Lead Data Architect

Dexian; Norfolk (MA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Dexian is seeking a Lead Data Architect to oversee the enterprise data, analytics, and AI architecture across cloud and on-premises platforms. This role focuses on a lakehouse architecture, master data management, and data governance to improve reporting, decision-making, and AI initiatives.

You will design and implement data patterns, define data ownership, and drive governance across customer, product, inventory, vendor, location, and transactional domains, while mentoring teams and

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years in data architecture, engineering, or management roles.
• At least 5 years in enterprise data architecture and lakehouse platforms.
• Proven hands-on with Databricks, Snowflake, Delta Lake, and data governance.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end architecture of the data platform across cloud and on-premises environments.
• Design reusable patterns for ingestion, transformation, CDC, and schema evolution.
• Define authoritative data sources, ownership, publishing patterns, and governance for core domains.
• Lead master data management efforts across item, customer, vendor, and location data.
• Mentor engineering teams and translate technical concepts into business value.
• Oversee security, data contracts, and retention policies with Legal/Compliance.

Skills

PySpark

SQL

Data architecture

Lakehouse

Delta Lake

Data governance

Mentoring

Cloud data platforms

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/IT/data management or related field

Tools

Databricks

Snowflake

MS Fabric

Unity Catalog

Workflow orchestration

Job description

Position Summary

We are seeking a dedicated Lead Data Architect to join our client's team. This role involves overseeing the technical architecture for enterprise data, analytics, and AI initiatives, focusing on a lakehouse platform, master data management, and data governance. The ideal candidate will support our client's mission to enhance enterprise reporting, decision-making, and artificial intelligence capabilities, contributing to innovative solutions that align with our organizational goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain the enterprise data, analytics, and AI architecture roadmap, including integration, migration, master data, and data lifecycle management across cloud and on-premises platforms.
• Own the end-to-end architecture of the organization's data platform, including data layers, security policies, orchestration, observability, recovery, and cost management.
• Design and build core components using PySpark and SQL, establishing reusable patterns for data ingestion, transformation, change data capture, schema evolution, testing, and deployment.
• Define authoritative sources, data ownership, publishing patterns, and downstream responsibilities for key data domains such as customer, product, inventory, vendor, location, and transactional data.
• Lead the master data management efforts by consolidating sources, defining data standards, resolving identities, and establishing governance patterns for item, customer, vendor, and location data.
• Facilitate enterprise data governance and stewardship meetings, defining roles, decision rights, and escalation processes with relevant stakeholders.
• Maintain a comprehensive business glossary and metadata catalog, ensuring data quality standards for accuracy, completeness, consistency, timeliness, and validity.
• Implement data classification, access controls, encryption, masking, and retention policies in collaboration with Legal and Compliance teams.
• Define data contracts and governance for strategic systems, including forecasting, recommendations, and operational outputs.
• Govern AI and analytics development through approved tools and security protocols, establishing a roadmap for customer segmentation, propensity modeling, and lifecycle value.
• Lead technical standards development, review architecture decisions, mentor engineering teams, and facilitate collaboration with business partners to translate technical concepts into business value.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, information technology, data management, statistics, mathematics, or related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum of 10 years' experience in data architecture, engineering, or management roles, including at least 5 years with enterprise data architecture and lakehouse platforms.
• Proven expertise in designing, developing, and maintaining large-scale data platforms using tools like Databricks, Snowflake, or MS Fabric.
• Extensive hands-on experience with Databricks, including ownership of a medallion or similar lakehouse architecture, from design to operation.
• Strong proficiency in PySpark and SQL, with practical experience in Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, workflow orchestration, and change data capture from relational sources.
• Experience designing enterprise data repositories, customer data platforms, identity resolution, or master data management capabilities.
• Demonstrated knowledge of metadata management, data lineage, lifecycle management, and technical controls related to data privacy and security.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certification in advanced data management, governance, or quality tools.
• Experience within retail, fashion, or direct-to-consumer industries focused on merchandising, inventory, order management, and ecommerce data.
• Hands-on experience integrating planning, ecommerce, CDP, and finance systems with enterprise data platforms.
• Familiarity with MLflow, feature management, model serving, and cloud data services.
• Ability to effectively communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

Why This Opportunity May Be Appealing

Joining our client offers the chance to lead and shape enterprise data initiatives at a growing organization committed to innovation. You will work in a collaborative environment with flexible benefits, opportunities for professional growth, and the ability to make a meaningful impact on the organization's data-driven future. This role provides a platform to apply your expertise in a meaningful way, within a culture that values simplicity, impact, and inspiring change.

Dexian stands at the forefront of Talent + Technology solutions with a presence spanning more than 70 locations worldwide and a team exceeding 10,000 professionals. As one of the largest technology and professional staffing companies and one of the largest minority-owned staffing companies in the United States, Dexian combines over 30 years of industry expertise with cutting-edge technologies to deliver comprehensive global services and support.

Dexian connects the right talent and the right technology with the right organizations to deliver trajectory-changing results that help everyone achieve their ambitions and goals. To learn more, please visit https://dexian.com/.

Dexian is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.