Data Architect - 24 month FTC

Affinity Water

. Develop conceptual, logical, and physical data models for operational, analytical, and regulatory workloads .

Posted 11/4/2026full-timeHatfield • United KingdomMid-LevelSeniorWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in data architecture, including conceptual, logical, and physical data modeling, while ensuring alignment with governance frameworks and data quality standards. Proficient in leading architectural design and implementation across cloud data platforms, with a strong focus on stakeholder communication and collaboration.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Data ArchitectureData Governance FrameworksData Quality ManagementCloud Data PlatformsData Modeling Expertise

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Hard Skills

Data ModelingData Quality RulesData GovernanceData IntegrationETL/ELT PipelinesMaster Data ManagementMetadata ManagementArchitectural DesignData MeshAI/ML Data Preparation

Soft Skills

Stakeholder ManagementCoachingCollaborationCommunicationLeadership

Tools & Technologies

SnowflakeDatabricksAzure SynapseBigQueryRedshiftKafkaEventHubInfosphereAlationInformatica

Industry Keywords

Regulated SectorsFinancial ServicesUtilitiesHealthData Stewardship

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Amazon RedshiftAzureBigQueryCloudETLInformaticaKafkaSnowflakeVault

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Develop conceptual, logical, and physical data models for operational, analytical, and regulatory workloads
Create and maintain data architecture blueprints and reference architectures covering ingestion, integration, storage, lineage, and consumption
Define modelling patterns and guide teams on when and how to apply them
Optimise physical designs for performance, scalability, cost, and resilience across cloud data platforms
Lead design reviews and ensure models are accurate, high-quality, and aligned with business capabilities and domain boundaries
Define data ownership and stewardship models and contribute to the governance operating framework
Build and maintain data dictionaries, business glossaries, critical data elements, and metadata standards
Ensure data solutions align with lineage, retention, access, and security requirements
Support governance forums and collaborate with business stewards on consistent definitions and controlled change
Embed data quality rules and dimensions across ETL/ELT and streaming pipelines
Design data quality metrics, alerts, and monitoring frameworks
Partner with engineering teams to implement automated data-quality checks, profiling, and remediation patterns
Lead architectural discovery, capture business needs, translate them into data requirements, and shape programme or solution scope
Manage and communicate architectural decisions with senior business and technical stakeholders
Produce design documentation and present designs to Architecture Review Boards or equivalent governance forums
Oversee implementation of data architectures and ensure engineering teams follow patterns, standards, and best practices
Provide technical guidance on integration design, ingestion patterns, transformation methods, caching, orchestration, and storage optimisation
Conduct design assurance throughout delivery against performance, availability, resilience, and cost requirements
Coach engineers, analysts, and stewards on modelling, data quality, and governance practices

Requirements

What you’ll need

Proven experience as a Data Architect, Solution Architect with strong data background, or senior data engineer/analyst transitioning into architecture
Knowledge of Master and Reference Data Management and integrated associated systems such as Infosphere, Alation, Informatica, and Ataccama
Demonstrable expertise in conceptual, logical, and physical data modelling
Understanding of modelling patterns and trade-offs, including 3NF, dimensional/star, Data Vault, and canonical models
Strong understanding of data governance frameworks, metadata management, data ownership/stewardship models, and business glossaries
Hands-on experience embedding data quality rules, profiling, scoring, and exception management into pipelines
Familiarity with modern cloud data platforms including Snowflake, Databricks, Azure Synapse, BigQuery, and Redshift
Ability to lead architectural thinking across multiple domains and manage stakeholder complexity
Ability to produce high-quality architectural artefacts, including blueprints, models, solution designs, and integration specifications
Experience working in regulated sectors such as utilities, financial services, or health is advantageous
Experience with data mesh, domain-driven design, or federated data ownership models is desirable
Experience with Great Expectations, dbt tests, or enterprise data-quality tooling is desirable
Knowledge of MDM, reference data management, and semantic modelling is desirable
Experience with streaming platforms such as Kafka and EventHub and API-based integration is desirable
Understanding of AI/ML data preparation pipelines and feature store design is desirable

Benefits

Comp & perks

Competitive salary dependant on skills and experience
Learning and development opportunities, including mentoring and a range of formal courses and open learning resources
Entry into the company annual bonus scheme
Annual leave from 26–30 days, rising with length of service
Option to purchase up to 5 extra days of annual leave
A ‘Celebration Day’ in addition to public holidays
Double match pension scheme, with company contribution capped at 12%
Enhanced Maternity, Adoption, Paternity, Shared Parental Leave, Fertility Support Leave
Up to 5 full or 10 half days of paid Carers Leave
Menopause policy
Reasonable Adjustment policy
Access to the Wellbeing Centre for physical and mental health support
Discounts at a range of retail outlets through the Tap4Perks scheme
Discounts on Dental and Medical Insurance through Tap4Perks salary sacrifice
Up to 4 Affinity days a year to volunteer in the community
Life Assurance