Azure Data Architect – Freelance We are seeking an Azure Data Architect to support a customer in Antwerp on a long-term freelance mission. The consultant will lead the architecture, coordination, and delivery of scalable data-driven solutions within a modern cloud-based data lake environment (Azure). They will play a strategic role in shaping the data architecture, guiding implementation teams, and aligning technical solutions with business needs. The environment involves the migration to a cloud-native Azure Data Lake, implementation of data governance frameworks like Azure Purview, and other overarching projects. The selected consultant will work closely with business stakeholders, data engineers, and governance teams to architect robust data flows and ensure alignment with enterprise standards and data strategy. Responsibilities Design and oversee end-to-end architecture of data pipelines and data lake integrations Define and enforce architectural standards and best practices across data projects Coordinate multidisciplinary teams to deliver structured, secure, and governed data into the lake Guide the implementation of use cases with focus on scalability, reusability, and standardization Collaborate with stakeholders to understand data requirements and translate into technical solutions Ensure data governance policies, metadata standards, and lineage tracking are respected Lead documentation efforts covering data models, lineage, and technical decisions Support the setup of monitoring, CI/CD, and automation for robust data operations Advise on improvements to architecture and delivery processes across data initiatives Profile 5 years of experience in data architecture or data engineering leadership roles Strong expertise with Azure data services: Data Lake Gen2, Synapse, Data Factory, Databricks Solid knowledge of data modeling (Star Schema, Data Vault, 3NF) and data integration design Excellent coordination and stakeholder engagement skills Dutch speaking (mandatory) Additional Details SENIORITY: Senior START DATE: ASAP DURATION: 6 months (extension possible) CONTRACT: Freelance LOCATION: Antwerp (hybrid possible) HOURS PER WEEK: 40 LANGUAGES: Dutch