Principal Data Architect, Secure Government and Defence Programmes
Location: UK, hybrid, client site as required
Security Requirement: Developed Vetting (DV) clearance is mandatory.
This role is only suitable for candidates who currently hold active DV clearance.
Overview
A leading UK consulting organisation delivering mission‑critical digital and data transformation across defence, national security, and sensitive government environments is seeking a Principal Data Architect. This is a senior, client‑facing role focused on defining and delivering secure, scalable data platforms within highly classified programmes.
Due to the nature of the work and access to classified systems, only candidates with active DV clearance can be considered.
Role Responsibilities
- Define and lead enterprise‑level data architecture for complex, secure transformation programmes
- Architect end‑to‑end data platforms covering ingestion, integration, storage, governance, and analytics
- Design secure, resilient, and scalable architectures aligned with defence and national security requirements
- Translate mission and operational needs into technical data solutions
- Provide technical leadership across engineering teams and client stakeholders
- Contribute to capability growth, technical strategy, and thought leadership within secure environments
Technical Environment
Architectural responsibility across modern and legacy secure platforms, including:
- Multi‑cloud platforms and secure data environments
- Data lakes, warehouses, and distributed data systems
- Data ingestion, orchestration, and integration tooling
- Cloud ecosystems such as AWS, Azure, and GCP
- Databricks, Snowflake, and similar modern data platforms
- Infrastructure automation, DevOps, and secure deployment patterns
- Data governance, metadata, and secure access frameworks
- Analytics, semantic layers, and enterprise reporting platforms
Seniority and Leadership Expectations
- Operate at Principal Consultant or equivalent leadership level
- Own architecture strategy across large, complex client programmes
- Lead multidisciplinary teams across data, engineering, and delivery functions
- Provide strategic technical direction and advisory support to senior stakeholders
- Support business development, technical assurance, and capability development
Essential Requirements
- Active DV clearance (mandatory, non‑negotiable)
- Strong experience designing and delivering enterprise data architectures
- Experience working in defence, national security, or highly regulated government environments
- Deep understanding of secure data platform design and cloud architectures
- Strong stakeholder engagement and consulting capability
- Experience leading teams and delivering complex programmes
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