Microsoft Fabric Architect

Microsoft Fabric Architect (Project) Location: London Rate: £650 per day IR35 status: Inside Contract: 16 weeks Working pattern: Hybrid - office attendance every Friday, plus additional days when required Hours: 37 hours per week Target start: 12 October 2026 Target end: 31 January 2027 Client: Local Government Authority A Local Government Authority in London is looking for an experienced Microsoft Fabric Architect to provide strategic and technical leadership for its enterprise data and analytics platform. Working with the Data and Platforms Team, you will review and strengthen the platform architecture, governance framework and operating model. This is a senior architecture and governance role, requiring a holistic view of data design, security, service operation and organisational adoption. It is not primarily a data engineering or report development position. Essential Experience Proven experience designing, reviewing and implementing enterprise-scale Microsoft Fabric solutions Strong knowledge of OneLake, Lakehouses, Warehouses, notebooks, pipelines, dataflows, semantic models and Power BI Experience defining enterprise data architectures, Bronze, Silver and Gold Medallion patterns, reusable data products and governance frameworks Strong understanding of cloud security, identities, access management, data protection and compliance controls in Microsoft environments Experience with Azure data platform services, resource groups, subscriptions, RBAC, tagging, monitoring and integration patterns Experience producing architecture documentation, standards, operating models and delivery roadmaps Strong stakeholder management, communication and technical leadership skills, including explaining complex issues to non-technical audiences Experience providing design assurance, mentoring and knowledge transfer to multidisciplinary teams Desirable Experience Microsoft Purview implementation, data governance and formal information governance processes involving sensitive personal data Local government or wider public sector data and technology delivery Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Data Factory and migration from legacy data platforms Fabric capacity management, FinOps, workload optimisation and organisational chargeback models AI, Copilot, machine learning or advanced analytics in governed enterprise environments Power Platform and Dataverse integration patterns The Role You will ensure Microsoft Fabric and its supporting Azure environment remain scalable, secure, supportable and cost-effective. Working across technical and business teams, you will align the platform with Microsoft best practice and wider technology ambitions while enabling services to access trusted data. Key Responsibilities Lead architecture reviews, optimisation and technical assurance for new solutions and significant changes across Fabric and supporting Azure services Define architecture patterns across OneLake, Lakehouses, Warehouses, notebooks, pipelines, dataflows, semantic models and Power BI; strengthen Medallion layers and reusable data products Strengthen governance for subscriptions, resource groups, ownership, tagging, RBAC, monitoring, costs, workspace creation, lifecycle management and environment separation; ensure associated Azure resources are documented, justified and reviewed Set guardrails for self-service analytics and service-led development, controlling duplication and platform growth; advise when Fabric or line-of-business systems best meet reporting, analysis, matching and operational needs Review security boundaries, permissions, sensitivity controls, sharing, user and service accounts, service principals, managed and workspace identities, Key Vault and governed connections Ensure architecture supports UK GDPR, data minimisation, DPIAs, data-sharing requirements, information governance and wider public sector obligations Enhance Microsoft Purview integration for cataloguing, metadata, lineage, ownership, classification and discoverability; define accountability for domains, workspaces, data products and semantic models Review capacity, performance and consumption, recommending workload protection, monitoring, cost optimisation, showback and chargeback approaches Define Dev, Test and Production practices covering source control, deployment pipelines, releases, testing, documentation and operational handover Provide architectural input for AI, Copilot and advanced analytics using governed, trusted data Produce diagrams, decision records, standards, roadmaps and options papers; work with data owners, information governance, cyber security, service leads, suppliers and Microsoft to agree sustainable solutions Mentor engineers, analysts, developers and platform administrators; prioritise work, manage risks and dependencies, and escalate decisions appropriately Key Project Deliverables Fabric and supporting Azure architecture review with prioritised recommendations Documented target-state architecture and delivery roadmap Updated architecture, governance and security standards Fabric operating model and clear responsibilities matrix Capacity management, workload protection and cost optimisation recommendations Microsoft Purview and data governance integration roadmap Architecture patterns, decision records and reusable guidance Knowledge transfer and mentoring for the Data and Platforms Team Important Information Applicants must be UK residents. No visa sponsorship or options are available for this role *Rates depend on experience and client requirements