Data Architect

DATA ARCHITECT£550 - £600 per day

6 - months

We are representing a leading UK organisation recognised for its large-scale operations, strong public profile, and commitment to digital transformation. The organisation is undergoing a significant modernisation programme, with investment in technology, data, and cloud platforms to drive efficiency, transparency, and innovation across all business functions. With an emphasis on collaboration, inclusion, and continuous improvement, this organisation is seeking top-tier talent to help shape its future.

Role Overview & Responsibilities Our client is seeking an experienced Senior Data Architect to play a pivotal role in the migration of Finance and HR divisions onto Workday. This contractor will be instrumental in shaping the organisation's data strategy, building scalable architecture solutions, and ensuring data integrity, security, and governance.

Key responsibilities include:

• Designing and implementing scalable data architecture solutions aligned with business and industry standards.

• Supporting the migration of Finance and HR data and systems into Workday.

• Managing critical data elements in Purview Data Catalogue and ensuring effective usage across the business.

• Establishing and enforcing data governance, quality, and security standards.

• Developing a data operating model for BAU and ongoing product adoption.

• Driving data architecture evolution to support advanced analytics and AI over the next four years.

• Collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders to translate business requirements into data solutions.

• Providing technical leadership and mentorship to data architects, engineers, and analysts.

• Staying up to date with new technologies, and recommending improvements to architecture practices.

Technical Skills & Experience

Must-have:

• Extensive experience designing and implementing enterprise-scale data architectures

• Proficiency in data integration and ETL processes.

• Advanced skills in SQL, Python, or equivalent programming languages.

• Strong knowledge of data governance, data security, and compliance frameworks.

• Expertise in Master & Reference Data Management and Data Quality best practices.

• Cloud-based architecture experience (AWS, Azure, or GCP).

• Experience implementing data management frameworks and operating models.

Desirable:

• Master's degree or DAMA certification (CDMP).Proven expertise with Workday product and data integrations.

• Experience across different database architectures (Lakehouse, Relational, Document Store).

• Familiarity with observability tools, BI platforms (Power BI), or Agile methods.

• Knowledge of advanced analytics, data science, or NLP techniques.

Soft Skills

• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, able to bridge technical and non-technical conversations.

• Excellent problem-solving, attention to detail, and documentation skills.

• Proven leadership with the ability to mentor and guide teams.