Senior Data Architect

Senior Data Architect (Contract) Contract Length: 6 months Rate: £800 per day IR35 Status: Inside IR35 Location: London, Manchester or Bristol (hybrid working expected) We are seeking an experienced Senior Data Architect to support the design and evolution of enterprise-wide data architecture within a large, complex organisation. The role focuses on translating business and user needs into scalable, secure, and standards-driven data solutions, while providing technical leadership across data architecture practices. This is a senior-level contract position requiring strong stakeholder engagement, strategic thinking, and hands-on architectural expertise across modern data platforms. Key Responsibilities • Translate business, operational, and user needs into clear and sustainable data architecture designs aligned to organisational strategy. • Provide technical leadership and guidance to data architects and delivery teams, supporting consistent adoption of data standards and best practices. • Define, evolve, and promote data architecture principles, patterns, and reusable assets across multiple programmes and domains. • Collaborate closely with solution architects, engineers, and platform teams to embed data architecture into cloud-native and hybrid solutions. • Champion data as a strategic asset, supporting approaches such as data-as-a-product and trusted data sharing. • Design and maintain conceptual, logical, and physical data models across complex subject areas. • Lead on metadata management approaches, including the design and improvement of metadata repositories and tooling. • Ensure data governance, quality, and compliance considerations are built into architectures from the outset. • Support cross-domain problem solving where data challenges span multiple business areas or systems. Required Skills & Experience • Proven experience operating as a Senior or Lead Data Architect within large-scale, complex environments. • Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences. • Expertise in data modelling techniques, standards, and industry-recognised patterns. • Solid understanding of data governance, data quality, and metadata management. • Experience designing data architectures for cloud-based and hybrid platforms. • Ability to analyse existing data landscapes and reverse-engineer data models from live systems. • Strong problem-solving skills, with experience resolving complex data-related issues across teams. • Strategic mindset with the ability to align architectural decisions to wider organisational goals. Desirable Experience • Experience working in highly regulated or public-sector environments. • Exposure to modern data platforms, analytics ecosystems, and data integration patterns. • Familiarity with enterprise data strategy and operating models.