Data Architect

Sword is a leading provider of business technology solutions within the Energy, Public and Finance Sectors, driving transformational change within our clients. We use proven technology, specialist teams and domain expertise to build solid technical foundations across platforms, data, and business applications. We have a passion for using technology to solve business problems, working in partnership with our clients to help in achieving their goals.

The Data Architect is responsible for defining and implementing scalable, secure, and efficient data architectures that enable our client to realise business value from its data assets. This role ensures that data solutions are aligned to business needs, support strategic objectives, and adhere to best practice standards across the data lifecycle.

• Lead workshops, interviews, and discovery sessions to understand business processes, data needs, and strategic objectives.
• Collaborate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders to ensure alignment between business requirements and data solutions.
• Define and own the target state data architecture, including data domains, patterns, layers, and consumption models.
• Design scalable and reusable data structures and define data dependencies across systems and produce detailed technical design and data architecture artifacts.
• Produce high-quality functional designs, including both high-level architecture and detailed low-level designs.
• Establish and maintain principles and standards for data ingestion, transformation, storage, metadata management, and access.
• Work closely with data governance teams to define and enforce data quality rules and metadata management practices.
• Ensure compliance with organisational standards, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices.
• Specify and ensure adherence to non-functional requirements such as scalability, performance, availability, resilience, monitoring, disaster recovery, and maintainability.
• Design data pipelines and transformation processes that are reusable, testable, and resilient.
• Support the implementation of efficient data processing solutions across batch and real-time architectures where appropriate.
• Ensure documentation is clear, structured, and accessible to relevant stakeholders.

Strong experience in data architecture, data modelling, and end-to-end data solution design. Proven ability to translate business requirements into scalable data architectures. Experience working with data governance frameworks, metadata management, and data quality practices. Knowledge of modern data platforms, cloud-based architectures, and integration patterns. Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to bridge technical and business audiences. Experience defining non-functional requirements and designing resilient, enterprise-scale data solutions. Experience working within the energy or utilities industry is desirable.

At Sword, our core values and culture are based on caring about our people, investing in training and career development, and building inclusive teams where we are all encouraged to contribute to achieve success. We offer comprehensive benefits designed to support your professional development and enhance your overall quality of life.

• Personalised Career Development: We create a development plan customised to your goals and aspirations, with a range of learning and development opportunities within a culture that encourages growth.
• Flexible working: Flexible work arrangements to support your work-life balance.
• A Fantastic Benefits Package: This includes generous annual leave allowance, enhanced family friendly benefits, pension scheme, access to private health, well-being, and insurance schemes.

At Sword we are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, ensuring that all applicants receive fair and equal consideration for employment, regardless of whether they meet every requirement. If you don’t tick all the boxes but feel you have some of the relevant skills and experience we’re looking for, please do consider applying and highlight your transferable skills and experience. We embrace diversity in all its forms, valuing individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity or reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. Your perspective and potential are important to us.