Data Architect; SC Cleared LilyLifestyle

Data Architect

6-Month contract - Inside IR35 - up to 700 per day

London based - hybrid working - 2/3 days onsite

Candidates must hold current and active SC Clearance

We are seeking a Data Architect to lead the design and delivery of secure, cloud-based data platforms for the client. The role combines architectural strategy with delivery oversight - shaping target-state architectures while ensuring they are implemented pragmatically within regulated, security-conscious environments.

This position will suit an architect who can move comfortably between traditional enterprise data approaches and modern patterns such as lakehouse, streaming, data mesh and ML-enabled platforms - and who values clarity, governance and technical rigour.

Candidates must hold active SC clearance.

• Recent experience as a Lead Data Architect / Data Solutions Architect or equivalent senior role.
• Ability to build relationships and operate at a senior stakeholder level with clients.
• Demonstrated ownership of end-to-end data platform design and delivery.
• Experience operating in consulting, systems integration, or delivery partner roles.
• Experience working within the Government sector strongly preferred.

You should have practical architecture experience across both established enterprise approaches and modern data patterns, including:

• Azure data systems (must have).
• Oracle / AWS experience is ideal.
• Knowledge of Databricks and Snowflake is ideal.
• Experience of large-scale data migration programmes.
• Data lake and lakehouse architectures.
• Event-driven and streaming architectures.
• Data Mesh and/or Data Fabric principles (applied pragmatically, not theoretically).
• Data product-oriented design approaches.

You understand where traditional patterns remain appropriate - and where modern approaches add measurable value.

• Strong knowledge of distributed processing (e.g. Apache Spark).

• Familiarity with Hadoop ecosystem components.
• Working knowledge of SQL and No
  
  SQL technologies.
• Understanding of ETL/ELT design trade-offs.
• Awareness of Dev Ops practices and CI/CD for data platforms.
• Understanding of how ML/AI workloads integrate into data architectures.

Hands-on coding ability (e.g. Python, Java, R) is beneficial but not required.

• Experience leading a discovery phase for a data transformation programme.
• Experience designing within structured architectural governance frameworks.
• Familiarity with government assurance processes and design authorities.
• Strong understanding of data governance frameworks and metadata management.
• Experience designing for GDPR and UK public sector data protection requirements.
• Appreciation of infrastructure considerations and security boundaries in regulated cloud environments.

• Ability to influence architectural direction at senior stakeholder level.
• Clear and structured communicator - able to explain trade-offs and risks.
• Experience leading and mentoring architects and engineers.
• Comfortable operating within programme governance structures.
• Familiarity with Agile delivery models (SAFe, Scrum, Kanban).