experienced Lead Data Architect to shape and deliver secure, large-scale data solutions for high-profile, mission-critical programmes. You will play a key role in defining data strategy, designing resilient cloud architectures, and leading teams working on complex, sensitive data platforms. We value respect, equality, and inclusion, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and perspectives. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know when you apply or speak with our recruiters so we can support you.

last updated 33 week of 2026