Senior Data Architect

Senior Data Architect Overview

A leading digital transformation and technology organization is seeking a Senior Data Architect to join its expanding Data & AI practice in Edinburgh, Scotland. This permanent position offers a salary of £110,000 GBP and is designed for an experienced professional in data architecture, particularly with a background in the UK Healthcare or Public Sector.

The successful candidate will take on a senior technical leadership role, collaborating closely with clients to address complex data challenges, define effective architecture strategies, and ensure that data solutions are scalable, secure, and fit for purpose. This position combines hands-on data architecture work, client consulting, technical leadership, and people management, making it ideal for someone ready to take on greater responsibility in both technical delivery and the development of other data professionals.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design of robust and scalable data architectures across complex transformation programs.
• Provide specialist guidance on data modeling, data structures, data flows, data sourcing, data transformation, data migration, and master data.
• Translate business and technical requirements into practical data architecture solutions.
• Assess existing data environments and identify opportunities for improvement, modernization, and optimization.
• Provide architecture assurance throughout the project lifecycle, ensuring solutions meet business, technical, and regulatory requirements.
• Establish and promote data architecture standards, patterns, methodologies, and best practices.
• Support the resolution of complex data definition, ownership, mastering, and information-management challenges.
• Contribute to solution-level and enterprise data architecture decisions where required.
• Evaluate and recommend appropriate data technologies and products based on client requirements.
• Work directly with clients to understand their data challenges, requirements, and strategic objectives.
• Build effective relationships with technical and non-technical stakeholders, including senior decision-makers.
• Communicate complex data architecture concepts clearly to audiences with different levels of technical expertise.
• Provide independent advice and thought leadership on data architecture, technology, and emerging industry practices.
• Facilitate discussions and workshops to help clients establish clear data strategies and architectural direction.
• Act as a trusted advisor, challenging assumptions and helping clients make informed technology decisions.
• Help organizations establish effective data governance frameworks, processes, and controls.
• Support the definition of information-handling models across heterogeneous data environments.
• Address data quality, ownership, metadata, and master-data challenges.
• Contribute to capacity planning and architectural decision-making across multiple data-storage technologies.
• Help clients develop sustainable approaches to managing data throughout its lifecycle.
• Design and assure solutions across modern data-platform environments.
• Contribute to data lake architecture and solutions operating within data lake ecosystems.
• Assess different approaches to data storage, integration, processing, and analytics.
• Maintain awareness of emerging cloud, data platform, analytics, and AI technologies and their practical application within enterprise environments.
• Manage, coach, and develop a small team of data professionals.
• Support individual performance, career planning, and professional development.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to junior and experienced members of the wider data community.
• Create an environment that encourages knowledge sharing, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Help strengthen organizational data architecture capability through the development of standards, reusable approaches, and technical expertise.

What They’re Looking For

The ideal candidate will possess substantial experience in Data Architecture, along with strong client-facing and technical leadership skills. They should have:

• Professional experience within the UK Healthcare or Public Sector.
• Strong technical expertise across data modeling, data analysis, metadata management, data transformation, data migration, and master data.
• A proven track record of providing technical leadership across data projects and programs.
• Experience in architecture assurance, mentoring, and defining technical standards.
• Strong knowledge of recognized data architecture methodologies, patterns, and best practices.
• Experience selecting data products and technologies at project or enterprise level.
• Demonstrable ability to engage effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Confidence in providing technical thought leadership to clients and internal teams.
• Strong knowledge of at least three mainstream data technologies, along with an understanding of wider developments within the data technology landscape.
• A proactive approach and the ability to operate effectively when requirements, priorities, or technical environments are uncertain.
• Previous experience managing, coaching, or developing junior data professionals.

Desirable Experience

Experience in the following areas would be advantageous:

• Defining information-handling models across heterogeneous data-storage technologies.
• Capacity planning across complex data environments.
• Establishing and embedding data governance processes and frameworks.
• Designing and implementing data lake architectures.
• Working with solutions built within modern data lake ecosystems.
• Enterprise-level Data Architecture and strategic data planning.
• Experience within highly regulated, complex, or large-scale public-sector environments.
• Awareness of modern cloud data platforms and emerging Data & AI technologies.

Degree Requirement: Not Specified

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