Principal Architect

Title:

Role Overview

Platform & Application Architect

Key Responsibilities

1. Architecture & Strategy

• Design the end-to-end architecture for a On-prem / hybrid

  data platform

  (data lake/lakehouse, data warehouse, streaming, and analytics components).
• Define and document data blueprints, data domain models, and architectural standards.
• Lead build vs. buy evaluations for platform components and recommend best-fit tools and technologies.

2. Data Ingestion & Processing

• Architect

  batch and real-time ingestion

  pipelines using tools like Kafka, Apache NiFi, Flink, or Airbyte.
• Oversee scalable

  ETL/ELT

  processes and orchestrators (Airflow, dbt, Dagster).
• Support diverse data sources: IoT, operational databases, APIs, flat files, unstructured data.

3. Storage & Modeling

• Define strategies for

  data storage and partitioning

  (data lakes, warehouses, Delta Lake, Iceberg, or Hudi).
• Develop efficient

  data strategies

  for both OLAP and OLTP workloads.
• Guide schema evolution, data versioning, and performance tuning.

4. Governance, Security, and Compliance

• Establish

  data governance

  ,

  cataloging

  , and

  lineage tracking

  frameworks.
• Implement

  access controls

  ,

  encryption

  , and

  audit trails

  to ensure compliance with DPDPA, GDPR, HIPAA, etc.
• Promote standardization and best practices across business units.

5. Platform Engineering & DevOps

• Collaborate with infrastructure and DevOps teams to define

  CI/CD

  ,

  monitoring

  , and

  DataOps

  pipelines.
• Ensure observability, reliability, and cost efficiency of the platform.
• Define SLAs, capacity planning, and disaster recovery plans.

6. Collaboration & Mentorship

• Work closely with

  data engineers, scientists, analysts, and product owners

  to align platform capabilities with business goals.
• Mentor teams on architecture principles, technology choices, and operational excellence.

Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• 12+ years of experience in software engineering, including 5+ years in architectural leadership roles.
• Proven expertise in designing and scaling distributed systems, microservices, APIs, and event-driven architectures using Java, Python, or Node.js.
• Strong hands-on experience with building scalable data platforms on premise/Hybrid/cloud environments.
• Deep knowledge of modern data lake and warehouse technologies (e.g., Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift) and table formats like Delta Lake or Iceberg.
• Familiarity with data mesh, data fabric, and lakehouse paradigms.
• Strong understanding of system reliability, observability, DevSecOps practices, and platform engineering principles.
• Demonstrated success in leading large-scale architectural initiatives across enterprise-grade or consumer-facing platforms.
• Excellent communication, documentation, and presentation skills, with the ability to simplify complex concepts and influence at executive levels.
• Certifications such as TOGAF or AWS Solutions Architect (Professional) and experience in regulated domains (e.g., finance, healthcare, aviation) are desirable.