Databricks Solution Architect

IBM; Paramus (NJ); Remote; USD 170,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

IBM Corporation is seeking a Databricks Solution Architect to lead the end-to-end data modernization program. You will define target data and AI architecture across AWS/GCP/Azure, drive data migration and modeling, and ensure secure cross-cloud data movement with governance guardrails.

Expect collaboration with executives and stakeholders worldwide. The role requires hands-on expertise with Spark, Delta Lake, MLflow, and Unity Catalog, plus strong experience in GenAI, MLOps, and AI governance.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience designing enterprise-scale data and AI architectures.
• Proven ability to lead cross-cloud data platform programs.
• Hands-on with Spark, Delta Lake, and Databricks.
• Strong knowledge of ML/GenAI, MLOps, and governance.
• Excellent communication with executives.

Responsibilities

• Define the target data and AI architecture across cloud platforms (AWS/GCP/Azure).
• Lead the data migration architecture including patterns, sequencing, cutover and risk management.
• Own data architecture and data modeling standards across lakehouse layers.
• Define data engineering patterns for ingestion, transformation, orchestration, and cost control.
• Architect the reporting and analytics layer with semantic models and governed metrics.
• Design the ML/GenAI lifecycle, including MLOps and observability.
• Architect secure, cross-cloud data movement across hyperscalers with cost/performance balance.
• Ensure use of data products from lakehouse and integration with SAP data sources.
• Define governance guardrails for AI use cases and data privacy.

Education

Databricks Certification

Tools

Databricks

Spark (PySpark/Scala)

Delta Lake

MLflow

Unity Catalog

Kafka

Amazon EventBridge/SQS

Job description

Introduction

A career in IBM Consulting is built on long-term client relationships and close collaboration worldwide. You'll work with leading companies across industries, helping them shape their hybrid cloud and AI journeys. With support from our strategic partners, robust IBM technology, and Red Hat, you'll have the tools to drive meaningful change and accelerate client impact. At IBM Consulting, curiosity fuels success. You'll be encouraged to challenge the norm, explore new ideas, and create innovative solutions that deliver real results. Our culture of growth and empathy focuses on your long-term career development while valuing your unique skills and experiences.

Your role and responsibilities

Databricks Solution Architect to define and lead the end-to-end architecture for a large data modernization program. You will bring deep expertise across cloud-based engineering, Databricks platform, data migration, data modeling, data architecture, data engineering, and reporting, and connect governed data products to ML, GenAI, and advanced AI solutions across hyperscalers.

Responsibilities

• Define the target data and AI architecture across the AWS/Databricks data platform and GCP-based ML/GenAI services, and the integration patterns between them.
• Lead the data migration architecture: re-engineering approach, migration patterns, Integration & Ingestion patterns, sequencing, cutover, reconciliation, and risk management.
• Own data architecture and data modeling standards, covering conceptual, logical, and physical models, lakehouse/medallion layers, and data product design.
• Define data engineering patterns and standards for ingestion (Fivetran), transformation, orchestration, CI/CD, observability, and cost control on cloud-based platforms.
• Architect the reporting and analytics layer, including semantic models, governed metrics, and self-service access on top of data products.
• Design the ML/GenAI lifecycle: feature engineering, model training and serving, RAG and agentic patterns, MLOps/LLMOps, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Architect secure, scalable cross-cloud data movement and integration across hyperscalers (AWS, Microsoft Azure, GCP), selecting services based on fit, cost, and performance.
• Ensure the architecture uses data products from the Databricks lakehouse, including SAP-sourced data via SAP BTP / BDC Connect.
• Define security, data privacy, responsible AI, and governance guardrails for AI use cases.
• Provide architectural oversight on related initiatives, such as the Tier-1 application migration from MySQL to Databricks Lakebase.
• Evaluate and shape the roadmap for advanced AI capabilities (agentic AI, frontier models, and emerging superintelligence-class technologies) as they apply to the client.
• Lead architecture reviews and communicate design decisions to executive and technical stakeholders.
• Design end-to-end architectures that embed AI capabilities into enterprise applications and workflows, defining reference patterns for AI services, models, and orchestration layers that integrate with existing systems, APIs, and data platforms.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to translate business objectives into scalable, resilient, and policy-compliant designs, balancing vendor-managed services with custom development and meeting performance, security, compliance, and cost objectives.
• Drive governance for AI integration: prompts, guardrails, and lifecycle management, with observability, privacy, and responsible AI principles embedded from design through operations.

This job can be performed from anywhere in the US

Required technical and professional expertise

• Must be able to travel 4 days per week (mandatory).
• Databricks Certified Data Engineer or Machine Learning Professional, with proven expertise architecting enterprise-scale data, AI/ML, and Generative AI solutions.
• Advanced expertise in data/solution architecture, enterprise data migration, data modelling, lakehouse/data-product architecture, reporting, and cloud-based data engineering using Databricks and AWS.
• Hands‑on experience with Spark (PySpark and/or Scala, Spark SQL), Delta Lake, MLflow, Unity Catalog, and large-scale batch and streaming workloads.
• Experience with open table formats, including Delta Lake and Apache Iceberg, and modern data-sharing patterns such as Delta Sharing and Lakehouse Federation.
• Experience architecting enterprise AI/GenAI solutions, including RAG, agents, MLOps/LLMOps, observability, guardrails, privacy, and responsible AI, with working knowledge of AWS, Azure, and GCP.
• Strong expertise in integration, security, and architecture leadership, including APIs, microservices, event-driven patterns, Kafka, and Amazon EventBridge/SQS, with strong technical and executive-level communication.

Preferred technical and professional experience

• Knowledge of SAP BTP, SAP Business Data Cloud, SAP-native data products, and SAP IS-U.
• Experience with Fivetran, Databricks Lakebase, OLTP-to-lakehouse patterns, Collibra, Erwin, or ER Studio.
• Advanced knowledge of AI orchestration, RAG/hybrid reasoning, microservices, and AI governance tooling.
• Experience with reporting and analytics architecture, including semantic layers and BI delivery on a lakehouse.
• Experience in the utilities or energy industry, with relevant cloud or Databricks architecture certifications.

IBM 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, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, caste, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, veteran status, or other characteristics. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.