Data Architect

Socket.dev; Birmingham (AL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Southern Company is seeking a seasoned Data Architect to lead strategy, roadmap, and implementation of data management and AI solutions across Commercial Operations modernization. This hands-on role translates architecture into production by guiding delivery, prototyping, and establishing reference patterns.

You’ll partner with engineers, data teams, and business leaders to deliver scalable, secure analytics and data products.

Qualifications

• Requires 8+ years IT experience and 5+ years designing data solutions.
• Strong SQL Server expertise and experience with data warehousing.
• Experience designing APIs and event-driven architectures.
• Experience delivering production data platforms and data products.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain enterprise data architecture roadmaps.
• Lead development of master data, metadata, and governance strategies.
• Architect modern data platforms, data products, and integration services.
• Lead implementation of priority data products and data platform capabilities.
• Design solutions for structured and unstructured data.
• Mentor developers, engineers, and architects.

Skills

SQL Server

Data architecture

Data modeling

Architecture leadership

AI/ML concepts

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science/Engineering or related

Tools

Databricks

Power BI

Azure

SQL Server

CloverDX

Python

Job description

Data Architect

Location

Birmingham, AL

Summary

We are seeking an experienced Data Architect to lead the strategy, roadmap, architecture, and implementation of data management and AI solutions supporting Commercial Operations modernization. This role will help shape the evolution of our hybrid data platform, support delivery of trusted data products, and enable scalable, governed analytics and AI-ready capabilities.

This is a hands-on architecture role. The successful candidate will translate architecture into implementation by leading proofs of concept, establishing reference patterns, guiding technical delivery, and personally contributing to selected prototypes, data products, integrations, or platform capabilities where direct involvement will accelerate delivery, validate architecture decisions, or reduce implementation risk.

The position will work closely with business leaders, software engineers, database professionals, data engineers, and fellow architects to deliver practical, secure, scalable, and business-focused solutions.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain enterprise data architecture roadmaps.
• Lead development of master data, metadata, and governance strategies.
• Architect modern data platforms, data products, and integration services.
• Lead implementation of priority data products, platform capabilities, and integration patterns from concept through production deployment.
• Design solutions for structured and unstructured data.
• Partner with business stakeholders to translate requirements into technical solutions.
• Define data modeling standards and integration patterns.
• Develop proofs of concept, reference implementations, and reusable architecture patterns that accelerate delivery and adoption.
• Drive adoption of AI-ready architecture patterns, including vector search, knowledge retrieval, and machine learning workloads.
• Guide platform observability, automation, deployment, and governance practices.
• Participate in critical design, implementation, troubleshooting, and modernization efforts where direct architectural involvement will improve delivery outcomes.
• Facilitate architectural reviews and technology selection decisions, building consensus and obtaining formal approval through established governance forums.
• Establish practical, adoptable standards and validate them through implementation.
• Work with engineers and technical leaders to ensure architecture patterns can be delivered successfully in production.
• Mentor developers, engineers, and architects.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical discipline strongly preferred. Four years of relevant technical experience may substitute for the degree requirement.
• 8+ years IT experience.
• 5+ years designing data solutions.
• 2+ years of solution, data, or enterprise architecture experience.
• Strong SQL Server expertise.
• Experience with data warehousing, dimensional modeling, data lakes, and integration platforms.
• Experience designing APIs and event-driven architectures.
• Experience building enterprise analytics solutions.
• Experience translating business needs into architecture decisions and practical technical solutions.
• Demonstrated experience designing and delivering production data platforms, data products, analytics solutions, or integration services.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master Data Management experience.
• Experience designing solutions that integrate structured and unstructured data for analytics, reporting, or AI workloads.
• Experience designing or implementing AI-enabled data platforms, including RAG, semantic search, vector databases, AI pipelines, knowledge graphs, or similar technologies.
• Experience with hybrid data and analytics platforms, including technologies such as Microsoft Fabric, Databricks, Power BI, Azure, and SQL Server.
• Experience with modern data engineering, integration, and transformation technologies such as C#/.NET, Python, CloverDX, SQL-based transformation frameworks, orchestration platforms, or similar technologies.
• Experience building data pipelines, integration services, or transformation solutions containing significant business logic.
• Experience with source control, automated testing, CI/CD, observability, deployment automation, and production-support practices.
• Experience creating reusable frameworks, shared libraries, reference implementations, or platform capabilities that accelerate delivery across teams.
• Experience enabling self-service analytics through trusted data products, curated datasets, semantic models, or governed reporting platforms.
• Utility industry experience.

This position falls under the company’s Insider Threat Program and will have access to, and control over sensitive data, systems or assets. Enhanced personnel screening, which includes a background review, drug screen and psychological assessment, will be required if you are selected for this position

About Southern Company

Southern Company (NYSE:SO) is a leading energy provider serving 9 million customers across the Southeast and beyond through its family of companies. Providing clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy with excellent service is our mission. The company has electric operating companies in three states, natural gas distribution companies in four states, a competitive generation company, a leading distributed energy solutions provider with national capabilities, a fiber optics network and telecommunications services. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation, resilience and sustainability, we are taking action to meet customers' and communities' needs while advancing our goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Our uncompromising values ensure we put the needs of those we serve at the center of everything we do and are the key to our sustained success. We are transforming energy into economic, environmental and social progress for tomorrow. Our corporate culture has been recognized by a variety of organizations, earning the company awards and recognitions that reflect Our Values and dedication to service. To learn more, visit www.southerncompany.com.

Southern Company invests in the well-being of its employees and their families through a comprehensive total rewards strategy that includes competitive base salary, annual incentive awards for eligible employees and health, welfare and retirement benefits designed to support physical, financial, and emotional/social well-being. This position may also be eligible for additional compensation, such as an incentive program, with the amount of any bonus/awards subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable incentive plan(s). A summary of the benefits offered for this position can be found here https://seo.nlx.org/southernco/pdf/SOCO-Benefits.pdf. Additional and specific details about total compensation and benefits will also be provided during the hiring process.

Southern Company is an equal opportunity employer where an applicant's qualifications are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by law.

Southern Company Services