Data Architect - Fully Remote (Permanent)

Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden. Job Title: Data Architect Location: London/Hybrid Job Type: Full-time Are you passionate about designing scalable, high-performance data architectures on Azure and Databricks ? Do you thrive on solving complex data challenges, integrating modern data platforms, and defining best practices for enterprise data management? We are looking for a Data Architect to lead the design and implementation of cutting-edge data solutions in a cloud-native environment. You will play a key role in shaping data strategy, designing high-level and low-level architectures , and ensuring the seamless integration of data management tools. If you enjoy working with big data technologies, governance frameworks, and modern analytics platforms , this role is for you! Define and implement enterprise data governance, security, and compliance strategies. # Lead the integration of core data management capabilities , including: # Master Data Management (MDM) solutions for single-source-of-truth data # Data catalogue tools for metadata management and discovery # Data governance frameworks for policy enforcement, compliance, and lineage tracking # Data quality solutions to ensure data accuracy, consistency, and reliability # Provide architectural leadership on hub-and-spoke data architectures , optimising for performance, scalability, and security. # Collaborate with business stakeholders, data engineers, and analytics teams to ensure solutions are fit for purpose. # Implement and optimise Databricks Delta Lake, Medallion Architecture, and Lakehouse patterns for structured and semi-structured data. # Ensure best practices in Azure networking, security, and federated data access . 5+ years of experience in data architecture, solution architecture, or cloud data engineering roles. # Strong expertise in Azure data services , including: # Azure Event Hub and Azure Data Explorer for real-time and streaming data pipelines # Azure Storage (ADLS Gen2, Blob Storage) for scalable data lakes # Azure Purview or equivalent for data governance and lineage tracking # Experience with data integration, MDM, governance, and data quality tools . # Hands-on experience with Apache Spark, Python, SQL, and Scala for data processing. # Strong understanding of Azure networking, security, and IAM , including Azure Private Link, VNETs, Managed Identities, and RBAC . # Deep knowledge of enterprise-scale data architecture patterns , including Lakehouse, Medallion Architecture, and hub-and-spoke models . # Microsoft Certified: Databricks Certified Data Engineer or Solution Architect If you\’re excited about shaping the future of enterprise data architecture , we’d love to hear from you! At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. We\’re committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*. If you\’re excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require. *