Data Architect

About WPP Media 

WPP is the creative transformation company. We use the power of creativity to build better futures for our people, planet, clients and communities. For more information, visit wpp.com. 

WPP Media is WPP’s global media collective. In a world where media is everywhere and in everything, we bring the best platform, people, and partners together to create limitless opportunities for growth. For more information, visit wppmedia.com 

At WPP Media, we believe in the power of our culture and our people. It’s what elevates us to deliver exceptional experiences for both our clients and each other. In this role it will be critical to embrace WPP & WPP Media’s shared core values: 

• Be Extraordinary by Leading Collectively to Inspire transformational Creativity. 
• Create an Open environment by Balancing People and Client Experiences by Cultivating Trust. 
• Lead Optimistically by Championing Growth and Development to Mobilize the Enterprise. 

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are seeking a meticulous and experienced Data Architect to play a crucial role in designing, documenting, and ensuring the quality of our next-generation media data lake on the Microsoft Azure platform. This role will focus on developing and upholding the architectural integrity of the data lake, with a strong emphasis on the medallion architecture and integrating comprehensive Quality Assurance practices. The ideal candidate will possess deep expertise in Azure data services, data modeling, and QA methodologies, ensuring our data platform is scalable, reliable, and delivers high-quality data.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Design and document significant components of the end-to-end architecture for the media data lake on Azure, ensuring alignment with the medallion architecture (Bronze, Silver, Gold layers).
• Develop, implement, and oversee Quality Assurance strategies, test plans, and processes for data pipelines, data transformations, and overall data integrity within the data lake.
• Define and enforce data quality standards, metrics, and validation routines across all layers of the data lake.
• Collaborate closely with data engineers to integrate QA processes throughout the development lifecycle, from design to deployment.
• Contribute to the establishment and enforcement of data modeling standards, data governance policies, and data security frameworks, with a strong focus on quality assurance.
• Select and recommend appropriate Azure services and technologies for data ingestion, storage, processing, and consumption, ensuring they meet architectural and quality requirements.
• Work with business stakeholders, product managers, and engineering teams to translate requirements into robust architectural designs and testable solutions.
• Provide architectural expertise and guidance to data engineering teams, ensuring adherence to design principles and quality standards.
• Ensure the data architecture supports scalability, performance, reliability, cost-effectiveness, and meets defined quality benchmarks.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive architectural and QA documentation.
• Evaluate and recommend new technologies, tools, and methodologies to enhance data architecture and quality assurance practices.
• Design and document data integration patterns and ensure architectural integrity and data quality during the integration of various data sources.
• Champion and implement robust data quality assurance processes and master data management principles.
• Ensure architectural designs and QA practices support compliance with data privacy regulations and industry best practices.
• Participate actively in the testing of data solutions to ensure accuracy, completeness, performance, and adherence to specifications.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

• Extensive experience with Microsoft Azure data services (Azure Data Lake Storage, Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Data Factory, Azure Purview).
• Deep understanding and practical experience in designing and implementing medallion data lake architectures.
• Strong knowledge of data warehousing, big data technologies (including Spark), and distributed systems.
• Proficiency in data modeling techniques (conceptual, logical, physical) and data quality frameworks.
• Proven experience in developing and implementing QA strategies, test plans, and automated testing for data pipelines and data stores.
• Experience with data governance, data security, and data quality tools and methodologies.

Life at WPP Media & Benefits 

Our passion for shaping the next era of media includes investing in our employees to help them do their best work, and we’re just as committed to employee growth as we are to responsible media investment. WPP Media employees can tap into the global WPP Media & WPP networks to pursue their passions, grow their networks, and learn at the cutting edge of marketing and advertising. We have a variety of employee resource groups and host frequent in-office events showcasing team wins, sharing thought leadership, and celebrating holidays and milestone events. Our benefits include competitive medical, group retirement plans, vision, and dental insurance, significant paid time off, preferential partner discounts, and employee mental health awareness days.   

WPP Media is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.