Databricks L5 Solutions Architect - $247K+ & Equity

Databricks; United States; Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 248,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Annual bonus

Job summary

Databricks is seeking a senior L5 Solutions Architect (remote-friendly) to own the technical strategy for major accounts, drive platform adoption, and serve as a trusted advisor to customer technical leads and architects. The role combines data engineering, ML/AI, and enterprise pre-sales in a high-impact capacity.

You will lead architecture discussions, design scalable production-grade solutions, and orchestrate cross-functional teams across DSAs, SSAs, and partners, with a focus on real-time

Qualifications

• 6+ years in solutions architecture, data engineering, or senior hands-on role
• Strong coding proficiency in Python and SQL with live coding and debugging
• Deep expertise in distributed data systems architecture and lakehouse patterns
• Proficiency on the Databricks Platform with developing specialization
• Experience leading architecture discussions with senior stakeholders
• Production deployments on public cloud including security and governance
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in CS/Engineering or related field

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end technical strategy for accounts from discovery to production deployment
• Lead complex architecture discussions across data engineering, ML/AI, and real-time analytics
• Serve as trusted adviser to customer architects and engineering leads
• Drive technical wins through demonstrations of Databricks differentiation
• Develop an emerging technical specialization (archetype) for the team
• Coordinate cross-functional resources to deliver comprehensive solutions
• Influence product direction with customer feedback and market gaps

Skills

Python

SQL

Communication

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in CS/Engineering

Tools

Databricks Platform

AWS/Azure/GCP

Job description

Databricks L5 Solutions Architect - $247K+ & Equity — Remote

This is a senior individual contributor role (L5) at one of the most talked-about data/AI companies in the world — Databricks was valued at $62B+ in its latest funding round. Landing this role signals strong market credibility and positions you at the intersection of data engineering, ML/AI, and enterprise sales engineering.

Compensation benchmarks: The $180K–$247.5K base range is competitive for L5 pre-sales SAs in tech. With equity (Databricks is pre-IPO) and annual bonus, total comp could meaningfully exceed $300K+ depending on equity grants. Pre-IPO equity carries real upside risk but also potential reward.

• Deep Databricks Platform expertise (Lakehouse, Unity Catalog, MLflow, Delta Lake) — highly transferable across the data ecosystem
• Enterprise architecture and technical pre-sales skills — rare, high-value combination
• Python/SQL at a production level, cloud infra on AWS/Azure/GCP
• Emerging specialization in streaming, ML/AI, or data governance — all hot domains

Green flags: Structured career leveling (L5 with clear archetype development path), strong product-market fit, Fortune 500 customer base, and transparent pay ranges. The interview process (6 stages including live coding and a full presentation) is rigorous but filters for high-caliber peers.

Watch for: Pre-sales roles can trend toward high travel and quota pressure. Confirm the account territory size and travel expectations during the hiring manager screen. The export-control compliance clause is standard for a company with government and financial sector clients.

Solutions Architect (L5) — Req: FEQ128R82

The Role

As a Solutions Architect, you will lead the technical strategy for your customers — owning architecture discussions, driving platform adoption, and serving as a trusted advisor to customer technical leads and architects. You combine deep technical expertise with strategic thinking to position Databricks as the foundation of your customers' data and AI strategy. You are developing a technical specialization (archetype) and are recognized within your team for depth in a specific domain.

The Impact You Will Have

• Own the end-to-end technical strategy for your accounts, from initial discovery through production deployment and consumption growth
• Lead complex architecture discussions — designing scalable, production-grade solutions spanning data engineering, ML/AI, and real-time analytics
• Serve as a trusted technical advisor to customer architects, engineering leads, and Directors
• Drive technical wins in competitive scenarios by demonstrating Databricks' differentiation through custom-built solutions
• Develop and declare an emerging technical specialization (archetype) — becoming a go-to resource for your team in that domain
• Orchestrate cross-functional resources (DSAs, SSAs, Partners) to deliver comprehensive solutions for complex customer needs
• Influence product direction by providing structured feedback on customer requirements and competitive gaps

What We Look For

• 6+ years in solutions architecture, data engineering, technical pre-sales, or a senior hands-on technical role
• Strong coding proficiency in Python and SQL — you must demonstrate live coding, debugging, and solution-building skills
• Deep expertise in distributed data systems architecture: designing scalable pipelines, streaming architectures, lakehouse patterns, and cloud-native data platforms
• Proficient on the Databricks Platform (or demonstrated ability to achieve proficiency rapidly) with a developing technical specialization in one area (e.g., real-time/streaming, ML/AI, data governance, migrations)
• Proven ability to lead architecture discussions with senior technical stakeholders — whiteboarding, design reviews, and trade-off analysis
• Experience with production deployments on public cloud (AWS, Azure, or GCP), including infrastructure, security, and governance considerations
• Track record of driving platform adoption and consumption growth within accounts
• Excellent communication skills — able to translate complex architectures into business value for both technical and executive audiences
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a quantitative discipline (or equivalent experience)

Nice to Have:

• Databricks certifications (Data Engineer, ML, Platform)
• Experience with competitive platforms (Snowflake, AWS native services, Azure Synapse) — understanding the landscape you'll position against
• Background in a data/AI company or cloud provider
• Industry domain expertise (Financial Services, Healthcare, Retail, Media, etc.)

Pay Range Transparency

Databricks is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. The pay range for this role represents the expected salary range for non-commissionable roles or on-target earnings for commissionable roles. Actual compensation packages are based on several factors unique to each candidate, including but not limited to job-related skills, depth of experience, relevant certifications and training, and specific work location. Databricks anticipates utilizing the full width of the range. The total compensation package may also include eligibility for annual performance bonus, equity, and benefits. For more information regarding which range your location is in, visit our page here .

Local Pay Range: $180,000 — $247,500 USD

About Databricks

Databricks is the Data and AI company. More than 20,000 organizations worldwide — including adidas, AT&T, Bayer, Block, Mastercard, Rivian, Unilever, and 70% of the Fortune 500 — rely on the Databricks Data + AI Platform to build and scale data and AI apps, analytics, and agents. Headquartered in San Francisco with 30+ offices around the globe, Databricks offers a unified platform that includes Genie, Lakebase, Agent Bricks, Lakeflow, Lakehouse, and Unity Catalog. Follow Databricks on LinkedIn , X , YouTube , and Instagram .

Databricks strives to provide comprehensive benefits and perks that meet the needs of all employees. For specific details on benefits offered in your region, click here .

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

At Databricks, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture where everyone can excel. Our hiring practices meet equal employment opportunity standards. Individuals are considered without regard to age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other protected characteristics.

Compliance

If access to export-controlled technology or source code is required for performance of job duties, it is within Employer's discretion whether to apply for a U.S. government license for such positions, and Employer may decline to proceed with an applicant on this basis alone.

Is this Solutions Architect role fully remote or office-based? Databricks has a flexible work model with 30+ global offices, but this role is US-scoped with customer-facing responsibilities that may require periodic on-site visits. You should confirm territory and remote expectations during the recruiter screen. What is the salary range for this Databricks Solutions Architect position? The local pay range is $180,000 to $247,500 USD annually. Total compensation may also include annual performance bonus and pre-IPO equity. The exact offer depends on location (pay zone), experience, and skills. What programming languages do I need for this role? Strong proficiency in Python and SQL is required. The interview process includes a live coding assessment, so you must be comfortable debugging and building solutions on the spot. What does the interview process look like for this role? There are six stages: Recruiter Screen, Hiring Manager Screen, Design and Architecture Interview, Live Coding Assessment, a Build/Demo/Pitch presentation, and a Reference Check. Do I need Databricks certifications to apply? Certifications (Data Engineer, ML, Platform) are listed as nice-to-have, not required. However, you must demonstrate proficiency on the Databricks Platform or the ability to achieve it rapidly.

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