Lead Data Architect - Cloud | Event-Driven | Payments Transformation - Manchester/Edinburgh

We’re supporting a Tier 1 bank as they transform the foundations of their payments architecture. This is a high-impact opportunity to define and deliver the data strategy for one of the bank’s most critical domains shaping the future of payments data at scale.

They’re looking for a Lead Data Architect who combines deep technical expertise with thought leadership, strong communication skills, and the ability to bring others on the journey. This role reports into the Head of Payments Architecture and will play a key part in modernising a legacy landscape into a cloud-native, event-driven, product-led environment.

What You’ll Do

• Define and own the data architecture vision for the payments domain
• Design event-driven, microservices-based data architectures in a cloud-native environment
• Champion modern practices like data mesh and data as a product
• Collaborate with senior stakeholders across engineering, product, business, and regulatory functions
• Represent architecture at leadership forums and steer strategic decisions
• Guide, mentor, and support engineers and architects as the function evolves

What We’re Looking For

• Strong experience as a Senior or Lead Data Architect in complex, federated environments
• Deep knowledge of cloud platforms (preferably AWS)
• Experience in Payments, ideally in financial services
• Expertise in event-driven architecture, microservices, and streaming platforms (e.g. Kafka)
• Hands-on experience with tools like Databricks, Snowflake, S3, and broader data ecosystem knowledge
• Background in software engineering - understands what good implementation looks like
• Confident communicator who can teach, influence, and represent architecture at senior levels

This is a permanent role based in Manchester or Edinburgh with hybrid working.