Data Architect at SiXworks, Farnborough/Remote, £Contractor Rate

About the Job

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Data Architect to join our team. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering data strategies across multiple concurrent projects. You will work closely with software engineers, customers, and stakeholders to understand data requirements, design robust architectures, and champion best practices in data engineering, analysis, and security.

Key Responsibilities:

• Data Architecture Design: Develop and maintain data models, data flow diagrams, and integration patterns aligned with defence sector standards.
• Client Engagement: Collaborate with clients to understand business needs, translate them into data requirements, and propose fit-for-purpose solutions.
• Governance & Compliance: Ensure data solutions comply with MOD, government and company data protection policies, including handling of classified and sensitive information.
• Technology Leadership: Evaluate and recommend data technologies (e.g., cloud platforms, data lakes, analytics tools) suitable for secure environments.
• Solution Delivery: Support project teams in implementing data architectures, including ETL pipelines, data warehousing, and analytics platforms.
• Documentation & Standards: Produce high-quality documentation and contribute to the development of internal data architecture standards and best practices.
• Mentorship: Provide guidance to junior data engineers and analysts, fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous improvement.
• Horizon Scanning: Stay abreast of emerging technologies and methodologies in data architecture and bring forward innovative ideas.
• Security: Work with our team of highly experienced security practitioners to ensure that security is embedded in all data architectures, platforms and tools from the ground up.

Essential Skills & Experience:

• Proven experience as a Data Architect or Senior Data Engineer in complex environments.
• Strong understanding of data modelling (conceptual, logical, physical), metadata management, and data integration.
• Familiarity with defence sector data standards and secure data handling practices.
• Experience with cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, or Google), data warehousing, and big data technologies.
• Proficiency in SQL, Python, or other data-centric programming languages.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Knowledge of data governance frameworks (e.g., DAMA, DCAM).
• Experience with MOD or government digital transformation programmes.
• Understanding of geospatial data, sensor data, or defence-specific data domains.

About SiXworks

SiXworks is a leading provider of secure digital solutions, specialising in digital experimentation and focused on fail-safe-fast cutting-edge technology solutions deployed in highly secure environments. We are unified in our mission to accelerate innovation and adoption of secure, digital technology to improve the operational agility of Defence and National Security. This is an exciting time for us, we have ambitious plans for continued growth and development, and we are seeking to add brilliant, experienced, motivated, and passionate people to our team to work with us on this journey.

Why join SiXworks?

Our team is a fusion of brilliance, featuring senior operational, technical, and business leaders from various industries and the armed forces. We're also powered by a league of extraordinary IT engineers, architects, developers, and project managers. Together, we're an unstoppable force of digital innovation!

SiXworks’ expertise includes Secure-by-Design, cloud computing, advanced network and infrastructure design, rapid application development, cross-security domain systems, multi-tenanted High-Performance Compute, multi-source data platforms, cyber vulnerability mitigation, and intelligence systems. We provide supplier-agnostic, technical, and business consultancy to customers while championing open-source and best-of-breed technologies.

A word on UK Security Clearance

Due to the secure nature of the position and working environment, you must have, or be eligible to obtain Security Clearance.

More details relating to UK Security Clearance can be found here:

United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

SiXworks is an IBM subsidiary which has been acquired by IBM and will be integrated into the IBM organisation. SiXworks will be the hiring entity. By proceeding with this application, you understand that SiXworks will share your personal information with other IBM subsidiaries involved in your recruitment process, wherever these are located. More Information on how IBM protects your personal information, including the safeguards in case of cross-border data transfer, are available here: https://www.ibm.com/privacy