Principal Data Architect

Principal Data Architect

We are seeking a Data Architect to define and govern the architecture for enterprise-scale data platforms supporting advanced analytics, AI/ML workloads, and Microsoft Fabric-based data warehousing. This role will ensure robust, secure, and scalable data solutions that enable deep research, dynamic reporting, and AI-driven insights across contracting data ecosystems.

Key Responsibilities

• Data Architecture & Modeling

• Design conceptual, logical, and physical data models for transactional, analytical, and AI-driven systems.
• Define architecture for Microsoft Fabric Lakehouse/Data Warehouse and integration with existing Azure SQL and Blob storage.
• Establish standards for schema design, partitioning, and indexing for performance and scalability.

• Platform Strategy & Governance

• Develop and enforce data architecture principles, governance policies, and security standards.
• Define lineage, cataloging, and metadata management strategies.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory and enterprise data privacy requirements.

• Integration & Interoperability

• Architect data flows between operational systems, Fabric, and downstream analytics tools (Power BI, AI pipelines).
• Design APIs and middleware for seamless integration with ERP/CRM systems and AI services.
• Enable RAG-based AI workflows by structuring data for embeddings and semantic search.

• Performance & Optimization

• Define strategies for query optimization, caching, and distributed processing.
• Recommend storage tiers and cost-optimized architecture for multi-tenant and single-tenant deployments.

• Collaboration & Leadership

• Work closely with Data Engineers, DevOps, and CloudOps teams to implement architecture.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring for data modeling and best practices.
• Partner with product teams to align architecture with roadmap and business goals.

Required Skills

• Strong expertise in data architecture for cloud platforms (Azure preferred).
• Hands-on experience with Microsoft Fabric, Azure Data Factory, Synapse, and Delta Lake concepts.
• Proficiency in SQL, data modeling, and ETL/ELT design.
• Knowledge of data governance, security, and compliance frameworks.
• Familiarity with Azure security, RBAC, and compliance frameworks.
• Familiarity with AI/ML data preparation, embeddings, and vector database technologies
• Understanding of Power BI semantic modeling and advanced analytics integration.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with multi-tenant SaaS architectures and large-scale data systems.
• Exposure to GenAI/LLM integration and RAG-based architectures.
• Knowledge of CI/CD for data pipelines and DataOps practices.

Education & Experience

• Bachelors or Masters in Computer Science, Data Engineering, or related field.
• 15+ years of experience in data architecture roles with enterprise-scale systems.