Lead Data Architect

We are looking for a Lead Data Architect to hold design authority for the analytics platform of a national-scale foundational identity programme in West Africa. This is a design authority role. You will own the data models, the solution specification and the interface definitions that every other engineer on the programme works from — and they are contractual deliverables, reviewed and formally accepted by the client. You will be the first person mobilised and will remain the senior technical voice throughout.

The platform is an open-source lakehouse: change data capture from the identity system into an Apache Iceberg store, a governed semantic layer, and analytics and statutory reporting on top. The interesting constraints are real ones. The identity platform carries a two-second authentication service level and cannot absorb analytical query load, so ingestion has to be designed around that. Data protection legislation confers erasure rights over records held in the lake. And the volumetrics span a range wide enough that the architecture has to remain valid across it.

You will work directly with the client's architecture function, with the identity platform's technical team, and with the infrastructure partner. You will not be three layers removed from the decisions.

Must-have criteria

● At least twelve years in data engineering or data architecture, of which five or more at lead, principal or equivalent level.

● Design authority on at least two analytical platforms serving ten million records or more.

● Production experience of a modern lakehouse — an open table format such as Apache Iceberg, Delta Lake or Apache Hudi, with a distributed query engine.

● Has designed ingestion from a transactional system carrying a production service level, where the design had to avoid imposing query load on the source.

● Dimensional modelling and master data management, including conformed dimensions and resolution of conflicting source records.

● Has authored formal specification documents subject to client review and acceptance.

Desirable

● Foundational identity, civil registration or national population register experience.

● MOSIP platform familiarity — this is weighted heavily and may offset shorter tenure elsewhere.

● Delivery within a consortium or subcontract structure.

● Donor-funded procurement experience — World Bank, AFD, EIB or similar.

● Data protection by design, including pseudonymisation and erasure at scale.

● Working French.

Expected hours: 40.0 – 45.0 per week

Application Question(s):

• Have you delivered software into a multi-party programme, where the organisation deploying it was not the one building it?
• Have you delivered production work in an on-premise or hybrid environment (not cloud-only)?

Experience:

• On-premises: 10 years (Required)

Work Location: In person