Data Architect

Methods Analytics (MA) is recruiting for a Data Architect to join our team a permanent basis.

This role will be mainly remote but require flexibility to travel to client sites and our offices based in London Sheffield and Bristol.

What Youll Be Doing as a Data Architect:

• Advocate the business benefit of data standards championing and governing those standards across projects and the organisation

• Demonstrate an overall perspective on business issues and activities determining patterns standards policies roadmaps and vision statements

• Make and guide effective decisions explaining clearly how decisions have been reached and resolving technical disputes across varying levels of complexity and risk

• Communicate effectively across organisational technical and political boundaries making complex technical information accessible for non-technical audiences

• Design how to expose data from systems (APIs real-time streams) link data from multiple systems and deliver modern data services

• Ensure that risks associated with deployment are adequately understood and documented

• Design end-to-end data solutions from requirements through implementation including technical documentation and architecture blueprints

• Lead complex data migration projects from legacy systems to modern cloud-native platforms

• Evaluate and recommend appropriate technologies across the modern data stack to meet specific client needs

• Mentor junior team members and collaborate with data engineers software engineers data scientists and business stakeholders

Your Impact:

• Enable transformative business decisions through robust scalable data architectures

• Drive adoption of modern data platforms and AI-enabled analytics solutions

• Establish technical standards and architectural patterns that ensure quality security and maintainability

• Help cultivate a data-driven culture within client organisations and internally

• Deliver architectures that seamlessly integrate traditional and modern data systems

You Will Demonstrate:

• Deep knowledge of the Azure data stack (Azure SQL Server CosmosDB Azure Data Factory Purview Synapse Event Hub Azure Databricks/Fabric)

• Extensive data modelling experience: both normalised relational models and de-normalised Star Schema/dimensional models

• Excellent relational database design skills with expertise in diagnosing and optimising performance across SQL Server PostgreSQL and cloud databases

• Proven track record with complex data migration projects (terabyte datasets multiple legacy source systems structures and unstructured data)

• Proficiency with Parquet/Delta Lake or other modern data storage formats

• Experience with streaming architectures using Kafka Event Hubs or Kinesis for real-time data processing

• Knowledge of data architectures supporting AI/ML workloads including vector databases feature stores and MLOps pipelines

• Experience processing and managing unstructured data types (text images logs sensor data)

• Understanding of Lambda and Kappa architectural patterns and when to apply each

You May Also Have:

• Exposure to high-performing low latency or large volume data systems

• Knowledge of and/or experience with Government Digital Service practices across Discovery/Alpha/Beta/Live phases

• Understanding of vector databases and similarity search for AI applications

• Experience with Infrastructure as Code and modern DevOps practices

• Knowledge of how to design and analyse operational logs for data processing and triage incidents

• Awareness of advances in AI technologies data services and architectural practices

• Industry specialisation in specific sectors (Engineering Manufacturing Healthcare etc.)

• Public sector or defence experience

• Experience with modern unified data platforms like Databricks or Microsoft Fabric

• Understanding of data mesh or data fabric architectural approaches

• Relevant industry certifications such as TOGAF 9 CDMP (Certified Data Management Professional) or Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305)

Security Clearance:

UKSV (United Kingdom Security Vetting) clearance is required for this role with Security Check (SC) as the minimum standard either already held or with a willingness to undergo the process. Some roles/projects may require Developed Vetting (DV) clearance; while not mandatory a willingness to obtain DV clearance would be beneficial. As part of the onboarding process candidates will be asked to complete a Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS); details of the evidence required to apply may be found on the government website Government baseline personnel security standard. If you are unable to meet this and any associated criteria then your employment may be delayed or rejected. Details of this will be discussed with you at interview.

Our Hiring Process

At Methods Analytics we believe in a transparent hiring process. Heres what you can expect:

1. Internal Application Review
2. Initial Phone Screen
3. Technical Interview
4. Collaborative Technical Exercise
5. Final Interview
6. Offer