Description

Basic Qualifications
Minimum 10+ years of experience in Data Architecture, Data Engineering, or enterprise data-platform delivery, including architecture leadership for large-scale data ecosystems.
Minimum 5+ years of strong hands-on experience with Databricks and modern lakehouse architecture, including production-scale implementation and optimization.
Deep expertise in Medallion Architecture (Bronze, Silver, Gold), Delta Lake, distributed data processing, Spark/PySpark, SQL, batch processing, and streaming architecture.
Strong experience with Databricks Unity Catalog and enterprise data-governance capabilities including cataloging, metadata management, lineage, data classification, ownership, access governance, and audit controls.
Minimum 5+ years of data-governance experience covering data quality, metadata, lineage, stewardship, data ownership, policy enforcement, privacy, security, and compliance controls.
Strong cloud architecture experience with AWS, Azure, and/or GCP, including IAM, networking, encryption, secrets, storage, security controls, and integration with Databricks.
Experience designing secure data-consumption patterns including APIs, data sharing, semantic layers, BI integration, and controlled self-service analytics.
Strong knowledge of conceptual, logical, and physical data modeling; experience with dimensional modeling and enterprise data-modeling standards.
Strong stakeholder-management skills with the ability to communicate architecture to business, engineering, governance, security, and executive audiences.
Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional teams, lead architecture decisions, and operate as a front-facing architect during core U.S. business hours.
Ability to work onshore in Atlanta with a minimum of 3 days per week in the office.
Travel: As required based on project and client needs; primary work location is Atlanta, Georgia.

Degree: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.

Nice to Have (But Not a Must)
12+ years of experience in Data Architecture and/or Enterprise Data Engineering, including large-scale cloud data transformation programs.
Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional and/or Databricks Certified Data Architect / relevant advanced Databricks certification.
Experience implementing enterprise governance using Unity Catalog across multiple workspaces, business domains, and cloud environments.
Experience with governance/catalog platforms such as Collibra, Alation, Microsoft Purview, or equivalent and integration with Databricks governance patterns.
Cloud Architect certification in AWS, Azure, and/or GCP.
TOGAF or equivalent architecture certification.
Experience in regulated industries such as banking, financial services, insurance, healthcare, or other highly controlled environments.

Leadership & Behavioral Competencies
Strong architectural thinking and end-to-end systems-design capability.
Excellent stakeholder communication, workshop facilitation, and executive presentation skills.
Strong governance mindset with the ability to balance data democratization, security, control, and delivery speed.
Strategic mindset with strong execution orientation and ability to convert standards into implementable engineering patterns.
Ability to influence cross-functional teams and drive architecture and governance decisions.
Mentorship and team-development experience

Key Skills

Education

Bachelor's degree