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# Lead Data Architect

- **Company:** QINETIQ LIMITED
- **Location:** Orpington, UK
- **Experience:** Expert
- **Salary:** £43,000.0 - £83,000.0
- **Contract:** Permanent contract
- **Skills:** Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, Data Architecture, Data Governance, Data Infrastructure, Data Integration, Data Sharing, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), Interoperability, Metadata, Microsoft Fabric
- **Published:** September 27, 2026
- **Apply:** https://www.adzuna.co.uk/jobs/details/5899595675

## About the Role

* Extensive experience in data architecture and/or data platform engineering, including ownership of architecture on complex programmes
 * Proven experience taking an established architecture and evolving it through clear roadmaps, standards, patterns and governance
 * Good knowledge of on-premises, cloud and hybrid platforms, and strong knowledge of data governance, metadata, lineage, data quality, stewardship and lifecycle management
 * Experience designing and governing architectures for constrained or mission environments, including edge deployments and contested connectivity patterns
 * Experience leading engineers, setting clear technical direction, making pragmatic decisions and mentoring in a multidisciplinary environment
 * Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex architecture to senior stakeholders
 * Willingness to learn and the ability to demonstrate the required level of experience; we welcome applicants from varied educational and professional backgrounds
 * Willingness to undergo DV Clearance, discuss reasonable adjustments for candidates with a disability or health condition. Some roles are subject to national security vetting and additional restrictions; this role requires applicants to be willing to undergo DV Clearance.

## Description

* Own our Data Fabric architecture end to end, including integration, processing, storage, metadata and lineage, governance, and consumption patterns
 * Set the technical direction and make pragmatic architectural decisions while providing hands-on leadership to Data Fabric Engineers and Data Analysts
 * Evolve, adopt and deploy our Data Fabric in secure customer environments, keeping the platform secure, scalable, resilient and operable
 * Maintain and refine the target architecture and roadmap, including technology evolution, capability increments and deployment waves across environments
 * Lead architecture for data integration and interoperability, including connector strategy, data-sharing patterns, event-driven integration, APIs, interface contracts and cross-domain data exchange
 * Translate architectural intent into reference architectures, patterns and guardrails that enable repeatable engineering delivery
 * Establish and run architecture governance and assurance, and lead data modelling at conceptual, logical and physical levels, including analytical models for downstream use
 * Help unlock AI capability through strategic Data Fabric delivery, focusing on data quality, governance, accessibility and integration
 * Stay close to engineering to ensure designs are buildable, testable and supportable

Technologies:

 * AI
 * Architect
 * Cloud
 * Fabric
 * Support
 * Security


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