Design and oversee the creation of complex data systems. A critical role in shaping how organisations store, process, and utilise data.
Data Architects are the visionaries behind an organisation's data infrastructure. They design, model, and implement the data architecture that underpins data pipelines, warehouses, and lakes. This role is crucial for ensuring that data is accessible, secure, and scalable, enabling businesses to make informed decisions. Data Architects work closely with data engineers, data scientists, and business stakeholders to align technical solutions with strategic goals.
A typical week for a Data Architect is a mix of strategic planning, technical design, and collaboration with cross-functional teams.
Based on advertised midpoints across the 129 UK listings priced in pounds in the last 12 months. Base salary only.
% of 112 listings posted in the last 12 months that mention each skill, extracted from job descriptions.
A typical UK progression for data architects. Years are guidance — strong people move faster, and many senior folks sidestep into research, product or management.
Assists in designing and documenting data architecture components under supervision.
Leads the design and implementation of data architecture for specific projects or domains.
Oversees the entire data architecture strategy and ensures alignment with business objectives.
Provides strategic direction for the organisation's data architecture and mentors junior architects.
There's no single route, but most people follow some version of these steps.
Gain a solid understanding of data structures, databases, and data management principles.
Focus on data architecture concepts, tools, and best practices. Consider certifications like Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP).
Work on real-world projects to design and implement data solutions. Collaborate with data engineers and scientists.
Take ownership of data architecture projects, ensuring they meet business requirements and technical standards.
Move into a strategic role, shaping the organisation's data architecture strategy and leading a team of data professionals.
Mentor junior architects and drive innovation in data architecture practices and technologies.
The role involves defining and maintaining enterprise data architecture standards, ensuring compliance through governance, and supporting strategic planning and change initiatives. You'll work across cloud and on-premise platforms, engaging with stakeholders and guiding data capabilities using modern technologies. The position requires strong technical leadership, experience in data governance, and collaboration within a regulated environment.
Design and govern enterprise-scale data architectures across hybrid and cloud environments, including data lakes, warehouses, and modern data pipelines. Provide technical leadership on data management frameworks, cloud migration, and AI-enabled analytics solutions within an Agile transformation programme. Collaborate with stakeholders and delivery teams to ensure robust, scalable data platforms aligned with governance and business needs.
This role involves owning the architecture and design of enterprise-scale SAS solutions, including legacy SAS and modern SAS Viya environments. You will define integration patterns, provide architectural governance, and shape migration strategies, acting as the technical authority for SAS-related decisions.
The Data Architect role involves designing and evolving data and technical architecture for AI products, defining how applications, data, APIs, models, and enterprise systems connect. You will work closely with engineering, infrastructure, security, and data teams to ensure AI solutions are scalable, secure, and maintainable.
This role involves leading data strategy discovery for a telecommunications client, assessing current data landscapes across customer, finance, and network domains. The Data Architect will evaluate existing GCP BigQuery Data Lakehouse implementations, identify data quality and governance issues, and define a target architecture and roadmap. Key activities include stakeholder workshops, data inventory cataloguing, and designing data ontologies for AI/analytics use cases, with opportunities to use Python and LLMs for automation.
Design and maintain enterprise data architecture for a major nuclear energy project, focusing on data domains, models, and integration within Microsoft Azure. Collaborate across architecture, IT, and delivery teams to ensure alignment with business capabilities and technology components. Work with tools like ArchiMate, BPMN, and Sparx Enterprise Architect in a complex infrastructure environment.
The Data Architect will define and evolve the global data architecture for a multinational entertainment business, ensuring consistency and trust in data used for commercial decision-making. This role involves designing data models, contracts, and governance frameworks across marketing, finance, and operations, with a strong focus on privacy, security, and cross-border compliance. The architect will collaborate with engineering, analytics, and business teams to enable scalable access to data for AI, ML, and analytics in a cloud-native environment.
The Data Architect role involves establishing and evolving Guinness's enterprise data architecture, ensuring data is structured, governed, and integrated as a strategic asset. Responsibilities include defining data models, leading data governance, and translating business strategy into architectural standards, while working with modern data platforms like Microsoft Azure and governance tools such as Purview.
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Essential skills include a strong understanding of data models, database design, ETL processes, and data governance. Proficiency in SQL and data warehousing tools is also crucial.
Data Architects collaborate with data engineers to ensure that the designed data architecture is implemented correctly. They provide technical guidance and review the implementation to align with strategic goals.
A Data Architect focuses on designing the overall data infrastructure, while a Data Engineer builds and maintains the data pipelines and systems based on the architect's designs.
A Senior Data Architect oversees the entire data architecture strategy, ensures alignment with business objectives, and mentors junior architects. They also engage with business stakeholders to understand and meet data needs.
For specific salary information, please refer to the salary section on this page, which is updated with live job listings.
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