Principal Data Solution Architect

Methods is recruiting for a Principal Data Solution Architect to join our team on a permanent basis. This role will be mainly remote but require flexibility to travel to client sites, and our offices based in London, Sheffield.

Responsibilities

Be the senior technical authority for the programme, responsible for defining technical direction, priorities, standards and decision-making; Be accountable for creating and maintaining the Data Transformation Programme roadmap and ensuring all workstreams align to the target architecture and business objectives; Setting priorities; Guiding technical workstreams; Identifying incorrect or low-value activities; Redirecting effort towards programme outcomes; Uplift the capability of the existing team; Mentor architects and engineers; Establish good engineering practices; Develop Fabric knowledge within both Methods and the customer team; Chair or lead: Architecture reviews, Design authorities, Technical governance forums and Data platform standards reviews; Advocate the business benefit of data standards, championing and governing those standards across projects and the organisation; Demonstrate an overall perspective on business issues and activities, determining patterns, standards, policies, roadmaps and vision statements; Make and guide effective decisions, explaining clearly how decisions have been reached and resolving technical disputes across varying levels of complexity and risk; Communicate effectively across organisational, technical and political boundaries, making complex technical information accessible for non-technical audiences; Design how to expose data from systems (APIs, real-time streams), link data from multiple systems, and deliver modern data services; Ensure that risks associated with deployment are adequately understood and documented; Design end-to-end data solutions from requirements through implementation, including technical documentation and architecture blueprints; Lead complex data migration projects from legacy systems to modern cloud-native platforms; Evaluate and recommend appropriate technologies across the modern data stack to meet specific client needs

Requirements

Deep knowledge of Fabric architecture, governance, OneLake, Real-Time Intelligence, Data Engineering, Warehousing and Power BI integration; Capability to influence senior stakeholders, programme sponsors and project boards; Ability to communicate technical decisions to non-technical executives and secure agreement on technical direction; Deep knowledge of the Azure data stack (Azure SQL Server, CosmosDB, Azure Data Factory, Purview, Synapse, Event Hub, Azure Databricks/Fabric); Extensive data modelling experience: both normalised relational models and de-normalised Star Schema/dimensional models; Excellent relational database design skills with expertise in diagnosing and optimising performance across SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and cloud databases; Proven track record with complex data migration projects (terabyte+ datasets, multiple legacy source systems, structures and unstructured data); Proficiency with Parquet/Delta Lake or other modern data storage formats; Experience with streaming architectures using Kafka, Event Hubs, or Kinesis for real-time data processing; Knowledge of data architectures supporting AI/ML workloads, including vector databases, feature stores and MLOps pipelines; Experience processing and managing unstructured data types (text, images, logs, sensor data); Understanding of Lambda and Kappa architectural patterns and when to apply each; UKSV (United Kingdom Security Vetting) clearance is required for this role, with Security Check (SC) as the minimum standard, either already held or with a willingness to undergo the process.

Nice to have

Exposure to high-performing, low latency or large volume data systems; Knowledge of and/or experience with Government Digital Service practices across Discovery/Alpha/Beta/Live phases; Understanding of vector databases and similarity search for AI applications; Experience with Infrastructure as Code and modern DevOps practices; Knowledge of how to design and analyse operational logs for data processing, and triage incidents; Awareness of advances in AI technologies, data services, and architectural practices; Industry specialisation in specific sectors (Engineering, Manufacturing, Healthcare etc.); Public sector or defence experience; Understanding of data mesh or data fabric architectural approaches; Relevant industry certifications such as TOGAF 9, CDMP (Certified Data Management Professional), or Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305)

Benefits

Autonomy to develop and grow your skills and experience; Be part of exciting project work that is making a difference in society; Strong, inspiring, and thought-provoking leadership; A supportive and collaborative environment; Development access to LinkedIn Learning, a management development programme and training; Wellness 24/7 Confidential employee assistance programme; Social - office parties, pizza Friday and commitment to charitable causes; Time off - 25 days of annual leave a year, plus bank holidays, with the option to buy 10 extra days each year; Volunteering - 2 paid days per year to volunteer in our local communities or within a charity organisation; Pension Salary Exchange Scheme with 4% employer contribution and 5% employee contribution; Life Assurance of 4 times base salary; Private Medical Insurance which is non-contributory (spouse and dependents included); Worldwide Travel Insurance which is non-contributory (spouse and dependents included)