Data Architecture Lead

Deeplight; Dubai; On-site; AED 420,000 - 540,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Gold Level personal health insurance

Individual visa sponsorship

Professional development and certific…

Subscription reimbursement

Opportunity to work on cutting-edge AI

Monthly Employee Incentive program

Career advancement opportunities

Job summary

Deeplight, a leading AI and data solutions firm, is seeking a Data Architecture Lead in Dubai to act as the ultimate design authority for the enterprise data estate across major banking engagements. You will define target architecture, govern changes, and sign off on designs before build execution, interfacing with C-level sponsors.

You will lead a Design Authority board, craft reference models, architect high-throughput data pipelines for real-time digital journeys, and challenge architectural

Qualifications

• 10+ years of data architecture leadership defining enterprise data strategies in top-tier consultancies or financial institutions.
• Experience architecting data solutions for Retail Banking environments and digital journeys.
• Strong ability to translate complex data models into executive-level narratives and visuals.

Responsibilities

• Act as the ultimate design authority for the enterprise data estate.
• Define and maintain the enterprise target data architecture and multi-year roadmaps.
• Establish and lead the formal Design Authority board; review and approve all solution designs before build begins.
• Architect high-throughput, low-latency data pipelines for real-time mobile banking and digital journeys.
• Review SteerCo packs and challenge designs diverging from the target state.
• Evaluate change requests for architectural justification and flag cross-project trade-offs.

Skills

Architecture leadership

Retail banking

Digital journeys

Executive storytelling

C-level presentation

Cost governance

Tools

TOGAF Certified

AWS Certified Data Analytics

Azure Solutions Architect Expert

Databricks Certified Architect

Job description

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.

What We’re Looking For

• 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.

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.

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.