Data Architect

Arriva is a leading European passenger transport partner, operating in 11 countries across the UK and Europe. The company employs around 35,000 people, delivering more than 1.5 billion passenger journeys connecting people and communities safely, reliably and sustainably. We have strong roots dating back to 1938, an ambitious growth and sustainability agenda, and a continuously developing relationship with I Squared Capital – a global infrastructure investment fund manager - who acquired Arriva in 2024.We

are looking for Data Architect to join our BI Product Team on a full-time, permanent basis. We offer hybrid working. This role can be based in either our London or Sunderland office, with a minimum of three days per week on-site. The remaining time can be spent working wherever you can best deliver for your customers, while still maintaining a healthy work–life balance.

The Data Architect is responsible for defining and maintaining the overall data architecture strategy that enables Arriva’s BI and self-serve analytics capabilities. This role establishes the technical vision, standards and frameworks that enable scalable, efficient, and secure data solutions across the organisation. Working close with the Lead BI Engineers, BI engineers, Lead BI Developer, BI Developers the Data Architect ensure that data models, pipelines and storage solutions are designed to support current and future business needs and growth.

They will act as a technical authority and strategic advisor, balancing architectural excellence alongside timely delivery, and play a critical role in evaluating new technologies. Ensuring that Arriva’s data infrastructure remains modern, performant and competitive with industry best practice.

Direct Responsibilities Architecture Design & Strategy Assess existing data architectures, documenting current-state models, pipelines, technologies, standards, and approaches

Define and maintain the enterprise data architecture vision and roadmap, ensuring alignment with business objectives and BI product strategy

Design logical and physical data models that support efficient reporting, analytics, and self-service BI capabilities

Establish architectural patterns and frameworks (e.g. medallion architecture, data vault, dimensional modelling) for consistent implementation across data solutions

Evaluate and recommend architectural approaches for data storage, processing, and consumption, including lakehouse, data warehousing, and data lake patterns

Design technical architecture for cloud-based data platforms (AWS preferred: Redshift, Athena, S3, Glue)
Create and maintain architecture documentation, including data flow diagrams, architecture decision records, and design patterns

Technology Leadership & Innovation Research, evaluate, and recommend new technologies and tools that enhance Arriva's data and BI capabilities

Stay current with emerging trends including open table formats (Apache Iceberg, Delta Lake), data observability, real-time/streaming architectures, and cloud-native solutions

Conduct proofs-of-concept and technical assessments to validate new technologies before adoption

Monitor industry best practices and ensure Arriva's architecture remains competitive and future-proof

Data Modelling & Standards Define and document standard business entities, metrics, and KPIs to ensure consistency across reporting

Review and approve complex data models designed by BI Engineers, ensuring alignment with architectural standards

Design and implement data governance framework, ensuring clear accountability of data products within the platform

Collaboration & Leadership Work with Group BI & Data Director to define strategy and frameworks

Provide technical guidance and mentorship to BI Engineers and Lead BI Engineer on architectural decisions and complex data challenges

Collaborate with BI Developers to understand frontend requirements and ensure data architecture supports optimal dashboard performance

Partner with BI Product Manager to translate business strategy into technical architecture requirements

Facilitate architecture discussions and workshops with technical and non-technical stakeholders

Establish…