Data Architect
Location: Remote (UK) with occasional site visits to Newcastle or Leeds
Contract Type: Permanent
Security Clearance: Active SC Clearance Required
About Amber Labs
Amber Labs is a growing technology consultancy that delivers secure, scalable digital solutions across the UK public sector. We work with government organisations on complex digital transformation programmes, helping modernise services through cloud-first architecture, data-driven decision making, and user-centred design. Our teams combine strong engineering practices with agile delivery to build reliable platforms that support critical public services.
The Role
Amber Labs is seeking an experienced Data Architect to support a major public sector digital service programme. This role will focus on owning and managing the holistic data architecture across multiple domains and microservices, ensuring data models, schemas, and governance practices support a scalable and well-structured platform.
You will work closely with engineering teams, analytics specialists, and wider data stakeholders to maintain and evolve conceptual, logical, and physical data models while supporting strong data governance, security, and operational analytics requirements.
Key Responsibilities
- Own and manage the end-to-end data architecture across domains and microservices within a large digital service platform
- Develop, maintain, and enhance conceptual, logical, and physical data models to support evolving service requirements
- Work closely with development teams to ensure physical implementations align with the agreed logical data model and do not break key relationships
- Maintain and evolve a physical data schema and detailed data dictionary, becoming a subject matter expert for the platform’s data structures
- Support analytics teams with data access and performance insights for reporting and operational analysis
- Contribute to the introduction and adoption of data governance practices, including data stewardship, data custodianship, and data cataloguing
- Ensure data is appropriately classified, secured, and handled in line with encryption and data protection standards
- Design and implement data security controls, including data classification, masking, and encryption strategies
- Apply table optimisation techniques such as indexing, partitioning, and aggregations to improve performance and scalability
- Collaborate with wider architecture and governance teams to ensure alignment with enterprise data strategy and standards
- Design and support data solutions using Azure-based services such as Data Factory and Data Lake
Essential Skills & Experience
- Active SC (Security Check) clearance
- Strong experience in data modelling, including conceptual, logical, and physical data models
- In-depth technical expertise in relational database design, optimisation, and data security
- Strong experience in enterprise data design across complex digital platforms
- Experience using modern data modelling tools
- Latest hands-on experience with Azure-based data services, including Data Factory and Data Lake
- Strong understanding of data classification, data security, and encryption principles
- Hands-on experience with table optimisation techniques, including indexing, partitioning, and aggregations
- Experience implementing robust data security controls, including data classification, masking, and encryption
- Experience working in client-facing environments within complex programmes
- Experience supporting development teams with data architecture advisory and governance
- Familiarity with NoSQL data environments, particularly MongoDB and JSON-based implementations
- Experience working with SQL or Python within analytics platforms (e.g., Databricks) to explore and analyse data
- Strong understanding of data governance practices, including data dictionaries, schemas, and cataloguing
- Exposure to solution architecture principles, particularly within governed environments requiring design authority and formal approval processes
Desirable Skills
- Experience using data modelling tools such as Erwin
- Familiarity with data catalog products (e.g., Axon or similar platforms)
- Experience working within large-scale government digital programmes
- Understanding of analytics and reporting ecosystems, including MI and BI environments
What We Offer
- Fully remote working within the UK with occasional site visits to Newcastle or Leeds
- Opportunity to work on high-impact public sector digital services
- Collaborative engineering and architecture culture
- Competitive salary and benefits package
How to Apply
If you are an experienced SC-cleared Data Architect with strong data modelling, Azure data platform experience, and a solid understanding of data security and governance, we would love to hear from you. Apply today to join Amber Labs and help shape modern, data-driven digital services.