At Datashift, we help organizations become truly data-driven by building solutions that answer real business questions with data. We combine deep technical expertise with a pragmatic consulting mindset.
We are looking for a Senior Data Architect who designs and leads the next generation of data platforms.
You work on modern, scalable and secure data architectures for organizations in regulated sectors such as healthcare, financial services and government, where security, compliance and responsible data usage are critical by design.
You combine strategic thinking with strong technical depth: convincing a CTO about an architectural direction, and shortly after diving deep with engineers into topics such as data protection, encryption, identity & access management, network isolation and distributed data processing.
You stay ahead of new technologies, challenge existing approaches and actively share your expertise — internally and in the broader data community.
Your role
As a senior Data Architect, you:
Design and implement modern cloud data architectures using technologies such as Azure, Microsoft Fabric, AWS and Databricks
Define and enforce architecture principles for scalable, secure and compliant data platforms
Design platforms that are secure by design, including aspects such as encryption, key management, data access control and network security
Ensure platforms comply with regulatory and compliance requirements (e.g. GDPR, data governance standards, sector-specific regulations)
Act as a trusted advisor for clients and guide architectural decisions at both strategic and technical level
Lead technical and architectural governance within projects and across teams
Translate business and regulatory requirements into a robust and future-proof architecture
Take the architectural lead in pre-Sales and proposals, including defining solution approaches in regulated environments
Design platforms that are ready for AI, with strong foundations in data quality, governance, lineage, traceability and access control
Mentor colleagues and help grow the technical and architectural expertise within Datashift
Communicate complex topics clearly to engineers, architects and senior stakeholders
Contribute to Datashift's knowledge culture through internal sharing, community events or conferences
Job requirements
Your profile:
7-10+ years of experience in data engineering, data architecture or cloud data platforms
Proven experience designing enterprise-grade data platforms in complex environments
Strong knowledge of modern data architecture patterns and distributed data processing (SQL, Spark)
Hands-on experience with Azure, Microsoft Fabric, AWS or Databricks
Solid experience with security, compliance and data governance in regulated environments
Experience translating regulatory requirements into technical architecture (e.g. GDPR, data protection, access control)
Experience working in or with regulated sectors (healthcare, Finance, government) is a strong plus
Experience mentoring colleagues and leading architecture discussions and decisions
Strong communication skills: able to switch between strategic advisory and technical depth
A proactive mindset and the drive to continuously improve and innovate
Nice to have:
Deep understanding of cloud security and networking concepts (IAM, private networking, encryption, key management)
Experience with data governance frameworks, data mesh or modern data platform concepts
Experience with secure data sharing and multi-tenant architectures
Active participation in the data community (blogs, talks, meetups)
Languages:
Fluent in English
Dutch or French is a plus