Data Architect
Role - Data Architect
Location - London/Burgess Hill, UK (hybrid)
Type - Contract (Inside IR35) or Fixed Term (1 Year)
Role Overview
We are seeking an experienced Data Architect to join a large-scale financial services transformation project. The successful candidate will play a critical role in understanding, documenting, and architecting enterprise data structures across both traditional relational database platforms and modern distributed NoSQL environments.
This role requires strong expertise in RDBMS and NoSQL data architecture using Domain Driven Design and CQRS architectural patterns, enterprise/domain modelling, and the ability to work closely with business and technology stakeholders to define scalable, resilient, and well-governed data solutions for complex financial systems. Familiarity with Wide Column Database Technology (i.e. Cassandra) and distributed Databases (i.e. Yugabyte or GCP Spanner) an advantage
The ideal candidate combines deep technical knowledge with excellent communication and presentation skills and has prior experience working within financial markets, banking, or capital markets environments.
Key Responsibilities
- Understand, analyze, and document existing and target-state data architectures for large financial systems.
- Collaborate with business stakeholders, architects, application teams, and engineering leads to define enterprise data models and integration patterns.
- Develop and maintain:
- Domain models
- Conceptual data models
- Logical data models
- Physical data models
- Design scalable and high-performance database solutions across:
- Relational databases (Oracle/PostgreSQL)
- Distributed NoSQL platforms (Cassandra/YugabyteDB)
- Solutions on prem or on the Cloud
- Define data standards, modelling conventions, governance principles, and metadata documentation.
- Support enterprise-wide data strategy initiatives and contribute to architecture governance reviews.
- Produce architecture documentation, presentations, and technical artifacts for both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Assess current-state systems and recommend modernization or optimization opportunities.
- Work closely with development and infrastructure teams to ensure implementation aligns with architectural guidelines.
- Participate in data migration, integration, and transformation planning activities.
- Support performance, scalability, resiliency, and disaster recovery considerations within data architecture designs.
Required Skills & Experience
Technical Skills
- Strong experience in data architecture and enterprise data modelling.
- Domain driven design
- CQRS implementation
- Strong hands-on experience with NoSQL/distributed database design:
- Cassandra
- YugabyteDB
- Deep expertise in relational database design and modelling with RDBMS Technologies such as :
- Oracle
- PostgreSQL
- Solid understanding of:
- Data normalization and denormalization
- Distributed data design
- Data partitioning and replication strategies
- High availability and scalability patterns
- Experience creating:
- Domain models
- Conceptual models
- Logical models
- Physical models
- Hands-on experience with data modelling tools such as:
- ER/Studio (preferred)
- Hackolade (preferred)
- Strong knowledge of enterprise integration and data governance principles.
- Familiarity with cloud and hybrid data architectures is advantageous.
Functional / Domain Experience
- Experience working within:
- Financial services
- Capital markets
- Investment banking
- Trading platforms
- Risk or regulatory environments
- Strong understanding of financial data domains and transactional systems preferred.
Communication & Soft Skills
- Excellent English communication skills (written and verbal).
- Strong presentation and stakeholder engagement capabilities.
- Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both business and technical audiences.
- Strong analytical and documentation skills.
- Ability to work independently in a fast-paced enterprise environment.
- Collaborative mindset with strong problem-solving capabilities.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related discipline.
- Experience working on large enterprise transformation programs.
- Exposure to data governance and enterprise architecture frameworks.
- Financial industry certifications or architecture certifications are a plus.
