Senior Data & AI Forward-Deployed Architect

databricks; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Databricks is seeking a Senior Forward Deployed Engineer - Architect to lead production-grade data & AI solutions for clients in a Hybrid London setting. You will own the architecture, drive design decisions, and deliver end-to-end systems spanning data engineering, AI, and application development.

This hands-on, customer-facing role requires technical leadership, strong collaboration with engineering, product and customer teams, and the ability to translate complex problems into scalable,

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in data engineering, data platforms, or software engineering.
• Proficiency in Python, Scala, or JavaScript/TypeScript.
• Experience with two or more cloud ecosystems (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
• Deep experience with distributed computing using Apache Spark.
• Knowledge of CI/CD for production deployments.
• Familiarity with MLOps and AI models.
• Ability to design end-to-end data architectures combining pipelines and ML models.
• Strong documentation and white-boarding skills.
• Experience with enterprise clients and stakeholder management.
• Willingness to travel 20% of the time.
• Databricks Certification preferred but not essential.

Responsibilities

• Production Solution Delivery: Lead impactful customer technical projects by delivering production-grade systems, designing and building reference architectures, custom applications and data ingestion and ML/AI model integration
• Transformational Impact: Guide strategic customers as they implement transformational big data projects including end-to-end design, build and deployment of industry-leading big data and AI applications.
• Empower Customers: Guide customers on architecture and design; bootstrap or implement customer projects which leads to a customers' successful understanding, evaluation and adoption of Databricks.
• Own the Architecture: Lead architecture and design decisions, ensuring solutions are secure, scalable, and aligned with both customer needs and Databricks best practices.
• Work with the Databricks technical team, Project Manager, Architect and Customer team to ensure the technical components of the engagement are delivered to meet customer's needs.
• Work with Engineering and Databricks Customer Support to provide product and implementation feedback and to guide rapid resolution for engagement specific product and support issues.
• Customer Immersion: Embed with customer teams, engaging with stakeholders from technical ICs to executives to deeply understand challenges and deliver impact.
• Reusable Assets & Scale: Contribute accelerators, frameworks, and best practices that scale impact across accounts and influence the Databricks product roadmap.

Skills

Data engineering

Apache Spark

Python

Scala

JavaScript/TypeScript

Cloud platforms

CI/CD

MLOps

Architectural design

Travel readiness

Job description

Databricks is seeking a Senior Forward Deployed Engineer - Architect to lead production-grade data & AI solutions for clients in a Hybrid London setting. You will own the architecture, drive design decisions, and deliver end-to-end systems spanning data engineering, AI, and application development.

This hands-on, customer-facing role requires technical leadership, strong collaboration with engineering, product and customer teams, and the ability to translate complex problems into scalable,