Databricks Architect: Remote Data Modernization Lead

Cognizant; Atlanta (GA); Remote; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognizant is seeking an experienced Databricks Architect to lead enterprise data modernization initiatives. The role focuses on Databricks Lakehouse design, migration from legacy systems, and governance across the AWS cloud.

Ideal candidates will bring 12+ years in data engineering/data architecture and 5+ years hands-on Databricks architecture experience, with a strong emphasis on data quality, security, and scalable pipelines.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of Data Engineering/Data Architecture experience.
• 5+ years of hands-on Databricks Architecture experience.
• Strong expertise in: Databricks Lakehouse, Apache Spark / PySpark, Delta Lake, Databricks Workflows, Unity Catalog, Databricks SQL, Python, SQL, AWS Cloud experience.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement enterprise-scale Databricks Lakehouse architecture.
• Lead data modernization and migration programs from legacy platforms to Databricks.
• Architect scalable ELT/ETL pipelines using Databricks, Spark, Delta Lake, and Python.
• Define data governance, security, lineage, and metadata management strategies using Unity Catalog.
• Design batch and real-time data processing solutions.
• Provide architecture guidance for cloud-native solutions on AWS.
• Collaborate with business, analytics, and engineering teams to define data strategies.
• Establish best practices for data quality, monitoring, performance tuning, and cost optimization.
• Create architecture standards, reference architectures, and technical documentation.
• Mentor data engineers and technical leads throughout the development lifecycle.
• Evaluate and recommend emerging technologies and AI/ML capabilities within the Databricks ecosystem.

Skills

Databricks Lakehouse

Apache Spark / PySpark

Delta Lake

Databricks Workflows

Unity Catalog

Databricks SQL

Python

SQL

AWS Cloud

ETL/ELT pipelines

Data governance

Data security

Large-scale migration

Stakeholder management

Communication

Tools

Terraform

Snowflake

Job description

Cognizant is seeking an experienced Databricks Architect to lead enterprise data modernization initiatives. The role focuses on Databricks Lakehouse design, migration from legacy systems, and governance across the AWS cloud.

Ideal candidates will bring 12+ years in data engineering/data architecture and 5+ years hands-on Databricks architecture experience, with a strong emphasis on data quality, security, and scalable pipelines.