Solutions Architect

Solutions Architect – 12 Months Contract - Monaco Preference is based in Monaco but will be open to Rotterdam or Porto Hyrid 3 days on site 2 days remote Must be fluent in English Required: - 8–10 years of experience in solutions architecture, data platform architecture, data engineering or related roles, delivery experience in cloud data platforms. Solid Microsoft Fabric or closely related Microsoft data platform implementations in enterprise contexts, including architecture ownership from design through deployment & adoption. Designing solutions across OneLake, Lakehouse, Data Warehouse, pipelines/data integration, semantic models & BI consumption patterns. Fabric governance, including Purview integration, lineage, sensitivity labels & secure data access. Git integration, pipelines & CI/CD in Fabric or equivalent Microsoft analytics. Addressing real implementation challenges such as migration decisions, environment promotion, performance bottlenecks, capacity constraints, governance trade-offs & stakeholder adoption. SQL, PySpark, KQL, DAX / semantic modelling. Demonstrated ability to operate as a bridge between business & technology, articulating complex architecture decisions in clear business language. My client is looking to bring on board a Solutions Architect to lead the implementation of Microsoft Fabric. This is a functional leadership role focused on architecture & solution ownership, not people management. Solutions Architect Key requirements: Strong Microsoft Fabric expertise (mandatory) Proven experience leading Fabric implementations Capable of positioning Fabric as a strategic solution, not just a tool Profile should align more with a Solution Architect than a purely data-focused role Solutions Architect Purpose As a Solutions Architect – Microsoft Fabric, you will be part of Data Architecture & play a central role within the Data & Information Management function, owning the definition & delivery of the enterprise data & analytics platform on the Microsoft stack. You will work in close partnership with Enterprise Architecture to ensure alignment with overall IT strategy, while taking the lead for the implementation & scale-up of Microsoft Fabric as my clients next-generation Enterprise Data Platform. Building on the current Proof of Concept, you will drive the migration from Azure Synapse to Microsoft Fabric, shaping the target architecture, defining implementation patterns, & ensuring a smooth transition into a production-grade, enterprise-wide platform. You will carry this vision forward, ensuring Fabric is not only implemented but continuously optimised & adopted as a core business capability. You will collaborate closely with Data Engineers, Data Architects, & the wider IT&S organisation to refine & enhance the platform architecture, performance, governance & operating model. In parallel, you will engage directly with business stakeholders to successfully deliver high-value use cases on Microsoft Fabric, ensuring solutions are practical, scalable & aligned with long-term business needs. This role requires a proactive, solution-oriented mindset, with a strong focus on collaboration & long-term value. While not a formal people manager, you will provide technical leadership across internal teams & external vendors, ensuring architectural consistency, delivery quality & alignment with defined objectives. You will be expected to guide delivery, challenge approaches where needed & actively steer decisions towards the best long-term outcome for the organisation. Solutions Architect Responsibilities Work hand-in-hand with Enterprise Architecture & internal Data & Information Management teams on the target solutions architecture for the enterprise analytics platform on the Microsoft stack, with particular focus on Microsoft Fabric & its integration with the wider Azure & Microsoft ecosystem. Lead the activities from Data Management side. Architect & guide implementation across key Fabric capabilities, including OneLake, Lakehouse, Data Warehouse, Data Factory/Pipelines, Power BI, Real-Time Intelligence & Microsoft Purview. Lead end-to-end Fabric implementations, including architecture design, environment setup, deployment approach, governance model & handover into steady-state operations. Define architecture patterns & decision frameworks for Lakehouse vs warehouse, medallion architecture, semantic models & serving patterns, including Direct Lake where appropriate. Design deployment structures across capacities, domains, workspaces & environments, balancing governance, security, performance isolation & cost. Define & guide lifecycle management practices (versioning, deployment, environment promotion) aligned with enterprise standards. Together with Data Governance ensure data solutions are governed & secure by design, including sensitivity labels, lineage, metadata management & Purview-enabled governance. Proactively drive performance, resilience & cost optimisation across the Fabric platform, i