Data Architect

We are seeking an experienced Data Architect to join on an initial 6-month contract. You will play a key role in shaping and delivering a modern data architecture on Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Fabric, supporting both operational and analytical use cases across the organisation. Client Details Our client is a large, publicly funded cultural institution with a national remit. It is responsible for preserving and sharing significant collections, supporting learning and research, and engaging diverse audiences through exhibitions, programmes, and digital experiences. As part of ongoing modernisation efforts, the organisation is investing in its data platform to better support insight, accessibility, and long-term sustainability. Description • Define and own end-to-end data architecture aligned to organisational and platform strategy • Design scalable, secure, and maintainable data solutions using Azure and Microsoft Fabric • Provide architectural guidance across ingestion, storage, transformation, and analytics layers • Support the adoption of Microsoft Fabric (including lakehouse and semantic models) • Establish data modelling standards (conceptual, logical, physical) for analytics and reporting • Ensure solutions align with data governance, security, and compliance requirements • Collaborate with delivery teams to support implementation and resolve design issues • Communicate architectural decisions clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders Profile • Strong experience as a Data Architect in complex organisations • Deep hands-on knowledge of Microsoft Azure data services • Practical experience designing solutions using Microsoft Fabric • Strong understanding of modern data architectures (lakehouse, analytics platforms, cloud-natve design) • Experience with data modelling, integration patterns, and analytics workloads • Ability to work in a consultative, stakeholder-facing environment • Experience in public sector, cultural, or heritage organisations is advantageous but not essential Job Offer • Competitive day rate TBC • IR35 status TBC • Hybrid working - London based office • 6 month contract