Principal Data Architect

Position: Principal Data Architect

Location: Deerfield, IL

Duration: Full-time

Position Overview

Zion Cloud Solutions is building a Google Cloud Platform-native data practice from the ground up, and we need a Principal Data Architect to lead it. This role sits at the intersection of hands-on technical delivery and practice growth you will design and build production data platforms for government and regulated-industry clients while also shaping how ZCS approaches data architecture as a discipline.

The work spans the full lifecycle. On the delivery side, you will architect centralized data lake solutions on Google Cloud Platform, build secure ingestion pipelines across enterprise source systems, implement governance and compliance controls, and work directly with client stakeholders from technical teams through C-suite executives. On the practice side, you will build the reusable assets, reference architectures, and methodologies that turn one-off project work into a scalable, repeatable capability. You will also play a meaningful role in business development leading technical discovery with prospective clients, building proof-of-concept architectures during pursuits, and authoring technical content for proposals.

This is a build-phase role. The team is lean, the problems are real, and the expectation is that you deliver working solutions while building the playbook for what comes next.

Key Responsibilities

Solution Architecture and Implementation

• Design and build end-to-end Google Cloud Platform-based data lake architectures using BigQuery, Cloud Storage, Dataflow, Dataproc, and Looker
• Define and implement integration approaches with enterprise systems including SAP, Microsoft Access, IBM-based platforms, and flat-file sources (.csv/.txt)
• Architect secure ingestion pipelines with scheduled refresh, delta detection, and lineage tracking
• Write and review SQL, PySpark, and Python code as a hands-on contributor throughout the delivery lifecycle

Security, Compliance, and Governance

• Implement encryption (at rest and in transit), IAM-based access controls, and secure access policies using Cloud IAM, VPC Service Controls, and Secret Manager
• Align all architectural decisions with SOX controls, HIPAA, IITAA, and NIST 800-53 standards
• Lead data governance implementation via Dataplex, Data Catalog, or equivalent tools (e.g., Alation, Collibra) for metadata tagging and classification

Metadata, Lineage, and Data Classification

• Establish naming conventions, tagging strategy (e.g., PII indicators), and schema harmonization across all ingested sources
• Design metadata-driven ingestion frameworks that support lineage tracking and audit logs

Client Engagement and Technical Leadership

• Work directly with client security, compliance, executive leadership, and business stakeholders
• Lead technical discovery workshops with prospective clients to assess data maturity, scope engagements, and demonstrate ZCS capability
• Present architectural solutions and technical strategies to C-suite and senior government executives
• Author technical volumes and solution sections for RFP/RFI responses
• Deliver architecture diagrams, lineage maps, access control documentation, and compliance evidence packages

Practice Development and Reusable Assets

• Build reusable accelerators templatized data platform architectures, compliance frameworks, ingestion patterns that reduce time-to-value across engagements
• Define the ZCS data architecture methodology, delivery playbooks, and onboarding materials for the growing practice
• Develop data maturity assessment frameworks that serve both consulting engagements and business development efforts
• Contribute thought leadership through whitepapers, case studies, blog posts, or industry conference participation

Operational Readiness and FinOps

• Deploy production-ready platforms with runbooks, disaster recovery procedures, and access monitoring
• Architect systems for future expansion to additional state agencies, bureaus, and client environments
• Define and enforce cost-efficient practices including cost allocation models, resource optimization, and cloud spend governance

Technical Skills and Tooling

Qualifications

Required

• 10+ years in data architecture roles with recent hands-on Google Cloud Platform cloud-native delivery experience
• 3+ years delivering secure, compliant architectures for government or regulated industries
• Hands-on proficiency in SQL, Python, and PySpark you build, not just design
• Experience as a technical lead on lean teams where you were both architect and implementer
• Strong familiarity with ERP integrations (SAP, IBM) and public sector analytics platforms
• Deep understanding of metadata strategy, data lineage, and data stewardship principles
• Demonstrated ability to engage with C-suite and senior government executives on technical strategy
• Experience in a consulting or professional services environment where you contributed to both delivery and business development
• Strong technical documentation and solution governance skills

Preferred

• Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer or Cloud Architect certification
• CDMP (Certified Data Management Professional) or equivalent data governance credential
• TOGAF or equivalent enterprise architecture certification
• CISSP or equivalent security certification
• Experience building a data practice, center of excellence, or technical team from the ground up
• Experience with State of Illinois systems or similar state government technology environments
• Track record of published thought leadership whitepapers, conference talks, technical blog posts

Why Zion Cloud Solutions

ZCS is a growing cloud solutions firm with deep roots in government and regulated industries. We are investing in a data practice that will become a core pillar of the company. This role offers something that is hard to find: the autonomy to build a technical practice from scratch, combined with enterprise-grade client problems that demand real engineering. You will not be a name on a bench or a slide-deck architect. You will own the technical direction of ZCS s data capability and see your work in production.