Lead Data Architect

Overview

On Site
Depends on Experience
Contract - W2
Contract - Independent
Contract - 12 Month(s)

Skills

Fabric
Databricks
SQL
python
Azure

Job Details

Job Title: Lead Data Architect
Location: Houston, TX
Requirements

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Lead Data Architect to design, implement, and oversee enterprise-scale data solutions. The role requires strong expertise in Databricks, Data Lake, Data Warehouse architectures, and Microsoft Fabric. The Lead Data Architect will collaborate with business stakeholders, data engineers, and analysts to define best practices, ensure scalability, and enable data-driven decision-making.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Data Architecture & Strategy

    • Define and drive the enterprise data architecture vision and roadmap.

    • Design scalable, secure, and high-performance data lakehouse and warehouse solutions.

    • Establish standards, patterns, and frameworks for data integration, governance, and analytics.

  • Technology Leadership

    • Architect, design, and optimize solutions using Databricks (Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, Spark, MLflow).

    • Implement robust data pipelines, ETL/ELT workflows, and advanced analytics solutions.

    • Leverage Microsoft Fabric for unified data experiences across storage, engineering, and visualization.

  • Collaboration & Delivery

    • Partner with business stakeholders to translate requirements into technical solutions.

    • Provide leadership and guidance to data engineers, analysts, and developers.

    • Ensure alignment of data platforms with organizational objectives and compliance standards.

  • Governance & Quality

    • Implement data governance, lineage, and metadata management practices.

    • Define and enforce standards for data quality, security, and compliance (GDPR, HIPAA, etc.).

    • Establish monitoring and alerting frameworks to ensure reliability of data solutions.

Required Skills & Experience:

  • 10+ years in data architecture, data engineering, or related roles.

  • Proven expertise with Databricks (Spark, Delta Lake, SQL, ML/AI integrations).

  • Strong knowledge of data lake, lakehouse, and warehouse architectures.

  • Experience with Microsoft Fabric, including OneLake, Fabric Data Engineering, and Power BI integration.

  • Solid background in cloud platforms (Azure preferred; AWS/Google Cloud Platform nice to have).

  • Strong skills in SQL, Python, PySpark, and data modeling techniques.

  • Knowledge of data governance frameworks, lineage, and catalog tools.

  • Ability to lead teams, drive best practices, and mentor junior engineers.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience in enterprise-scale migration from legacy warehouses to Databricks/Fabric.

  • Certifications in Databricks or Microsoft Azure/Fabric.

  • Familiarity with machine learning pipelines and AI-driven analytics.

Employers have access to artificial intelligence language tools (“AI”) that help generate and enhance job descriptions and AI may have been used to create this description. The position description has been reviewed for accuracy and Dice believes it to correctly reflect the job opportunity.