Databricks Architect

Data Architect – AWS & Databricks

Contract: Initial 6 months
Rate: £900–£950 per day, inside IR35
Location: London – 2–3 days per week on site

We are looking for an experienced Data Architect to join a major data transformation programme and play a key role in the design and delivery of a modern Cloud Data Platform.

The programme is currently in the build phase, with Databricks being used as a core component of the platform. This is an opportunity to join at an important stage of the transformation, helping to shape the architecture and provide technical leadership as the organisation moves from a legacy data estate towards a scalable, modern cloud platform.

You will be responsible for designing the target architecture, defining data patterns and standards, supporting migration strategy and providing architectural leadership throughout the delivery.

The role will require someone who can operate at a senior architectural level while also being highly collaborative, with the ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and architect a scalable, secure and highly available Cloud Data Platform on AWS.
• Provide architectural leadership across the Databricks implementation, ensuring the platform follows modern data architecture principles.
• Define and develop Medallion Architecture patterns across Bronze, Silver and Gold data layers.
• Define appropriate data ingestion, processing, storage and access patterns.
• Assess the existing data landscape and develop a clear strategy for migrating legacy data platforms into the new Cloud Data Platform.
• Develop a prioritised migration roadmap, identifying dependencies, risks and opportunities.
• Lead architectural input into the migration of legacy data systems onto the new platform.
• Identify opportunities for data consolidation, rationalisation and standardisation during migration.
• Define appropriate approaches for data validation, verification and reconciliation to ensure successful migrations and maintain data integrity.
• Produce high-quality architecture documentation, technical designs and architectural decision records.
• Work closely with engineering, data, security, architecture, programme and business stakeholders.
• Communicate complex architecture decisions and technical recommendations clearly to non-technical stakeholders and senior leadership.
• Provide technical challenge and guidance throughout the build and migration phases.
• Ensure architectural decisions align with wider platform, security, governance and organisational requirements.

Essential Experience

• Significant experience working as a Data Architect, Data Platform Architect or similar senior architecture position.
• Proven experience designing greenfield cloud data platforms.
• Strong AWS cloud architecture experience.
• Significant experience with Databricks, ideally within enterprise-scale implementations.
• Strong understanding and practical experience of Medallion Architecture, including Bronze, Silver and Gold layers.
• Experience designing modern data ingestion, processing and storage architectures.
• Proven experience with data migration and legacy modernisation programmes.
• Experience developing data migration strategies and roadmaps.
• Strong understanding of data quality, validation and reconciliation.
• Experience producing architecture documentation and communicating architectural decisions.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Demonstrable ability to translate complex technical concepts.
• Experience working on large-scale enterprise data transformation programmes.
• Experience migrating complex or fragmented legacy data estates into AWS.
• Experience working within highly governed or regulated environments.

This is a key architecture role within an ongoing cloud data transformation programme. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to influence the target-state architecture, shape how data is ingested and managed within the new platform, and provide architectural leadership as the organisation progresses through the build and migration phases.

We are particularly interested in speaking with architects who have designed modern data platforms from the ground up, rather than candidates whose experience has been limited to maintaining or supporting existing data environments. If this role sounds of interest, please apply to hear more.