Enterprise Data Architect

Steampunk; Bloomington (IL); On-site; USD 135,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Steampunk is seeking an Enterprise Data Architect Lead to guide enterprise data architectures across complex mission environments. You will lead a team of Data Architects and Data Engineers, shaping data models, governance, and integration patterns for analytics, AI, and enterprise use cases.

You will partner with Data Engineering, MLOps/LLMOps, and AI teams to ensure scalable pipelines and high-performing ML workloads, while aligning with security, lineage, and data quality standards.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in data architecture, data engineering, or enterprise information architecture roles.
• Strong experience designing conceptual, logical, and physical data models for analytical, transactional, or domain-driven applications.
• Proficiency with modern data platforms and architectural patterns including lakehouse, data warehouse, data mesh, streaming architectures, and multi-cloud ecosystems.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of Data Architects and Data Engineers in designing data models that support analytics, AI/ML, and enterprise integration.
• Develop and maintain canonical data models, semantic layers, metadata structures, and domain-oriented schemas.
• Guide adoption of patterns like lakehouse, data mesh, data fabric, and event-driven integration across teams.
• Establish standards for data modeling, schema evolution, semantic consistency, and data contract design.
• Partner with Data Engineering, MLOps/LLMOps, and AI Development teams to support scalable pipelines and ML workloads.
• Conduct data architecture reviews ensuring alignment with reference architectures, security, and performance.
• Lead integration strategy across platforms via API-driven data access, streaming, CDC pipelines, and virtualization.
• Translate requirements from stakeholders into well-designed data structures to support workflows.
• Oversee governance-aligned design practices including lineage, cataloging, data quality, and Zero Trust data access.

Skills

Data modeling

Data governance

Domain-driven design

Streaming architectures

Cloud platforms

Cross-functional leadership

Stakeholder communication

Mentoring

Lakehouse

Databricks

Spark

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, Information Systems, Data Architecture, or related technical field

Tools

ERWin

ER/Studio

dbt

Collibra

Alation

Atlan

Databricks

Apache Spark

Job description

Overview

We are seeking an Enterprise Data Architectto guide the design, development, and governance of enterprise data architectures across complex mission environments. This role combines hands‑on architecturalexpertisewith team leadership, oversight of data modeling and integration patterns, and cross‑functional coordination with engineering, analytics, AI, and product teams. The Data Architecture Team Lead ensures that data is modeled, structured, governed, and integrated in ways that maximize interoperability, usability, and long‑term platform scalability.

Contributions

• Lead a team of Data Architects and Data Engineers in designing conceptual, logical, and physical data models that support analytics, AI/ML, operational applications, and enterprise integration needs.

• Develop andmaintaincanonical data models, semantic layers, metadata structures, and domain-oriented schemas aligned with enterprise data strategies.

• Guidethe adoption of modern architectural patterns includinglakehouse, data mesh, data fabric, domain-driven design, and event‑driven integration.

• Establish standards for data modeling, schema evolution, semantic consistency, and data contract design across teams and systems.

• Partner with Data Engineering,MLOps/LLMOps, and AI Development teams to ensure dataarchitecturessupport scalable pipelines, feature engineering, and high‑performing ML/AI workloads.

• Conduct data architecture reviews, ensuring alignment with enterprise reference architectures, security principles, performance expectations, andmodernizationroadmaps.

• Lead integration strategy across platforms, including API‑driven data access, streaming and event frameworks, CDC pipelines, virtualization layers, and metadata‑driven automation.

• Work with mission stakeholders, product teams, and UX researchers to translate requirements into well‑designed data structures that support workflows and decision‑making.

• Oversee governance‑aligned design practices, including lineage, cataloging, data quality frameworks, tagging strategies, and Zero Trust data‑access patterns.

• Mentor Data Architects and senior Data Engineers, elevating architectural thinking, modeling capabilities, and technical decision‑making across the team.

• Evaluate emerging technologies—metadata platforms, data modeling tools, data virtualization engines, event brokers—and guide strategic adoption.

• Contribute to reusable architectural artifacts including reference models, standards, playbooks, integration patterns, and platform design templates.

• Support pre‑sales and proposal efforts by defining solution architectures, estimating delivery complexity, and articulating modernization strategies.

• You Will contribute to the growth of our AI & Data Exploitation Practice!

Qualifications

• Ability to hold a position of public trust or higher clearance as required.

• Bachelor’s orMaster’s degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, Information Systems, Data Architecture, ora relatedtechnical field.

• 8+ years of experience in data architecture, data engineering, or enterprise information architecture roles.

• Strong experience designing conceptual, logical, and physical data models for analytical, transactional, or domain‑driven applications.

• Proficiencywith modern data platforms and architectural patterns includinglakehouse, data warehouse, data mesh, streaming architectures, and multi‑cloud ecosystems (AWS, Azure, GCP).

• Hands‑on experience with modeling and metadata tools (e.g.,ERWin, ER/Studio,dbt, Collibra, Alation, Atlan, or similar).

• Understandingofdistributed computing frameworks (Spark, Databricks), relational/NoSQL databases, and cloud‑native storage/compute layers.

• Experience designing data integration approaches such as ETL/ELT pipelines, streaming (Kafka/Kinesis/EventHub), CDC, API integration, and virtualization.

• Knowledge of data governance, metadata management, lineage, data quality, and Zero Trust architecture principles.

• Ability to guide cross‑functional teams,facilitatedesign sessions, and influence architectural decisions across programs.

• Strong communicationskills, capable of translating architectural concepts for technical and non‑technical stakeholders, including executive audiences.

• Mentoring experience anda demonstratedability to guide the growth of junior and mid‑level architects/engineers.

• Preferred certifications:
• CompTIA Network+
• AWS Solutions Architect - Associate or Professional
• Azure Data Engineer or Solutions Architect certifications
• Google Professional Data Engineer
• Databricks Data Engineer Professional
• TOGAF, DAMA CDMP, or enterprise architecture certifications

About steampunk

Steampunk relies on several factors to determine salary, including but not limited to geographic location, contractual requirements, education, knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience. The projected compensation range for this position is $135,000 to $165,000. The estimate displayed represents a typical annual salary range for this position. Annual salary is just one aspect of Steampunk’s total compensation package for employees. Learn more about additional Steampunk benefits here.

Identity Statement

As part of the application process, you are expected to be on camera during interviews and assessments. We reserve the right to take your picture to verify your identity and prevent fraud.

Steampunk is a Change Agent in the Federal contracting industry, bringing new thinking to clients in the Homeland, Federal Civilian, Health and DoD sectors. Through our Human-Centered delivery methodology, we are fundamentally changing the expectations our Federal clients have for true shared accountability in solving their toughest mission challenges. If you want to learn more about our story, visit http://www.steampunk.com.

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.Steampunk participates in the E-Verify program.