Data Architect at Connells Limited, Milton Keynes, 6 Months, £Contract Rate

We are seeking an experienced Data Architect to join our Group Technology team on a 6-month contract.

You will help realise the value of the immense Connells Group data landscape for the benefit of customers, colleagues and the overall business. You will use your expertise to define, evolve and communicate the existing Estate Agency enterprise data architecture, to democratise safe access to consolidated and unified data, modelled to help engineering teams develop single customer and property views. The data architecture will also support system migration and integration, to establish effective master and reference data management via our Group Data Platform. The priority for this role will be in mapping the existing estate for CRM data, developing the relevant CDMs as part of Fabric Medallion architecture, and establishing robust bulk extract and ingest patterns to enable CRM integration.

Key Responsibilities:

• CDM Data Architecture Ownership; with direction from the Enterprise Data Architect, define and maintain the organisation’s CDM data architecture across cloud and on-premises environments. Ensure alignment with business goals, scalability, and futureproofing of data platforms.
• Cloud and Hybrid Integration Design; Lead the design and implementation of data solutions that integrate Azure cloud-native services with legacy SQL Server systems and third-party APIs and data feeds.
• Data Modelling and Standards; develop and enforce data modelling standards (conceptual, logical, physical) across platforms. Promote reuse, consistency, and quality in data structures.
• Collaboration with Engineering and BI Teams; Work closely with data engineers, BI developers, and analysts to ensure architectural decisions support efficient data ingestion, transformation, and reporting.
• Third-Party Data Integration; Architect secure and reliable data flows from external providers, ensuring compliance with data governance and contractual obligations.
• Governance and Compliance; Ensure data architecture complies with internal governance policies and external regulations (e.g., GDPR). Support data stewardship and metadata management initiatives. Platform governance and activation of Purview capabilities will support data standards.
• Performance and Optimization; Monitor and optimize data architecture for performance, cost-efficiency, and reliability across cloud and on-premises systems.
• Documentation and Communication; Maintain clear documentation of data architecture, standards, and decisions. Communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Experience and Skills Required:

• Experience with Data Architecture and governance, public-cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP) , SQL Server, data integration with third-party systems, ideally Microsoft Fabric
• Experience with data modelling and metadata management
• Experience in developing common data models for core business concepts
• Experience of CRM system migration or implementation would be beneficial
• Relevant degree or post-graduate qualification, ideally certification in Cloud Architecture and Data Management
• Strong data modelling and data architecture, cloud-native data services, on-premises systems and migration strategies, ideally with GitHub CI/CD for data pipelines
• Data-informed decision making, ideally in an OKR framework
• Proactive and collaborative problem-solver and used to managing pressure, ideally at a scale relevant to Connells

Connells Group UK is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, transgender status, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.