Principal Data Architect
Location: Nottingham or London
Working Model: Hybrid — 3 days per week in office
About the Role
UST is seeking a Principal Data Architect to define and drive the architectural direction of a large-scale, complex data transformation programme. This is a senior, influence-led role, not a hands-on engineering position, for a recognised technical authority who shapes strategy, builds consensus, and raises the architectural bar across a multi-disciplinary data organisation.
You will own the end-to-end data architecture across the full data lifecycle: from real-time ingestion and high-quality data capture, through large-scale distributed processing, structured storage and Data LakeHouse design, to curated consumption by Data Scientists, Analysts, Engineers and AI/ML platforms. Spark and distributed data processing sit at the heart of this architecture; deep fluency in these domains is essential.
What You’ll Do:
Architectural Leadership
- Define and evolve the enterprise data architecture strategy, with a primary focus on Cloud-scale Distributed Data Processing using Apache Spark and PySpark at the core of the platform
- Establish and maintain architectural artefacts, reference architectures, Architecture Decision Records (ADRs), technical standards, and architecture roadmaps, for the distributed data processing and storage domain
- Lead architectural governance across the Data LakeHouse, streaming pipelines, and Data Products, ensuring scalability, performance, and engineering excellence are embedded by design
- Drive simplification and standardisation across the architecture, promoting reuse of proven patterns, appropriate SaaS solutions, and Enterprise platform capabilities
Stakeholder Influence & Collaboration
- Influence and align senior stakeholders, internal customers, and Enterprise partners on key technology decisions and the architectural direction of the data ecosystem
- Partner with Product Management, Engineering, Cyber, and the broader Architecture community to solve complex data challenges and unlock business value
- Serve as a passionate advocate for the data platform, driving awareness, adoption, and usage aligned to Enterprise architecture standards and patterns
- Engage actively with UK and Enterprise Architecture groups, contributing to cross-domain standards and architectural thinking
Architecture Excellence & Culture
- Nurture architectural excellence within the Data team by leading technical design reviews, setting best practices, and coaching Engineers, Data Scientists, and Analysts on sound architecture principles
- Foster a culture of innovation within the data platform, identifying opportunities to leverage emerging technologies, including Generative and Agentic AI, within the architecture and development lifecycle
- Champion data-driven thinking across the wider organisation, supporting the evolution of a scalable, data-led culture
What You’ll Bring:
Essential Experience & Expertise
- Demonstrable track record as a Principal, Lead, or Senior Data Architect in a large, complex, data-led organisation, operating at an influence and strategy level rather than hands-on delivery
- Expert-level understanding of Apache Spark and PySpark as the foundation of distributed data processing architectures, including tuning, optimisation, and enterprise-scale deployment patterns
- Deep expertise in designing and evolving Data LakeHouse architectures, covering ELT pipeline design, structured/semi-structured data processing, partitioning strategies, and Data Product delivery
- Strong command of workflow orchestration at scale using Apache Airflow or equivalent, integrated with Spark-based processing pipelines
- Proven expertise in Streaming Data and Event-Driven Architecture design, enabling real-time data flows at enterprise scale
- Hands-on architectural experience with AWS data services, including AWS Glue (Spark-based ETL), Serverless compute, DynamoDB, S3-based Lake architectures, and associated security and governance tooling
- Working knowledge of ML and Generative AI platform architecture, including the design of Agentic AI systems within the data and software development lifecycle
Leadership & Communication
- Exceptional communication skills, able to articulate complex technical architecture to senior business stakeholders and translate business strategy into actionable data architecture decisions
- A natural collaborator and influencer, able to build consensus across technical, product, and executive communities without direct authority
- Experience embedding and scaling architectural thinking within large Enterprise settings, elevating the capability of multi-disciplinary data teams
- Proficiency in software engineering principles, CI/CD practices, and DevOps culture as they apply to data platform delivery
data architecture,data processing,aws glue,cloud technology,
