Data Architecture Lead

Deeplight AI; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary

Health insurance

Visa sponsorship

Dev & cert support

Subscriptions reimbursement

AI projects

Monthly incentive

Career growth

Job summary

Deeplight AI in the UAE seeks an authoritative Data Architecture Lead to act as the ultimate design authority for the enterprise data estate across major banking engagements in Dubai. You will define and govern the target data architecture, prevent fragmentation across streams and legacy platforms, and present to C-level sponsors, defending design integrity with confidence.

Join a firm blending advanced AI, data engineering, and governance to deliver secure, scalable banking-grade solutions,

Qualifications

• 10+ years of data architecture leadership in top-tier consultancies or financial institutions.
• Experience architecting data solutions for Retail Banking (RBG).
• Experience supporting customer mobile banking apps and high-concurrency data layers.
• Excellent verbal, written, and visual presentation skills; translate data models into exec narratives.
• Proven ability to present to CTO/CDO/CIO and defend design choices.
• Ability to evaluate cloud costs, BOMs, and vendor changes on architecture grounds.

Responsibilities

• Act as the ultimate Design Authority for the enterprise data estate across major banking engagements.
• Define, document, and maintain the enterprise target data architecture and roadmaps.
• Lead formal Design Authority governance boards and approve designs before build.
• Architect high-throughput, low-latency data pipelines for real-time mobile banking journeys.
• Review SteerCo packs and challenge designs that diverge from the target state.
• Evaluate Change Requests to verify architectural justification and flag cross-project trade-offs.

Skills

Architecture leadership

Retail banking

Digital journeys

Communication skills

C-level presenting

Cost governance

Job description

Deeplight is a specialist AI and data consultancy dedicated to transforming the regional corporate landscape through bespoke, high-impact intelligent systems. We combine deep quantitative expertise, cutting-edge cloud architecture, and modern MLOps to engineer secure, scalable, and resilient platforms designed to power enterprise AI and digital solutions at scale.

With deep roots across the financial services and retail banking sectors in the UAE, we help major financial institutions bridge the gap between complex digital transformation roadmaps and execution. We don't build temporary fixes—we engineer bulletproof, banking-grade data architectures for high-stakes enterprise programs.

The Opportunity

We are seeking an authoritative, highly articulate Data Architecture Lead to serve as the ultimate Design Authority for the enterprise data estate across our major banking engagements in Dubai.

In this role, you will define and govern the target data architecture, preventing structural fragmentation across parallel project streams, legacy core platforms, and modern cloud ecosystems. Operating across Retail Banking Group (RBG) modernizations, mobile banking backends, and real-time digital customer journeys, you will hold formal sign-off authority over solution designs, evaluate the architectural validity of change requests, and present confidently to senior C-level stakeholders—defending design integrity and standing up to challenge from project teams and external vendors.

What You'll Do

• Serve as Estate Design Authority: Act as the ultimate design authority for the enterprise data estate, ensuring architectural alignment and actively preventing fragmentation across parallel delivery streams
• Define Strategy & Reference Models: Define, document, and maintain the enterprise target data architecture, data modeling standards, and multi-year data roadmaps aligned with digital banking modernizations
• Run Design Authority Governance: Establish and lead the formal Design Authority board—reviewing, challenging, and approving all solution designs before build execution begins
• Power Mobile & Digital Customer Journeys: Architect high-throughput, low-latency data pipelines and event-driven architectures supporting real-time mobile banking app interactions and personalized digital customer flows
• Assure SteerCo Content & Challenge Designs: Review and assure the architectural content within all Steering Committee (SteerCo) packs, actively challenging any proposed designs or technical approaches that diverge from the target state
• Audit Change Requests & Resolve Delays: Rigorously evaluate cost estimates and Change Requests (CRs) to verify architectural justification, conduct root-cause analysis on technical delays, and flag cross-project trade-offs for Sponsor escalation

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.

Requirements

• Proven Architecture Leadership: 10+ years of data architecture experience defining enterprise data strategies within top-tier consultancies or major financial institutions
• Retail Banking Expertise: Solid background architecting enterprise data solutions within Retail Banking (RBG) environments
• Digital Journeys & Mobile Apps: Demonstrated experience supporting client-facing mobile banking applications, high-concurrency microservices data layers, or end-to-end digital customer journey modernizations
• Exceptional Communication & Presentation: World-class verbal, written, and visual presentation skills; adept at translating complex data models into clear, compelling executive narratives
• Senior Stakeholder Gravitas: Proven ability to present to C-level executives (CTO, CDO, CIO), defend design choices under scrutiny, manage technical pushback constructively, and guide strategic decisions
• Commercial & Governance Rigor: Ability to evaluate cloud compute/storage costs, bill-of-materials, and vendor change requests on architectural grounds to protect contract margins

What Gives You an Edge

• GCC / UAE Banking Exposure: Direct experience leading data architecture initiatives for major banks in the UAE or GCC region
• Architecture Certifications: TOGAF Certified, AWS Certified Data Analytics / Solutions Architect - Professional, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, or Databricks Certified Architect

Why Deeplight?

At Deeplight, you will hold strategic authority over enterprise-scale data transformations. You will work alongside world-class technical peers, lead governance frameworks, and serve as the trusted architectural partner to executive bank sponsors.

Benefits

The benefits you'll enjoy as part of this role include:

• Competitive salary
• Comprehensive 'Gold Level' personal health insurance
• Individual Visa Sponsorship
• Professional development and certification support
• Subscription reimbursement relating to your role
• Opportunity to work on cutting-edge AI projects
• Monthly Employee Incentive program
• 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.

We will keep strict confidentiality and it will not impact hiring decisions.