Architect (Cloud/Data)

Role – Data Architect 

Location – London, UK

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced Data Architect to join the Polaris Programme; a strategic initiative focused on modernising underwriting and platform capabilities.

This role is primarily hands-on, with a strong emphasis on data modelling and establishing a consistent data foundation across multiple in-flight workstreams. The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping and aligning conceptual and logical data models, ensuring consistency with the London Market data model and supporting future PAS alignment.

Working alongside existing Data Architects and delivery teams, the contractor will help ensure that data design remains coherent, scalable, and aligned as the programme evolves.

Key Responsibilities 

• Develop and maintain conceptual and logical data models across the Polaris programme, with a focus on underwriting and platform domains
• Ensure alignment to London Market data standards, minimising divergence across parallel workstreams
• Collaborate with solution / Data architects, data engineers, and business stakeholders to define consistent data structures and definitions
• Provide hands-on guidance to delivery teams to ensure data models are implemented consistently across platforms
• Contribute to data architecture governance, ensuring alignment with enterprise standards and architecture principles
• Identify and resolve potential data inconsistencies, duplication, and integration risks early in the delivery lifecycle
• Support ongoing alignment with future PAS and platform design, ensuring data models are adaptable and forward-looking
• Working with CDO to ensure data governance processes are followed and required metadata captured.

Skills and Experience 

Essential 

• Proven experience as a Data Architect in complex, multi-stream delivery environments
• Strong hands-on expertise in data modelling (conceptual and logical)
• Experience working within the insurance domain, with strong understanding of data across underwriting and policy lifecycles
• Familiarity with London Market data models and standards
• Strong collaboration skills, able to work effectively across architecture and delivery teams
• Experience supporting large-scale transformation programmes with multiple parallel workstreams

Technical Skills 

• Experience working with modern data platforms such as Snowflake
• Experience of ELT/ETL
• Strong understanding of analytics and reporting tooling (e.g. Power BI)
• Solid grounding in data integration patterns and data pipeline design

Desirable 

• Exposure to data governance frameworks and tooling (e.g. Collibra)
• Experience with orchestration platforms such as Astronomer / Airflow
• Knowledge of enterprise data architecture practices, including metadata management and lineage

Education

• Bachelors or Masters in Information Technology, Computer Science or relevant field.

Work Environment 

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment, including but not limited to, computers, phones, and photocopiers.

Physical Demands 

This position requires the frequent and repetitive use of a computer, keyboard, and mouse. Hand and finger dexterity is required. 

Other Duties 

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

EEO 

Saama provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, colour, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.