Contract Platform Architect - DPaaS (Data Platform-as-a-Service)

VARITE INC; San Jose (CA); Hybrid; USD 152,000 - 169,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Retirement Plans

Legal Service Plans

Job summary

VARITE is seeking a Contract Platform Architect for DPaaS (Databricks-based) in San Jose, CA on a hybrid schedule. The 4-month engagement will backfill an architecture lead, ensuring continuity of in-flight initiatives and making technical decisions.

You will guide data platform migrations, enforce governance, and collaborate with DevOps/DataOps to keep workstreams moving. Strong SQL, Spark, and cloud infra experience are essential.

Qualifications

• Hands-on data/platform architect experience on Databricks with Unity Catalog governance at enterprise scale.
• Strong background in data platform migrations (SQL Server-to-lakehouse or cloud).
• Solid grasp of data governance: environment segregation, compute cost management, engineering standards, duplicate-data prevention.
• Able to ramp quickly into an in-flight environment given the fixed-term engagement.
• Strong written communication for documenting decisions and a clean handoff.
• Hands-on Spark (PySpark or Scala) and Delta Lake for pipeline design, performance tuning, troubleshooting at production scale.
• Advanced SQL: multi-schema, multi-workspace environments.
• Working knowledge of cloud infra under Databricks (Azure or AWS).
• Experience with orchestration/CI-CD tooling for data pipelines (Databricks Workflows/Jobs, Airflow, Azure DevOps).
• Familiarity with Unity Catalog access controls, lineage, and metadata management.
• Understands Databricks compute cost drivers to advise on cost visibility.
• Experience integrating/migrating ERP-adjacent source systems (e.g., SAP/HANA) into a lakehouse architecture.

Responsibilities

• Serve as architecture point of contact for DPaaS (Databricks + Unity Catalog) during coverage, maintaining continuity on in-flight decisions.
• Support and unblock the SQL Server-to-Databricks migration, incl. sequencing tied to the SAP HANA cloud (RISE) migration deadline.
• Apply and enforce the team's Databricks governance framework (5 pillars): duplicate-data prevention, environment segregation, compute selection, engineering standards, cost visibility.
• Review/advise on schema, pipeline, and compute design to prevent recurrence of known anti-patterns.
• Partner with DevOps, DataOps, and platform support leads to keep architecture-dependent workstreams moving.
• Advise on open platform decisions (e.g., BI tooling, compute-tier questions); final calls remain with the permanent architecture lead and director.
• Document decisions, rationale, and open issues for smooth handoff back to the returning architect.

Skills

Databricks

Unity Catalog

SQL

Spark

PySpark

Scala

Delta Lake

CI/CD

Airflow

Azure

AWS

Data governance

ERP migrations

Tools

Databricks

Azure DevOps

Airflow

SAP HANA

Job description

VARITE is looking for qualified Contract Platform Architect - DPaaS (Data Platform-as-a-Service) in San Jose, CA (Hybrid)

WHAT THE CLIENT DOES?

An American computer software company that offers a wide range of programs from web design tools, photo manipulation and vector creation, through video/audio editing, mobile app development, print layout and animation software.

WHAT WE DO?

Established in the Year 2000, VARITE is an award-winning minority business enterprise providing global consulting & staffing services to Fortune 1000 companies and government agencies. With 850+ global consultants, VARITE is committed to delivering excellence to its customers by leveraging its global experience and expertise in providing comprehensive scientific, engineering, technical, and non-technical staff augmentation and talent acquisition services.

Job Title: Contract Platform Architect - DPaaS (Data Platform-as-a-Service)

Location: San Jose, CA (Hybrid - 3 days onsite)

Contract Duration: 4 months

Pay Rate Range: $110.00 - $122.53/hr. on W2

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL DO

Position Summary:

• Data Platform Strategy & Operations (AUP) seeks a contract Platform Architect for temporary coverage during a planned parental leave.
• Backfills a Platform Architect on our DPaaS (Databricks-based) team, responsible for architectural continuity, unblocking in-flight initiatives, and acting as technical decision point during coverage.
• Fixed-term engagement, not permanent headcount.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as architecture point of contact for DPaaS (Databricks + Unity Catalog) during coverage, maintaining continuity on in-flight decisions.
• Support and unblock the SQL Server-to-Databricks migration, incl. sequencing tied to the SAP HANA cloud (RISE) migration deadline.
• Apply and enforce the team's Databricks governance framework (5 pillars): duplicate-data prevention, environment segregation, compute selection, engineering standards, cost visibility.
• Review/advise on schema, pipeline, and compute design to prevent recurrence of known anti-patterns (e.g., duplicated department-level table copies).
• Partner with DevOps, DataOps, and platform support leads to keep architecture-dependent workstreams moving.
• Advise on open platform decisions (e.g., BI tooling, compute-tier questions); final calls remain with the permanent architecture lead and director.
• Document decisions, rationale, and open issues for smooth handoff back to the returning architect.

Required Qualifications:

• Hands-on data/platform architect experience on Databricks, incl. Unity Catalog governance, at enterprise scale.
• Strong background in data platform migrations, ideally SQL Server-to-lakehouse or similar legacy-to-cloud.
• Solid grasp of data governance: environment segregation, compute cost management, engineering standards, duplicate-data prevention.
• Able to ramp quickly into an in-flight environment given the fixed-term engagement.
• Strong written communication for documenting decisions and a clean handoff.
• Hands-on Spark (PySpark or Scala) and Delta Lake for pipeline design, performance tuning, troubleshooting at production scale.
• Advanced SQL: query optimization and schema design across multi-schema, multi-workspace environments.
• Working knowledge of cloud infra under Databricks (Azure or AWS): networking, storage, access control.
• Experience with orchestration/CI-CD tooling for data pipelines (Databricks Workflows/Jobs, Airflow, Azure DevOps, or similar).
• Familiarity with Unity Catalog access controls, lineage, and metadata management, incl. auditability and least-privilege design.
• Understands Databricks compute cost drivers (cluster sizing, job vs. all-purpose compute, autoscaling) to advise on cost visibility.
• Experience integrating/migrating ERP-adjacent source systems (e.g., SAP/HANA) into a lakehouse architecture.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience in a large enterprise data platform org spanning DevOps, DataOps, FinOps, and platform support.
• Familiarity with BI tool ecosystems (Power BI, Tableau) and platform rationalization efforts.
• Experience with SAP HANA or ERP-adjacent source systems a plus.

BENEFITS:

• Health Insurance: Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Retirement Plans: Participation in a company-sponsored retirement savings plan.
• Legal Service Plans: Offering access to attorneys for legal advice and representation.

VARITE is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.