Role summary
As a Lead Data Architect & Client Solutions Manager, you will serve as the primary technical interface between clients and delivery teams, translating business challenges into effective data solutions. You will be accountable for understanding client needs, designing scalable architectures, and ensuring successful implementation through close coordination with delivery resources.
This role requires balancing strategic client relationship management (60%) with hands-on technical leadership (40%). You will work directly with client stakeholders to gather requirements, present solution options, and maintain alignment throughout the delivery lifecycle. Simultaneously, you'll provide architectural guidance to delivery teams, ensuring technical quality and adherence to client expectations.
You will collaborate with client executives to shape data strategy, with product owners to define solution roadmaps, and with delivery leads to coordinate implementation. Success in this role means delivering technical excellence while building trusted advisor relationships that drive long-term client satisfaction and business growth.
You will work with Engineers in other technology areas, helping define the overall technical direction for the product on alignment with Group’s technology roadmap, standards and frameworks, with product owners and business stakeholders to shape the product's delivery roadmap and with support teams to ensure its smooth operation. You will be accountable for ensuring technical requirements are clearly articulated and that proposed solutions align with client expectations, while the delivery team maintains accountability for implementation and technical decisions.
Key responsibilities | Deliverables
Client Solution Design & Domain Expertise
• Translate business requirements into technical architectures that deliver measurable value
• Develop solution options balancing technical feasibility, business impact, and client budgets
• Apply deep knowledge of enterprise data strategies and industry-specific data patterns
• Leverage expertise in cloud economics and technology partner ecosystems
Client Relationship Management
• Serve as the primary technical advisor to client stakeholders across organizational levels
• Build trusted relationships through understanding of client business context
• Engage effectively with C-suite leadership, translating technical concepts to business terms
• Navigate organizational dynamics to build consensus and influence technical decisions
Commercial & Financial Management
• Develop accurate solution estimates and resource plans aligned with client budgets
• Identify commercial growth opportunities within existing accounts
• Monitor project financials to ensure solutions remain commercially viable
• Articulate business cases for technical investments with clear ROI justifications
Technical Governance & Delivery Oversight
• Establish technical standards and governance frameworks across implementations
• Guide architectural decisions ensuring scalability, compliance, and maintainability
• Review technical deliverables to ensure alignment with client expectations
• Identify and mitigate technical risks before they impact client satisfaction
• Deliver data engineering solutions with the team when additional expertise is required
• Stay current with data governance requirements, regulatory standards, and emerging technologies
Key activities | KPIs
Client Engagement
o Lead discovery workshops to capture requirements and define success metrics
o Conduct regular client reviews presenting progress and gathering feedback
o Proactively communicate technical constraints with alternative approaches
o Bridge communication between client stakeholders and delivery teams
Solution Development
o Design high-level solution architectures aligned to client objectives
o Create technical specifications integrating data engineering with analytics/AI capabilities
o Review competitive offerings to identify technical differentiators
o Validate technical designs and estimates from delivery teams
o Prototype solutions to demonstrate capabilities and validate approaches
Delivery Support
o Work with delivery teams to ensure implementation aligns with architectural vision, rolling up sleeves to contribute hands-on code when needed
o Contribute to backlog refinement, helping prioritize for maximum business value
o Lead work breakdown sessions for complex technical requirements
o Monitor solution performance against client KPIs
o Coach and mentor junior team members in client-facing technical skills
Skills, experience, and education required
• 8+ years of experience in architecting and implementing enterprise data solutions, with at least 3 years in client-facing technical advisory roles
• Proven track record of translating business requirements into technical solutions that deliver measurable value
• Experience presenting technical architectures to C-level and senior business stakeholders
• Strong commercial acumen with demonstrated ability to develop accurate estimates and resource plans
• Experience in governance of complex data engineering implementations across distributed teams
• Expertise in data warehousing strategies and modern data architecture patterns
• Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (GCP preferred) and understanding of their cost implications
• Ability to evaluate code quality and technical designs without needing to be a primary contributor
• Experience managing technical delivery teams, preferably in consulting or client service environments
• Track record of growing client relationships and identifying expansion opportunities
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology or a related discipline; MBA or technical master's degree preferred
• Capable of influencing technical direction across organizational boundaries
• Good executive presence and presentation skills
• Demonstrated ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical audiences
• Experience developing and managing solution budgets and financial forecasts
• Enthusiasm for coaching and mentoring junior engineers
