Data Architect - Banking at Softwire, London Area, £650-£1,000 per day

Data Architect - Banking - Outside IR35 - Contract - SC Essential

Softwire is seeking experienced Data Architects to join a critical multi-year programme at a major Bank. This is a senior, hands-on role embedded within a cross-functional architecture team, supporting the Enterprise Data Platform (EDP), Financial Data Services / Data Analytics Platform (FDS/DAP), Statistical Analysis and Modelling (SAM), and Mortgage & Banking Returns (MBR) workstreams.

You will work at conceptual, logical, and physical levels, producing the artefacts that underpin data migration, integration, and governance initiatives across one of the UK's most significant financial institutions.

What You'll Be Doing

Across one or more of the EDP, FDS/DAP, SAM, and MBR workstreams, your day-to-day will include:

• Producing and maintaining conceptual and logical data models aligned to Bank standards and regulatory requirements
• Designing data flow diagrams, interface specifications, and source-to-target mappings for complex migration and integration programmes
• Supporting legacy data warehouse migration to Azure / Databricks, including Unity Catalog implementation and Microsoft Purview governance integration
• Defining data governance frameworks: ownership, lineage, classification, quality, and master data management
• Documenting operational and analytical data service architectures
• Engaging with senior stakeholders across technology and business domains, running your own workstreams with minimal supervision
• Contributing to knowledge transfer and capability uplift for Bank staff embedded in your team
• Presenting at Architecture Review Boards and contributing to cross-programme architecture governance as required

Core Technical Requirements

Candidates must be able to demonstrate strong capability across the following:

Technical Skills

• Azure data platform (ADF, Synapse, ADLS)
• Databricks (including Unity Catalog)
• Microsoft Purview — governance & lineage
• Conceptual & logical data modelling
• Physical data modelling for cloud DW
• Data flow diagrams & interface specs
• Source-to-target mapping
• Legacy DW migration (on-prem to Azure)

£650-1,000 per day outside IR35

Start date: 01/06/2026

End date: 6-month-long contract, likely extension

About Softwire

Softwire is a leading UK technology and strategy consultancy. From enterprise to government, we help visionary organisations turn strategic ambitions into results at scale. Our practices cover AI transformation, data platforms, systems engineering advanced CX and experience design.