Principal Data Architect, Secure Government and Defence Programmes

Location: UK, hybrid, client site as required
Security Requirement: Developed Vetting (DV) clearance is mandatory.

This role is only suitable for candidates who currently hold active DV clearance.

Overview

A leading UK consulting organisation delivering mission-critical digital and data transformation across defence, national security, and sensitive government environments is seeking a Principal Data Architect. This is a senior, client-facing role focused on defining and delivering secure, scalable data platforms within highly classified programmes.

Due to the nature of the work and access to classified systems, only candidates with active DV clearance can be considered.

Role Responsibilities

Define and lead enterprise-level data architecture for complex, secure transformation programmes
Architect end-to-end data platforms covering ingestion, integration, storage, governance, and analytics
Design secure, resilient, and scalable architectures aligned with defence and national security requirements
Translate mission and operational needs into technical data solutions
Provide technical leadership across engineering teams and client stakeholders
Contribute to capability growth, technical strategy, and thought leadership within secure environments
Technical Environment

Architectural responsibility across modern and legacy secure platforms, including:

Multi-cloud platforms and secure data environments
Data lakes, warehouses, and distributed data systems
Data ingestion, orchestration, and integration tooling
Cloud ecosystems such as AWS, Azure, and GCP
Databricks, Snowflake, and similar modern data platforms
Infrastructure automation, DevOps, and secure deployment patterns
Data governance, metadata, and secure access frameworks
Analytics, semantic layers, and enterprise reporting platforms
Seniority and Leadership Expectations

Operate at Principal Consultant or equivalent leadership level
Own architecture strategy across large, complex client programmes
Lead multidisciplinary teams across data, engineering, and delivery functions
Provide strategic technical direction and advisory support to senior stakeholders
Support business development, technical assurance, and capability development
Essential Requirements

Active DV clearance (mandatory, non-negotiable)
Strong experience designing and delivering enterprise data architectures
Experience working in defence, national security, or highly regulated government environments
Deep understanding of secure data platform design and cloud architectures
Strong stakeholder engagement and consulting capability
Experience leading teams and delivering complex programmes