Lead Data Lakehouse Architect

Deeplight; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading AI consultancy is seeking a Data Architect to drive architectural strategy for enterprise Lakehouse projects. In this pivotal role, you'll establish the Medallion Architecture roadmap and collaborate with senior stakeholders to ensure alignment with business objectives. The ideal candidate has extensive experience in data architecture, particularly within Lakehouse environments, and is adept at engaging both technical teams and executive leadership. This position offers a competitive salary, health benefits, flexible work, and opportunities for career advancement in a dynamic setting.

Benefits

Competitive salary and performance bonuses

Comprehensive health insurance

Professional development support

Opportunity to work on cutting-edge AI projects

Flexible working arrangements

Career advancement opportunities

Qualifications

• Ideally 10+ years in data architecture with experience in Lakehouse implementations.
• Strong grasp of schema evolution and data optimization.
• Familiarity with metadata management and data quality frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Design and enforce Medallion Architecture for Lakehouse.
• Lead architectural decision-making and technical guidance.
• Establish data modeling standards and lineage management.

Skills

Data architecture

Stakeholder management

AWS services

Agile methodologies

Data modeling

Tools

Jira

Apache Iceberg

AWS Glue

Spark

Job description

DeepLight AI is a specialist AI and data consultancy with extensive experience implementing intelligent enterprise systems across multiple industries, with particular depth in financial services and banking. Our team combines deep expertise in data science, statistical modeling, AI/ML technologies, workflow automation, and systems integration with a practical understanding of complex business operations.

DeepLight AI is seeking a visionary Data Architect to serve as the strategic blueprint designer for our most complex enterprise Lakehouse implementations. In this high-authority consultancy role, you will own the Medallion Architecture roadmap, steering high-level decision-making through SAF/ARB forums and defining the gold standard for Apache Iceberg tables—from partitioning strategies to schema evolution and time travel. You will bridge the gap between abstract design and production reality, leading Data Factory squads and providing expert mentorship to AWS Glue Engineers to ensure every line of code aligns with global modeling and lineage standards.

Technical mastery is only half the battle; we need a master communicator who can command a room of senior stakeholders. You must be able to persuasively "sell" your architectural vision, navigate complex escalations with diplomacy, and translate intricate metadata and lineage strategies into clear business value. If you are a technical authority who thrives on influencing the direction of large-scale financial services transformations and establishing reusable design patterns that set a firm apart, we want you at the helm of our architectural practice.

As an AI consultancy, our greatest asset is the expertise of our people.

While technical mastery is the foundation of what we do, the ability to bridge the gap between complex data science and actionable business value is what defines your success with DeepLight.

We're looking for individuals who are not only world-class in their fields of specialism, but also compelling communicators and persuasive advocates for their own skills.

You will be the face of our firm, tasked with building trust, articulating the "why" behind your technical decisions, and effectively "selling" your vision to high-level stakeholders.

If you thrive on the challenge of presenting cutting-edge solutions as much as you do on building them, you will fit right in.

Responsibilities

• Architectural Leadership
  • Design and enforce Medallion Architecture for the Lakehouse.
  • Drive architectural decision-making through SAF/ARB architecture forums.
  • Lead design for all Data Factory squads working on data initiatives.
• Iceberg Table Standards
  • Define standards for Apache Iceberg tables, including:
  • Partitioning strategy
  • Schema evolution
  • Time travel and snapshot retention
  • Table optimization schedules
• Data Modeling & Standards
  • Establish data modeling standards (e.g., dimensional modeling for Gold layer, SCD2, naming conventions, metadata management).
  • Define lineage standards leveraging OpenMetadata.
• Collaboration & Governance
  • Coordinate with platform teams on Iceberg-related activities.
  • Collaborate with Data Quality leads to implement validation rules.
  • Proactively manage escalations and communicate progress with senior stakeholders.
• Technical Leadership
  • Provide guidance to Glue Data Engineers.
  • Establish code review processes and best practices.
  • Create reusable design patterns and templates for consistency.

Experience

• data architecture roles, ideally 10 years+ with at least 3 years in Lakehouse implementations.
• Lakehouse architecture (S3, Iceberg, Glue, Spark).
• schema evolution, partitioning strategies, and table optimization in Iceberg.
• defining metadata management, lineage, and data quality frameworks.

Knowledge

• Medallion architecture and data modeling principles.
• leading architectural forums and influence decision-making.
• AWS services (S3, Glue, Athena, EMR).
• Apache Iceberg, Spark.
• OpenMetadata, or similar lineage tools.
• automating work / repetive tasks.
• communicating and stakeholder management.
• working collaboratively across multiple squads and teams.
• working in a fast-paced environment and deliver aggressive migration targets.
• working with Jira and agile way of working.

Benefits & Growth Opportunities

• Competitive salary and performance bonuses
• Comprehensive health insurance
• Professional development and certification support
• Opportunity to work on cutting-edge AI projects
• Flexible working arrangements
• Career advancement opportunities in a rapidly growing AI company

This position offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of AI implementation while working with a talented team of professionals at the forefront of technological innovation. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in driving our company's success in delivering transformative AI solutions to our clients.

At DeepLight AI, we recognise that diversity drives innovation. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where individuals with different thinking styles can thrive and contribute their unique strengths to our specialised AI and data solutions.

Our goal is to ensure our application and interview process is accessible, predictable, and fair for all candidates.

If you require any specific adjustments to the application process, or if you require any reasonable adjustments should you be successful in being processed to the interview stage, please do let us know. This information will be kept strictly confidential and will not impact hiring decisions.