Lead, Data Architecture

TAQA Distribution; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 350,000 - 600,000; Full time

Job summary

TAQA Distribution seeks a senior data architect to lead enterprise data architecture initiatives across lakehouse, warehouse, and analytics, ensuring alignment with business objectives and IT strategy. You will drive governance, standards, and roadmaps, while collaborating with security, data engineering, and analytics teams.

The role requires hands-on design, mentoring of data professionals, and deep experience with Azure Databricks and modern cloud data platforms to support digital

Qualifications

• Extensive experience designing enterprise data architectures across data lakehouse, data warehouse, and analytics.
• Strong modelling skills across conceptual, logical, and physical levels.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of scalable, secure data architectures aligned with IT strategy.
• Define standards, roadmaps, and governance for data platforms.
• Collaborate with security, engineering, and analytics teams to ensure compliance.

Skills

Enterprise data architecture

Data modelling (conceptual/logical/phy

Data governance

Data security & privacy

Cloud data platforms

Stakeholder collaboration

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in IT / Computer Science

Tools

Azure Databricks

Data governance tools

Job description

Job Summary

Lead the design, development, and governance of TAQA Distribution’s enterprise data architecture, ensuring alignment with business objectives, data governance policies, and IT strategy. Drive the development of scalable, secure, and high-performance data solutions across data integration, lakehouse, data warehouse, master data, and analytics environments. Act as the senior data architecture authority, defining architectural principles, standards, and roadmaps to support data-driven decision-making and digital transformation.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and maintenance of enterprise data architecture aligned with business requirements, IT strategy, and data governance policies.
• Define, document, and maintain data architecture principles, standards, guidelines, runbooks, and architectural best practices.
• Develop conceptual, logical, and physical data models to support enterprise data requirements and business processes.
• Design and govern scalable data integration, data movement, storage, access, and processing architectures.
• Lead the design and implementation of data lakehouse, data warehouse, master data management, and analytics architectures.
• Drive hands‑on architecture design and solution development using Azure Databricks as a core data platform.
• Define architectural patterns and standards for data ingestion, transformation, integration, storage, and consumption across enterprise systems.
• Evaluate and recommend database management systems, data platforms, and emerging technologies to enhance enterprise data capabilities.
• Ensure data architecture solutions deliver scalability, high availability, performance, reliability, and security.
• Collaborate with IT security teams to establish data privacy, access controls, protection mechanisms, and security standards across data platforms.
• Ensure compliance with enterprise data governance policies, applicable regulations, and organizational standards.
• Conduct architectural reviews, impact assessments, and design evaluations to identify risks, dependencies, and opportunities for improvement.
• Establish data architecture standards and review solution designs across multiple initiatives to ensure consistency and alignment with enterprise architecture.
• Develop and maintain data architecture roadmaps, reference architectures, design documents, and implementation guidelines.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders, data engineering, analytics, IT, and enterprise architecture teams to translate business requirements into effective data solutions.
• Lead initiatives to modernize data architecture, improve data accessibility, and support advanced analytics and digital transformation.
• Provide architectural guidance on data quality, metadata management, master data, data lineage, and data lifecycle management.
• Mentor data architects, data engineers, and related IT professionals on architectural principles, design practices, and emerging technologies.
• Conduct technical workshops and knowledge-sharing sessions to strengthen organizational data architecture capabilities.
• Monitor industry trends and recommend innovative solutions to improve data platform performance, scalability, and business value.
• Prepare architectural assessments, progress reports, recommendations, and management updates to support strategic decision-making.

Key Criteria

• Azure Databricks is Mandatory: Proven hands‑on experience designing data architecture solutions using the Azure Databricks platform.
• Enterprise Data Architecture: Deep practical expertise in conceptual, logical, and physical data modelling, architecture design, and technical documentation.
• Data Architecture Principles & Documentation: Experience defining and documenting architectural principles, standards, runbooks, reference architectures, and design guidelines.
• Lakehouse, Warehouse & Integration Expertise: Strong experience designing data integration, lakehouse, data warehouse, master data, and analytics architectures.
• Architecture Design & Governance: Ability to establish standards, conduct design reviews, assess architectural impacts, and manage data architecture roadmaps across multiple initiatives.
• Power & Utilities Experience: Mandatory — relevant experience in the Power & Utilities (P&U) industry, with an understanding of utility data domains and enterprise data requirements.
• Hands‑on Technical Capability: Seeking a technical data architect actively involved in architecture design, modelling, documentation, and solution development—not a Project Manager focused primarily on coordination, reporting, or governance activities.
• Technical degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or an equivalent discipline; B.Tech in Computer Science is preferred.
• Strong hands‑on experience in enterprise data architecture and architectural design.
• Proven experience with Azure Databricks.
• Deep understanding of conceptual, logical, and physical data modelling.
• Experience designing data integration, lakehouse/warehouse, master data, and analytics architectures.
• Mandatory Power & Utilities (P&U) industry experience.

Desired Requirements

• Advanced expertise in Azure Databricks and modern cloud data architecture.
• Experience defining enterprise data architecture frameworks, principles, standards, and runbooks.
• Strong knowledge of data governance, data security, privacy, metadata, data quality, and data lifecycle management.
• Experience managing architecture roadmaps, reviewing technical designs, and ensuring alignment across enterprise initiatives.
• Ability to translate business requirements into scalable, secure, and high-performance data architecture solutions.
• Proven ability to deliver hands‑on architecture design and technical documentation rather than focusing solely on project management or governance coordination.

About TAQA Distribution

TAQA Distribution is a subsidiary of TAQA Group and is responsible for the distribution of electricity and water services across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, and Al Dhafra. Serving millions of customers through an extensive network of infrastructure assets, we are dedicated to delivering reliable, efficient, and sustainable utility services that support the UAE’s growth and prosperity.