Job Description

About The Role


Hippo is recruiting for a Senior Data Architect to join our Hippo Herd. Our Senior Data Architect will work in multi-disciplinary teams that build, support & maintain User-Centred digital solutions that offer real value and work for everyone.


As a Senior Data Architect, you will be working as part of teams to build solutions that make data accessible to enable solutions to be optimised by using an evidence-based approach. Engaging with our clients you will design and implement data solutions ensuring solutions are integrated with internal systems and business processes.


Your role in a nutshell:
Define a data architecture that satisfies the data requirements of all stakeholders in an organisation and adheres to the enterprise wide data and technical strategy
Build and maintain appropriate Enterprise Architecture artefacts including Entity Relationship Models, Data Dictionary, ETL/ELT definitions and Data Pipeline/Lineage Models
Be accountable to the client for the rationale of the architecture and detailed solution
Define the methods of governance to ensure ongoing integrity of the architecture design artefacts
Be an advocate of data security principles and ensure appropriate security practices are embedded in any data strategy
Define standards for data modelling to ensure consistency within the solution and across the enterprise
Evaluate APIs by analysing documentation and sample responses
Analyse candidate data sources for content, timeliness and integrity
Reverse-engineer data models from a live system
Create Agile stories for the implementation of the solution and support the engineering team throughout development
Support third party suppliers in developing specifications that ensure compatibility between client and supplier systems
Support integration and reconciliation testing
Visualise insights using industry standard reporting tools
Skills and experience that you need
Proven experience in defining data architectures to satisfy multiple stakeholders with varying data proficiency
Thorough understanding of data lake and data warehousing principles and full project involvement in one or more major technology platforms, e.g. Snowflake, Databricks
Proven experience with one or more Cloud Services provider, e.g. AWS, Azure or Google Cloud Platform.
Good understanding of role-based access control, its importance in data security and methods of implementation
Excellent data modelling skills in designing data warehouses and datamarts
Experience of migrating data from legacy on-prem systems to cloud architectures
Knowledge of OLTP and OLAP principles and evidence of building such solutions
Evidence of building and managing the evolution of entity relationship models, data dictionaries and ELT/ETL models
Ability to visualise outputs using leading reporting tools such as Power BI (with custom DAX) and/or Tableau
High proficiency in SQL. Knowledge of SQL Server, SSMS, SSIS and SSRS a bonus
Ability to make test calls to API endpoints using a tool such as Postman
What makes us great
As well as a competitive salary which we're transparent about from the outset, you can also expect a range of benefits:
Contributory pension scheme (Hippo 6% with employee contributions of 2%)
25 days holiday plus UK public holidays
Perkbox access for a wide range of discounts
Critical illness cover
Life assurance and death in service cover
Volunteer days
Cycle-to-work scheme for the avid cyclists
Salary sacrifice electric vehicles scheme
Season ticket loans
Financial and general wellbeing sessions
Flexible benefits scheme with options of:
private health cover
private dental cover
additional company pension contributions
additional holidays (up to an extra 2 days)
wellbeing contribution
charity contributions
tree planting


Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at Hippo


At Hippo, we're dedicated to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace that works for everyone. We understand that having a diverse team unlocks our capacity for innovation, creativity and problem solving. Only by building a community of diverse perspectives, cultures and socio-economic backgrounds can we create an environment where all can contribute and thrive.


We actively encourage applications from underrepresented groups including women, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+, neurodivergent and people with disabilities. We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process that reflects our workplace culture. We are a registered Disability Confident Employer, Mindful Employer, Endometriosis Friendly Employer and a member of the Armed Forces Covenant. Hippo continually strives to remove barriers, provide accommodations and offer reasonable adjustments to ensure equity throughout our practices.


Hi, we're Hippo.


At Hippo, we design with empathy and build for impact. We do this by combining data-informed evidence, human-centred design and software engineering. We're a digital services partner who is genuinely invested in helping our clients thrive as modern organisations. Our delivery methodology is truly agile, from concept to reality, supporting innovation and continuous improvement to achieve your desired outcomes.


We firmly believe that technology should serve humanity, not the other way around. We take a human-centred approach to everything we do because we understand that complex problems require a service design approach. This means understanding how users behave and ensuring our solutions work for them in the real world.


Our combination of data, design, and engineering delivers bespoke digital services that make a positive and meaningful impact on organisations and society. We're confident in our abilities, authentic in our approach, and passionate about what we do. If you're looking for a digital services partner that can deliver real results, let us help you build for the future and make a lasting impact.


Hippo locations


We are headquartered in Leeds and have offices across the UK in Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, London and Bristol. We're on the lookout for top talent nationwide but you need to be located within reasonable travelling distance from one of our offices which will be your contracted office location. Given the dynamic nature of a consulting business, you may be required to work on-site at a Hippo office or at an in/out of town client location for a number of days per week (client dependent) and therefore candidates will need to be open/flexible to travel. Plus, we offer a generous relocation support package of up to 8k (please ask for terms and conditions) to help make your move a smooth one.


Pay: 57,000.00-72,000.00 per year


Work Location: Hybrid remote in Leeds LS1 4HT