Lead Data Architect

Project overview

Lead Data Architect

UK - Hybrid

6 - 12 Month Contract (Outside IR35)

Realtime is looking for an experienced Data Architect who will join one of the most exciting projects across the UK. Reporting to the Head of Data & AI, you will lead the enterprise data architecture capability during one of the project's most critical phases.

This role requires someone who has a proven track record of quickly assessing and understanding a complex landscape while working alongside key business stakeholders, conveying data architecture strategies, standards and designs.

Responsibilities

Experience Required:

For more information, please apply.

• Set the principles, standards and models that shape the organisation's data architecture, and deliver a target-state design with a realistic transition roadmap tied to business capabilities
• Lead the architecture of Azure-based data and analytics platforms, setting patterns from ingestion through to consumption that are scalable, secure and cost-efficient, and that support reliable BI, AI and machine learning.
• Put practical governance controls in place, covering metadata, lineage, quality and retention, so that designs meet privacy, security and regulatory obligations
• Sit on design authorities to assess solutions against enterprise standards, offering pragmatic guidance to programmes and suppliers and influencing senior stakeholders by turning business priorities into strategic data investment decisions.
• 10+ years' experience in senior or lead data architecture roles within complex transformation programmes.
• Strong hands-on experience with modern Azure data services and Microsoft data ecosystems.
• Deep expertise in data modelling, warehousing, data lakes and lakehouse patterns, as well as metadata, lineage, master data and data quality.
• Solid grasp of API, batch, event-driven and wider data integration architectures.
• Experience defining architecture standards, target states, roadmaps and governance processes.
• Comfortable working with executive stakeholders, delivery leaders, product teams and third-party suppliers.
• Able to think and act strategically while staying hands-on with models, designs, reviews and decisions.
• Enterprise architecture experience with Microsoft Fabric and Power BI.
• Architecting for AI, advanced analytics and machine learning use cases.
• Experience setting up data architecture or governance functions from scratch.
• Familiarity with TOGAF; better if TOGAF certified

Project details

• Start: ASAP
• Duration: 6-12 months
• Location: Milton Keynes, UK, GB