Who are we?

Howden is a collective a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 18,000 employees spanning over 100 countries.People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. Its what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering youll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.Job Title: Data ArchitectLocation:

London/HybridJob Type:

Full-timeJob SummaryAre you passionate about designing

scalable, high-performance data architectures

on

Azure and Databricks

? Do you thrive on solving complex data challenges, integrating modern data platforms, and defining best practices for enterprise data management?We are looking for a

Data Architect

to lead the design and implementation of

cutting-edge data solutions

in a cloud-native environment. You will play a key role in

shaping data strategy, designing high-level and low-level architectures

, and ensuring the seamless integration of data management tools. If you enjoy working with

big data technologies, governance frameworks, and modern analytics platforms

, this role is for you!Key ResponsibilitiesDesign and architect

scalable, secure, and cost-effective

Azure Databricks

solutions for business and analytical workloads.

Translate business requirements into

high-level and low-level solution designs

, ensuring alignment with best practices.

Define and implement

enterprise data governance, security, and compliance strategies.

Lead the

integration of core data management capabilities

, including:Master Data Management (MDM)

solutions for single-source-of-truth data

Data catalogue tools

for metadata management and discovery

Data governance frameworks

for policy enforcement, compliance, and lineage tracking

Data quality solutions

to ensure data accuracy, consistency, and reliability

Provide architectural leadership on

hub-and-spoke data architectures

, optimising for performance, scalability, and security.

Collaborate with

business stakeholders, data engineers, and analytics teams

to ensure solutions are fit for purpose.

Implement and optimise

Databricks Delta Lake, Medallion Architecture, and Lakehouse patterns

for structured and semi-structured data.

Ensure best practices in

Azure networking, security, and federated data access

.

Key Skills and Experience5+ years

of experience in

data architecture, solution architecture, or cloud data engineering

roles.

Strong expertise in

Azure data services

, including:Azure Databricks

(Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, MLflow)

Azure Event Hub

and

Azure Data Explorer

for real-time and streaming data pipelines

Azure Storage (ADLS Gen2, Blob Storage)

for scalable data lakes

Azure Purview

or equivalent for data governance and lineage tracking

Experience with

data integration, MDM, governance, and data quality tools

.

Hands-on experience with

Apache Spark, Python, SQL, and Scala

for data processing.

Strong understanding of

Azure networking, security, and IAM

, including

Azure Private Link, VNETs, Managed Identities, and RBAC

.

Deep knowledge of

enterprise-scale data architecture patterns

, including

Lakehouse, Medallion Architecture, and hub-and-spoke models

.

Strong problem-solving skills and ability to design

scalable, cost-optimised solutions

.

Excellent communication skills to engage with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Certifications (Nice to Have)Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert

Databricks Certified Data Engineer or Solution Architect

If you''re excited about

shaping the future of enterprise data architecture

, wed love to hear from you!What do we offer in return?A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity there is no one Howden type. Instead, were looking for individuals who share the same values as us:Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new

We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges

We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond

Reasonable adjustmentsWe''re committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.If you''re excited by this role but have some doubts about whether its the right fit for you, send us your application if your profile fits the roles criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.#J-18808-Ljbffr