Lakehouse Architect / Databricks SME

CACI International Inc; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

CACI International Inc. is seeking a Lakehouse Architect / Databricks SME to lead the design and deployment of a secure, scalable data lakehouse on Azure for DHS/OIG in a government cloud environment.

You will shape the data foundation for AI, analytics, and investigative workflows, integrating Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, and medallion architecture. You will guide data cataloging, tiered storage, and compute configurations, while enabling governance, lineage, and self-service analytics across

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a data/ IT field with 15+ years of relevant experience (equivalencies considered).
• Ability to obtain DHS/EOD clearance as required.
• Deep expertise in Azure Databricks for lakehouse solutions using Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, and medallion patterns.
• Experience designing enterprise data platforms supporting SQL analytics, notebooks (Python/R/Scala), ML, and visualization.
• Strong data modeling across dimensional, relational, graph, and lakehouse architectures.
• Hands-on experience with Azure Data Lake Storage, PySpark, SQL, compute configuration, and cloud cost management.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and implementation of a secure, scalable enterprise data lakehouse platform using Azure Databricks, ADLS, Delta Lake, Unity Catalog.
• Architect lakehouse storage zones with raw/bronze, curated/silver, analytics-ready/gold layers and governance at each layer.
• Configure environments including workspace architecture, cluster strategies, autoscaling, job orchestration, and cost optimization.
• Implement data catalog integration, metadata management, and SQL-accessible tables/views for governed discovery and lineage.
• Support analytical models including relational warehousing, graph analyses, geospatial analytics, and ML feature engineering.
• Modernize analyst workflows from desktop tools to cloud-based notebooks, SQL analytics, and platform-native tools.
• Provide expertise and surge support for complex data architecture, performance optimization, and specialized analytics needs.
• Develop ML engineering infra including MLflow, feature stores, training environments, and Databricks-AI integration.

Skills

Azure Databricks

Delta Lake

Unity Catalog

Medallion Architecture

SQL Analytics

Python

R

Scala

Data Modeling

Data Governance

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Azure Data Lake Storage

PySpark

Azure Databricks

SQL

Job description

Job Title: Lakehouse Architect / Databricks SME

Job Category: Information Technology

Time Type: Full time

Minimum Clearance Required to Start: None

Employee Type: Regular

Percentage of Travel Required: None

Type of Travel: None

* * *

The Opportunity

CACI is seeking an expert Lakehouse Architect / Databricks Subject Matter Expert to support the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG). This role offers a unique opportunity to architect and implement a modern enterprise data platform that transforms how federal oversight professionals access, analyze, and derive insights from investigative and operational data. As a Lakehouse Architect / Databricks SME, you will design and lead the implementation of a secure, scalable data lakehouse using Azure Databricks and Azure Data Lake that serves as the authoritative data foundation for AI, advanced analytics, and investigative workflows. You will architect tiered storage zones, design data catalog integration, establish compute configurations optimized for diverse analytical workloads, and modernize analyst workflows from local desktop processing to collaborative, cloud-based environments. From supporting relational, graph, and geospatial data models to enabling machine learning infrastructure, you will shape the technical architecture that powers insights from investigative records, hotline complaints, and federal datasets. Working within secure Azure Government environments, you will build the data platform foundation for a transformational program of national importance. Join us to make a meaningful impact by architecting the enterprise data infrastructure that enables next-generation federal oversight capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and implementation of a secure, scalable enterprise data lakehouse platform using Azure Databricks, Azure Data Lake Storage, Delta Lake, and Unity Catalog to centralize investigative, operational, and analytical data
• Architect lakehouse storage zones supporting tiered data organization (raw/bronze, curated/silver, analytics-ready/gold) with data quality, transformation, and governance controls at each layer
• Design and implement environment configurations including workspace architecture, compute cluster strategies, autoscaling policies, job orchestration, and cost optimization approaches for diverse analytical and AI/ML workloads
• Design data catalog integration, metadata management, and SQL-accessible tables/views over stored files to enable governed data discovery, lineage tracking, and self-service analytics
• Support multiple analytical models and use cases including relational data warehousing, graph/network analysis for investigative linkages, geospatial analytics, and machine learning feature engineering
• Lead modernization of analyst and data scientist workflows from local workstation-based processing (Excel, R scripts, desktop tools) to collaborative, cloud-based notebooks, SQL analytics, and platform-native tools
• Provide technical expertise and surge support for complex data architecture challenges, analytical database design, performance optimization, and specialized data analysis requirements
• Design and implement machine learning engineering infrastructure including MLflow integration, feature stores, model training environments, and integration patterns between Databricks and AI platform services
• Develop technical content for data platform training, best practices guidance, workflow documentation, and user enablement materials tailored to investigators, analysts, auditors, and data scientists
• Collaborate with Government stakeholders, data engineers, AI engineers, and governance specialists to align lakehouse architecture with mission analytics requirements, data governance policies, and Agile delivery processes

Qualifications

Required -

• Bachelor's degree + 15 years of experience in data architecture, data engineering, analytics engineering, or related field; equivalencies considered (Master's + 12 years; 21 years with no degree; AA + 17 years)
• Must be able to obtain a Active DHS/ EOD Clearance as required.
• Deep expertise in Azure Databricks with demonstrated experience architecting and implementing lakehouse solutions using Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, and medallion architecture patterns
• Proven experience designing enterprise data platforms supporting diverse analytical workloads including SQL analytics, data science notebooks (Python, R, Scala), machine learning, and visualization integration
• Strong background in data modeling across multiple paradigms including dimensional modeling, relational databases, graph databases, and data lake/lakehouse architectures
• Extensive hands-on experience with Azure Data Lake Storage, PySpark, SQL, performance optimization, compute configuration, and cost management for cloud analytics platforms

Desired -

• Experience implementing Databricks in Azure Government or other secure government cloud environments (AWS GovCloud, secure enclaves) with understanding of FedRAMP, NIST 800-53, and federal security requirements
• Hands-on experience integrating Databricks with Azure AI services, MLflow, feature engineering frameworks, and supporting machine learning operations (MLOps) and AI/ML model pipelines
• Background in federal government, law enforcement, investigative analytics, or national security data environments with understanding of sensitive data handling, data governance, and analytical workflows for oversight missions

What You Can Expect

A culture of integrity.

At CACI, we place character and innovation at the center of everything we do. As a valued team member, you'll be part of a high-performing group dedicated to our customer's missions and driven by a higher purpose -- to ensure the safety of our nation.

An environment of trust.

CACI values the unique contributions that every employee brings to our company and our customers - every day. You'll have the autonomy to take the time you need through a unique flexible time off benefit and have access to robust learning resources to make your ambitions a reality.

A focus on continuous growth.

Together, we will advance our nation's most critical missions, build on our lengthy track record of business success