Data Architect (Snowflake/Databricks)

Title: Data Architect (Snowflake/Databricks)

Location: Reston, VA/Herndon, DC (Hybrid)

Duration: Long Term

Job Summary:

We are looking for a seasoned Data Architect with deep expertise in Snowflake and/or Databricks to lead the design and implementation of scalable, high-performance cloud data platforms. You will be responsible for defining data architecture, driving data platform strategy, and ensuring best practices in data management, governance, and performance.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on technical leader with a solid understanding of cloud-native data architecture, big data processing, and modern data platforms.

Key Responsibilities:

• Architect, design, and implement scalable cloud data solutions using Snowflake, Databricks, and associated tools.
• Define data architecture standards, patterns, and governance frameworks.
• Collaborate with data engineers, analysts, and stakeholders to translate business requirements into data platform designs.
• Lead migration initiatives from legacy data warehouses to Snowflake or Databricks.
• Develop strategies for data ingestion, transformation, governance, and lineage.
• Optimize data pipelines for performance and cost efficiency across large datasets.
• Ensure compliance with data security, privacy, and regulatory requirements.
• Stay current on industry trends and recommend new technologies or enhancements.
• Provide architectural guidance and mentorship to engineering teams.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Bachelor s or Master s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience in data engineering or data architecture roles.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience with Snowflake and/or Databricks in production environments.
• Strong knowledge of SQL, Python, and Spark (especially PySpark).
• Deep understanding of modern data architectures including lakehouse, data mesh, ETL/ELT, and streaming data.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform), preferably multi-cloud or hybrid environments.
• Expertise in data modeling, performance tuning, and large-scale data processing.
• Familiarity with CI/CD, DevOps, and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) for data pipelines.
• Strong understanding of data governance frameworks and tools like Unity Catalog, Alation, or Collibra.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Certifications in Snowflake, Databricks, or cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/Google Cloud Platform).
• Experience with Delta Lake, MLflow, or Feature Store.
• Exposure to BI tools (Power BI, Tableau, Looker) and how they integrate with data platforms.
• Experience with Kafka, Airflow, dbt, or other orchestration/streaming tools.

Thanks,

Naveen S