Data Architect
We are seeking a Data Architect to lead a greenfield initiative: building the backbone of our new Enterprise Data Warehouse and migrating our data estate to a dimensional modelling environment.
In this pivotal role, you will own the enterprise data architecture and platform design. Working closely with Data Engineers, Data Analysts and Data Governance Manager, you will focus on system design, modelling strategy, and handling high-volume challenges — such as processing half-hourly meter reads — at scale.
We Deliver Progress.. What you'll do and how you'll make an impact:
- Enterprise Data Architecture: Design the end-to-end platform blueprint, ensuring scalability, reliability, and performance from ingestion to consumption.
- Greenfield Data Modelling: Champion Kimball dimensional modelling methodologies to design a robust, scalable schema for our new enterprise data warehouse.
- System Design: Architect complex systems for massive scale and high-frequency streams, defining batch and streaming patterns for implementation.
- Tooling & Integration: Partner with Data Governance to select and integrate modern tooling (e.g., Dataform, cataloging) into the platform architecture. You will lead the selection and implementation of our first Data Catalog and Observability tools.
- Work with our regulated domains to design patterns that allow us to efficiently meet the continuous data needs of our regulators and auditors.
- Governance Support: Design systems that technically enforce the frameworks and policies owned by the Data Governance Manager.
The First 6 Months: Success Looks Like...
- 30 Days: A complete "As-Is" map of our most critical data flows (Commission, Billing) and a clear identification of the "Top 10" tech-debt bottlenecks.
- 3 Months: The launch of a "Golden Path" Dataform template and the first "V2" Medallion-compliant data models for a core business domain.
- 6 Months: A 2-year North Star roadmap and the implementation of basic Automated Data Quality monitoring on our top-tier Gold tables.
Qualifications
We put people first. It’s all about you..
- Technical Mastery:
- The BigQuery Specialist: You don’t just know SQL; you understand BigQuery reservations, partitioning, clustering, and how to optimize costs in a multi-terabyte environment.
- The Modeler: You are a master of Kimball/Dimensional modeling but know when to use OBT (One Big Table) for modern BI performance.
- The Tech Stack Ninja: Deep experience with Dataform (or dbt), ELT design patterns, Looker (LookML), and all things GCP.
- Impact & Scope:
- The Communicator: You can explain to a Product Manager why a 2-week "foundation build" is better than a 2-hour "quick fix" that breaks next month.
- Planning & Delivery:
- The Pragmatist: You understand that "Perfect is the enemy of Shipped." You can navigate a high-change environment where changes to our Partner proposition are complex and often time-sensitive.
- Business & Domain Knowledge:
- You have experience of running similar initiatives in complex, highly-regulated environments
- Leadership & Culture:
- You role-model UW values by promoting a data-driven culture, mentoring peers, and communicating technical successes and failures clearly to the wider Technology & Product department.
Skills / Competencies
- Strategic Problem Solving: Ability to break down vague, high-level business requirements into concrete, scalable technical architectures.
- Clear Communication: Excellent verbal and written skills, with the ability to influence technical and non-technical audiences.
- Accountability: Willingness to take ownership of critical systems and participate in on-call rotations.
- Continuous Learning: Proactively seeking out the latest industry trends and introducing relevant innovations to the team.
Don’t worry if you don’t have the whole list. If you feel you have most of it and can learn the rest pretty quickly then please don’t hesitate to apply. Overall we are looking for imaginative and pragmatic problem-solvers who want to help make a positive impact with data at UW.
Additional Information
We’ve got big ambitions so there’s going to be plenty of challenges. There are also a lot of benefits:
- An industry benchmarked salary. We’ll share it during your first conversation.
- Share Options and a Save as You Earn scheme.
- Flexible remote working with the option to visit our London hubs for team meetings and company events. You'll have access to a range of hot desking spaces around the UK
- Electric Car salary sacrifice scheme through Tusker
- Discount on our services and you get our coveted Cashback Card for free. You’ll also get access to 100s of rewards and discounts through Perkbox
- A matched contribution pension scheme and life assurance up to 4x your salary. You can also access free mortgage advice and a financial wellbeing tool.
- Family-friendly policies, designed to help you and your family thrive.
- Discounted private health insurance, access to an Employee Assistance line and a free Virtual GP. Our wellbeing app Unmind supports your mental health.
- Belonging groups that help UW shape an even more inclusive future.
- A commitment to helping you develop your career journey through learning, coaching and new experiences
Not sure you meet all the requirements? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other underrepresented groups tend not to apply for jobs if they think they may not meet every qualification, when in fact they often do.
We provide equal opportunities, a diverse and inclusive work environment, and fairness for everyone. You are welcome to apply no matter your age, disability, gender, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity status, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. Please don’t be afraid to ask about what we can do to support your needs. All requests will be carefully and fairly considered.
Please note, if you are successful and offered a role at UW, you will be subject to a background check. Where checks are unsatisfactory or incomplete and/or a failure to reveal information relating to convictions that you are required to identify as part of the background checks, could lead to withdrawal of an offer of employment.