Senior Manager, Solution & Data Architecture

In this role you lead a skilled team of solution and data architects while staying hands-on with end-to-end data platform designs. You guide architectural decisions across Azure Synapse and Databricks, ensuring scalable, maintainable solutions aligned with data architecture principles. You partner with multiple business domains to deliver coherent data products and modernise legacy systems toward cloud-native architectures. This is a strategic, people-led role with tangible delivery impact and cross-functional collaboration.

• Hybrid Working Flexibility
• Generous Bonus Scheme
• Private Healthcare
• 25 days annual leave + bank holidays
• Early Finish Fridays
• Employee Discounts & Perks

• Lead and develop a team of solution and data architects, including coaching and performance management
• Define and maintain team OKRs aligned with Data & Analytics and business objectives
• Own the architecture team's roadmap and prioritise work across transformation projects
• Manage budget and resource planning, including external consultants when needed
• Establish team ways of working: architecture reviews, documentation standards, quality gates
• Represent the architecture team in leadership forums and cross-functional planning
• Foster a collaborative culture balancing architectural rigour with pragmatic delivery
• Set architectural direction across the data platform (Azure Synapse and Databricks)
• Review designs for adherence to standards and best practices
• Balance centralised (Synapse/CDM/RDM) and lakehouse (Databricks) patterns
• Define and evolve solution patterns, reference architectures, and best practices
• Lead technical design sessions with architects, engineers, and stakeholders
• Support modernization and migration from legacy to cloud-native solutions

• Proven hands-on data platform design and delivery at production scale with 2–3 years in a leadership/manager/senior architect role
• Experience leading and developing technical teams (performance management, career development, culture)
• Delivery roadmaps, OKRs, and budgets ownership for architecture or engineering
• Strong foundation in Databricks lakehouse (Delta Lake, medallion patterns), Azure Synapse (star schemas, dedicated pools), and data pipelines (ADF or Databricks Workflows)
• Experience with data quality frameworks, data contracts, and governance approaches
• Understanding of retail, manufacturing, finance, or supply chain processes and data flows
• Collaborative skills with domain architects, engineers, and development teams
• Excellent communication translating technical concepts for technical and business stakeholders

• collaboration
• clear communication
• strategic yet pragmatic delivery
• Databricks lakehouse architecture
• Delta Lake
• medallion patterns