Data Lead

Roke Manor Research Limited; Romsey; On-site; GBP 55,000 - GBP 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A UK technology firm based in Romsey is seeking a Data Lead/Data Architect with strong data strategy and governance skills. The successful candidate will manage a team of data engineers to develop and implement data solutions for demanding clients in the Defence sector. This pivotal role requires a degree in a STEM subject, along with direct experience in data architecture, agile management, and cloud solutions. The firm offers competitive benefits, fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Flexible benefits for health and well-being

Opportunities for professional development

Qualifications

• Proven experience in data architecture and strategy, especially in the UK Defence sector.
• Strong understanding of both structured and unstructured data.
• Experience managing teams in an Agile environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop strategies for data governance as a strategic asset.
• Communicate data strategies to stakeholders.
• Lead a team of data engineers to implement confident solutions.

Skills

Data strategy and governance

Data pipelines

Agile management

Cloud solutions (Azure, AWS, GCP)

Team leadership

Education

Degree in a STEM subject

Tools

Data transformation technologies

Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment

Job description

Roke, Roke Manor, Romsey, Hampshire, United Kingdom

Job Description

Posted Friday 30 January 2026 at 01:00

Great ideas come from different minds. That’s why we bring together engineers, scientists, analysts, and creatives from every background — and give them the trust, tools, and freedom to make a difference. What connects us is the mission: solving meaningful problems and building capability that protects what matters most.

And as the challenges evolve, so do we — working on the technologies that will shape tomorrow, not just today.

About Roke

Roke offers specialist knowledge in sensors, communications, cyber, and AI and ML. We change the way organisations think and act – through dynamic insights from the analysis of multiple layers of data. We take care of the innovative, technical stuff that keeps everyone safe – that’s our mission, passion, and motivation.

Joining a team united by purpose and ambition, you’ll be at the heart of an exciting growth journey: having doubled in size over the last 4 years. We push technical boundaries, together. We re‑invest in product innovation, and we empower our people to make a difference.

The Opportunity

Roke is recruitingforaData Lead/ Data Architect who isdriven by solving varied and interesting client problems.The candidatewillbe responsible forthesupporting thestrategy,architectureand high-level design ofdata intensivesolutions,andwillalso support Client Managers directly in a pre-sales capacity to develop relationships and solutions that can support future business growth.

For this specific role, we are seeking someone with strong experience indata strategy and governance, who candesignand deliverdata pipelines and data platformsfor both structured and unstructured data applications. They will besupported by a team of data engineers to deliver on the strategy and designs.

The ideal candidate will have a passion for supporting the development of capability within their own technical area. Thisseniorposition will be pivotal to capability development through; involvementwith business development activities, supportingour account managers inthedevelopment of customer offerings to address market drivers, identifying opportunities to develop/exploit our own IP in our target proposition space, as well as understanding and documenting the customer’s requirements for distribution totheengineering team.

Areas of Responsibility/Tasks

• HelpDefencecustomers develop their strategy for data as a strategic assetand define theappropriate levelof governance neededand theappropriate processes.
• Communicate the data strategyto non-technical stakeholders and technical experts.
• Define thearchitecture fordata softwareand analyticssolutions, either asstandaloneengagements or within a larger multi-disciplinary programme environment.
• Lead a team of data engineers, drivetechnology choices,andsupportthem in deliveringearly-stageinvestigationsthrough to large scale implementations.
• Support the Sales and Campaign functions to develop and foster client relationships and elaborate high level technical requirements.
• Work directly withmultiple development teams,ensuringsolutionsmeet all requirements of quality, security, modifiability, extensibility etc, by ensuring best engineering practices are followed.
• Represent Roke and its technical solutions and capabilities toward clientcommunities.

Why We Want You

Beyond your technical skills, you will be proactive and able to communicate effectively with a variety of internal and external stakeholders. You will work well alone or as part of a team. You will be curious and seek out the best approach/solution/tool for the job at hand.

Essential skills/experience

• Alongside yourskills withDataspecific technologies, you have abroad technical backgroundwhichallowsyou to rapidly understand new systems and domains, and prototypesolutionsbased on yourexperience and hands on approach.As aDataArchitect, you will have a degree level qualification in a STEM subject, or you will have an education and level of experience which is comparable.
• You will have:
• Experience of Data Architecture and Data Strategy in a UK Defence orotherPublic Sector context.
• Direct experience with dataingest, transformation and persistence technologies and good understanding of how they combine to build resilient data pipelines
• Good understanding of structured and unstructured data, and the techniques needed to exploit them indifferent ways.
• Experience of working with Dataand Software Engineersto provide deliverable solutions to complex data problems.
• Experience of managing teams within an Agile framework
• Appreciation of the different approachesrequiredwhen working with cloud solutions versus traditionally hosted systems.
• Experience of working with in BusinessDevelopment andcontributing tocomplextechnicalbids.
• Familiarity with Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment techniques, and the quality mechanisms that arerequiredto support them.
• Experience of building Data Pipelines in a Cloud environment (Azure, AWS, GCP)
• Knowledge of commercial and contractual frameworks
• Scrum-masterand/or Product Ownerexperience.

Why You Should Join Us

Roke offer a competitive salary and access to a number of additional flexible benefits covering Health and Wellbeing, Savings and Protection & Life, Leisure and Entertainment.

Roke has a great community of groups with shared interests across a wide range of domains. We are a people-first business, and fostering and developing the talent of our people is core to our continued success. Our approach to knowledge-sharing and interest groups enables people to share ideas and be passionate about tools, technologies & techniques, which interest them, supporting fulfilment and professional development.

We are committed to a policy of Equal Opportunity, Diversity and Inclusion. Our working environment is friendly, creative and inclusive and support a diverse work-force and those with additional needs.

Clearances

Due to the nature of this role, we require you to be eligible to achieve SC clearance. As a result, you should have resided in the U.K. for the last 5 years for SC.

The Next Step

Click apply, submitting an up-to-date CV. We look forward to hearing from you.

Roke, Roke Manor, Romsey, Hampshire, United Kingdom