Data Architect

IT America Inc; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

IT America Inc. is seeking an experienced Data Architect in Palo Alto, onsite, for a 12-month contract. The role focuses on designing large-scale data platforms, models, and pipelines, with hands-on SQL/Python and AI data foundations including RAG and agentic workflows.

You will lead data modeling, governance, and secure data access, while mentoring engineers and collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver scalable data solutions.

Qualifications

• Proven experience designing and delivering large-scale data platforms, models, and pipelines.
• Strong hands-on SQL and Python, with production troubleshooting.
• Knowledge of AI/RAG/agentic architectures and data requirements.
• Experience with document processing, metadata, chunking, embeddings, and vector indexing.
• Expertise in conceptual, logical, and physical data modeling.
• Experience with ETL/ELT, batch processing, streaming, and CDC.
• Knowledge of data warehouses, lakehouses, semantic models, and data governance.
• Excellent customer-facing communication and stakeholder management.
• Demonstrated leadership and cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Design scalable data platforms and data models.
• Build enterprise data pipelines using ETL/ELT and streaming.
• Develop data foundations for RAG and agentic AI workflows.
• Ensure data quality, lineage, governance, and security.
• Lead data discovery with stakeholders and engineering teams.
• Mentor engineers on data modeling and pipeline development.
• Improve retrieval accuracy and data reliability.
• Implement semantic models and modern warehouse/lakehouse architectures.
• Troubleshoot production data issues and root causes.
• Communicate architectural decisions to technical and business teams.

Skills

SQL

Python

Data architecture

Data modeling

ETL/ELT

CDC

RAG

Vector embeddings

AI data foundations

Leadership

Job description

Position: Data Architect

Location: Palo Alto, CA (Onsite)

Duration: 12 Months Contract

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced Data Architect to design and deliver large-scale data platforms, data models, and pipelines. The ideal candidate will have strong hands‑on technical expertise in SQL/Python, enterprise data architecture, and modern AI data foundations, including RAG and agentic workflows.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and implement scalable data platforms, conceptual/logical/physical data models, and enterprise data pipelines.
• Develop and optimize data integration solutions using ETL/ELT, batch processing, streaming, and Change Data Capture (CDC) patterns.
• Design data foundations for RAG and agentic AI workflows, including document processing, metadata management, chunking, embeddings, and vector indexing.
• Ensure data quality, freshness, lineage, governance, security, and access controls to improve retrieval accuracy and reliability.
• Design and implement semantic models and modern data warehouse/lakehouse architectures.
• Lead data discovery workshops with business stakeholders, data teams, and engineers to translate business requirements into practical data solutions.
• Troubleshoot production data issues hands‑on and explain root causes and resolutions.
• Mentor engineers on data modeling, pipeline development, governance, and AI data preparation.
• Establish reusable integration patterns, data modeling standards, and best practices.
• Communicate complex data flows, architectural decisions, and technical trade-offs clearly to business and technical stakeholders.

Required Skills and Experience:

• Proven experience designing and delivering large-scale data platforms, models, and pipelines.
• Strong hands‑on expertise in SQL and Python, including production troubleshooting.
• Strong understanding of AI/RAG/agentic architectures and their underlying data requirements.
• Experience with document processing, metadata, chunking strategies, embeddings, and vector indexing.
• Expertise in conceptual, logical, and physical data modeling.
• Experience with ETL/ELT, batch processing, streaming, and CDC patterns.
• Knowledge of data warehouses, lakehouses, semantic models, data lineage, quality, governance, and access controls.
• Excellent customer‑facing communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrated leadership, mentoring, and ability to collaborate with cross‑functional delivery teams.

Ideal Candidate Profile:

A hands‑on Data Architect who combines enterprise data architecture expertise with modern AI data engineering knowledge, can lead customer‑facing architecture discussions, resolve complex production issues, and guide engineering teams toward scalable, reusable solutions.