Lead Data Architect

Aker Systems was founded in 2017 by a team of experienced technology professionals who recognised an opportunity to provide highly secure enterprise data platforms to large organisations. Aker builds and operates ground-breaking, ultra-secure, high performance, cloud-based data infrastructure for the enterprise. Our proprietary technology solutions drive performance and reduce costs while helping our clients to improve the management and sharing of data across their organisations.

We encourage people of all different backgrounds and identities to apply. We are committed to maintaining an inclusive, and supportive place for you to do your very best work. A UK Government Security Check (SC) clearance or above is required for this role. If you don’t hold SC clearance, we will support you to apply assuming you have lived and worked in the UK for a minimum of 5 years. Due to project requirements, at least 12 months Central Government experience in the last 5 years is strongly preferred.

Aker Systems deliver secure cloud hosted solutions into the public and private sectors, we are rapidly expanding and are looking to hire a Principal Data Architect to support the delivery of innovative cloud solutions that meet the highest standards of data security and privacy, enabling our clients to operate securely and efficiently in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

As a Lead Data Architect, with a minimum of 6 years of experience, you will play a role in shaping data strategy and ensuring the success of our client’s complex, critical high-profile projects. You will support the design and implementation of secure, scalable, and resilient data architectures on AWS and other cloud platforms, while also serving as a mentor to a team of skilled data professionals.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Engage with stakeholders, both internal and external, to understand business requirements, provide strategic guidance, and ensure that data solutions meet their objectives.
• Support the design, development, and implementation of data architectures that meet the needs of our clients, ensuring alignment with security, performance, and scalability requirements.
• Utilise extensive experience with AWS tooling and other cloud providers to architect and deploy secure, cloud‑native solutions for batch and real‑time data processing.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance to cross‑functional teams, ensuring best practices in data architecture, security, and cloud computing.
• Proficiency in data modelling, ETL processes, data warehousing, distributed systems and metadata systems.
• Utilise Apache Flink and other streaming technologies to build real‑time data processing systems that handle large‑scale, high‑throughput data.
• Ensure all data solutions comply with industry standards and government regulations, maintaining the highest levels of data security and integrity.
• Monitor technical deliverables against the designs, manage and report on design divergences.
• Support the sales and pre‑sales teams by providing expert advice and input on proposals, ensuring technical feasibility and alignment with client needs.
• Advise and support on breaches of data standards and make recommendations about how they should be resolved.
• Stay up to date with the latest advancements in cloud technologies, data architecture, and security practices, and apply this knowledge to continuously improve our offering.

Essential Experience and Competencies

• 6+ years of experience in data architecture, with a focus on secure, large‑scale, and complex projects.
• Extensive experience with AWS services, including but not limited to EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda, and Redshift. Experience with other cloud providers (e.g., Azure, GCP) is a plus.
• In‑depth knowledge and hands‑on experience with Apache Flink for real‑time data processing.
• Proven experience in mentoring and managing teams, with a focus on developing talent and fostering a collaborative work environment.
• Strong ability to engage with and influence senior stakeholders, understanding their needs and translating them into actionable technical plans.
• Desirable skills in Scala and Spark to support wider programmes of work.
• Hands‑on Public Cloud experience in either AWS/Azure/Google Cloud Platform, both their ‘services’ and ‘how’ to work in the cloud such as DevOps‑centric approach.
• Having worked in sensitive data environments and ideally have experience facing off to cyber security specialists.
• Understand and apply recognised data modelling patterns and standards.

Aker Systems Attributes

At Aker we work as a team, we are collaborative, hardworking, open, and delivery obsessed. There is no blame culture here: try things, and take responsibility for the outcomes. You are always part of the wider Aker. We help out our colleagues and take pride in successfully achieving difficult tasks. We run towards problems and help solve them. Communicate always, do so accurately and in a timely fashion.

In return, we offer a competitive salary, 25 days holiday (excluding bank holidays), Company Paid Medical Insurance, Life Assurance (4x times basic salary), Pension scheme, Perks at Work, Cycle Scheme, Tech Scheme and Season Ticket Loan. Plus, a list of voluntary benefits including Dental Insurance, Critical illness cover, Virtual GP. Aker Systems fosters a diverse environment that encourages openness in its communications and is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all people regardless of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation, age, marital status, national origin, citizenship status, disability, veteran status or other personal characteristics. We embrace differences of opinion and diversity because they help challenge us and find new groundbreaking technical solutions.