Senior Data Architect - Fabric

Data Elephant; Toronto; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Data Elephant, a Canadian data consulting firm, seeks a client-facing Senior Data Architect to lead Microsoft Fabric implementations from discovery through handover. You will design Fabric environments, define OneLake architecture, and shape data models to support reporting, analytics, and AI use cases.

We value hands-on prototyping, architectural leadership, and clear communication with clients and delivery teams to translate technical options into business impact.

Qualifications

• Experience designing and delivering enterprise data platforms.
• Experience architecting Microsoft Fabric in production.
• Knowledge of OneLake, Fabric Lakehouse and Warehouse, Fabric Data Factory, Spark notebooks, Delta Lake.
• Azure data platform experience including Azure Data Factory, ADLS Gen2, Azure SQL.
• SQL and Python or PySpark; data modeling and ETL/ELT.
• Security, governance, deployment, and operations practices.
• Ability to lead workshops and document architecture decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead discovery workshops to understand requirements and translate findings into architecture and phased implementation plan.
• Design Fabric environments with tenant and capacity, workspace organization, development/production separation, ownership and support responsibilities.
• Define OneLake architecture, Lakehouse and Warehouse patterns, medallion layers, data organization, and appropriate use of shortcuts, mirroring, and data movement.
• Select ingestion, transformation, and orchestration approaches across Fabric Data Factory, Dataflow Gen2, Spark notebooks, and relevant Azure services; explain the trade-offs clearly.
• Design data models and curated data products that support reporting, Power BI semantic models, analytics and future AI/ML use cases.
• Establish security and governance with client teams, including Microsoft Entra ID, access controls, data ownership, lineage, classification, and Purview integration where appropriate.
• Set standards for Git, CI/CD, deployment, testing, monitoring, recovery, and performance and capacity management. Validate key decisions through hands-on implementation.
• Lead technical delivery and architecture reviews, mentor engineers, and work with pursuit and delivery teams on scope, estimates, dependencies, and implementation risks.

Skills

Enterprise data platforms

Client engagement

Microsoft Fabric

Azure data platform

Data modeling

SQL

Python / PySpark

Architecture leadership

Security & governance

CI/CD

Tools

Data Factory

Spark notebooks

Delta Lake

Power BI

Job description

About Data Elephant

Data Elephant is a Canadian Data, Analytics & AI consulting firm helping organizations solve complex data, analytics, AI, and machine learning challenges. We combine business understanding with hands-on technical delivery to build modern data platforms and turn data into useful outcomes.

The Role

We are looking for a client-facing Senior Data Architect with deep Microsoft data platform expertise to lead new Microsoft Fabric implementations. You will guide clients from discovery and architecture through platform setup, delivery, and operational handover, establishing a secure and scalable foundation across Fabric, OneLake, and Azure. You should be comfortable setting technical direction while staying hands-on with prototypes, platform configuration, and complex implementation decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead discovery workshops to understand business priorities, source systems, data volumes, security requirements, and operational constraints; translate findings into a practical architecture and phased implementation plan.
• Design new Fabric environments, including tenant and capacity considerations, workspace organization, development and production separation, and ownership and support responsibilities.
• Define OneLake architecture, Lakehouse and Warehouse patterns, medallion layers, data organization, and appropriate use of shortcuts, mirroring, and data movement.
• Select ingestion, transformation, and orchestration approaches across Fabric Data Factory, Dataflow Gen2, Spark notebooks, and relevant Azure services; explain the trade-offs clearly.
• Design data models and curated data products that support reporting, Power BI semantic models, analytics, and future AI and machine learning use cases.
• Establish security and governance with client teams, including Microsoft Entra ID, access controls, data ownership, lineage, classification, and Microsoft Purview integration where appropriate.
• Set standards for Git, CI/CD, deployment, testing, monitoring, recovery, and performance and capacity management. Validate key decisions through hands-on implementation.
• Lead technical delivery and architecture reviews, mentor engineers, and work with pursuit and delivery teams on scope, estimates, dependencies, and implementation risks.

What You Bring

• Significant experience designing and delivering enterprise data platforms, including technical leadership and direct client engagement.
• Demonstrated experience architecting and implementing Microsoft Fabric in production, ideally taking a new environment from initial design through go-live.
• Strong practical knowledge of OneLake, Fabric Lakehouse and Warehouse, Fabric Data Factory, Spark notebooks, and Delta Lake.
• Strong Microsoft Azure data platform experience, including Azure Data Factory, ADLS Gen2, and Azure SQL; ability to design integrations between Azure and Fabric.
• Hands-on proficiency with SQL and Python or PySpark, plus strong data modeling, ETL/ELT, and dimensional modeling skills.
• Experience designing security, governance, deployment, and operational practices, with sound judgment about performance, cost, and maintainability.
• Ability to lead workshops, document architecture decisions, guide delivery teams, and translate technical options into business implications.

Additional Experience We Value

• Microsoft Purview, Power BI semantic models and Direct Lake, Azure Databricks, or Azure Synapse migration experience.
• Experience with Fabric capacity planning and monitoring, Real-Time Intelligence, or enterprise ERP and SaaS integrations.
• Relevant Microsoft certifications, such as Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate or Fabric Data Engineer Associate; practical delivery experience is the priority.

How You Work

• You are naturally curious, stay current with emerging technologies, and enjoy learning from colleagues and clients.
• You take ownership, ask thoughtful questions, and bring practical ideas to fast-paced, changing environments.
• You collaborate without ego, welcome feedback, and share knowledge freely. You care about the quality of your work and the success of the team.
• You communicate clearly with technical and business audiences, explain trade-offs, and build trust with clients.

Why Join Data Elephant

At Data Elephant, you will work directly with clients on meaningful challenges, contribute to how we deliver, and learn alongside experienced colleagues. You will have opportunities to take ownership, deepen your expertise, and help shape a growing consulting practice.