Principal Cloud Data Architect - Channels Data Platforms and Analytics

Bank of America; United States; On-site; USD 190,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Bank of America is seeking a Principal Cloud Data Architect to lead architecture, modernization, and transformation of Channels Data Platform. You will drive cloud-native design across on-prem to Azure-based data warehouses, ETL, and analytics, guiding large engineering teams and platforms.

The role emphasizes security, resiliency, performance, and regulatory compliance, with responsibility for UI, APIs, data models, analytics layers, and dashboards within Payment Tracker ecosystems.

Qualifications

• 12+ years in data/software engineering with 8+ years designing enterprise data platforms
• Proven cloud modernization experience (Azure preferred) including Databricks, Snowflake, Kafka/Event Hubs
• Strong background modernizing legacy systems such as Informatica ETL, Hadoop, and mainframe workloads
• Deep expertise in NFR-driven design: resiliency, security, performance, scalability, observability, and operational excellence
• Strong proficiency in SQL and Python (Scala/Java a plus)
• Proven ability to influence senior leaders, drive enterprise alignment, and work in highly regulated environments
• Experience with microservices, containers (Kubernetes/OpenShift), API gateways, and integration patterns

Responsibilities

• Develops the engineering approach for the program/portfolio and works with Architecture to deliver technical enablers
• Leads planning, definition and design of complex features spanning multiple teams
• Provides technical guidance and designs for reusable architectures and code practices
• Oversees end-to-end solution development, including design reviews and domain-specific implementation
• Defines the tool stack and integrates state-of-the-art technologies to improve delivery quality
• Leads end-to-end test strategy and ensures alignment across teams for program success
• Drives migration from legacy to cloud-native architectures and modern data platforms

Skills

Cloud modernization

SQL

Python

Stakeholder management

Communication

Enterprise data platforms

Leadership

Tools

Azure

Databricks/Delta

Snowflake

Informatica

Kafka/Event Hubs

Kubernetes/OpenShift

APIs/microservices

Terraform/Bicep

Job description

Job Description

At Bank of America, we are guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better through the power of every connection. We do this by driving Responsible Growth and delivering for our clients, teammates, communities and shareholders every day. Being a Great Place to Work is core to how we drive Responsible Growth. This includes our commitment to being an inclusive workplace, attracting and developing exceptional talent, supporting our teammates’ physical, emotional, and financial wellness, recognizing and rewarding performance, and how we make an impact in the communities we serve. Bank of America is committed to an in-office culture with specific requirements for office-based attendance and which allows for an appropriate level of flexibility for our teammates and businesses based on role-specific considerations. At Bank of America, you can build a successful career with opportunities to learn, grow, and make an impact. Join us!

Position Summary

The Principal Cloud Data Architect serves as the architectural authority for Channels Data Platforms and Analytics. This leader defines the target state architecture, drives modernization from legacy technologies to cloud native platforms, and ensures security, resiliency, performance, and compliance across the data and analytics ecosystem. The role provides strategic and technical oversight for the Payment Tracker and guides the transformation of large scale engineering teams and platforms, including mainframe based reporting systems.

The Principal Cloud Data Architect will lead the architecture, modernization, and transformation of the Channels Data Platform, which today includes on prem data warehouses, Informatica ETL, Hadoop ecosystems, mission critical mainframe processing, and legacy reporting workloads. The role will evolve this platform toward a cloud native, scalable, resilient architecture leveraging Azure, Databricks, Snowflake, Kafka, APIs/microservices, and modern engineering patterns.

• Define and communicate the solution intent and architectural vision across Business, Data, Application, and Technology domains.
• Build and maintain a multi year modernization roadmap for Channels Data Platforms, including mainframe, Hadoop, ETL, and analytics components.
• Establish target operating models, architectural patterns, and guardrails to support evolving capabilities and regulatory expectations.
• Drive enterprise alignment by collaborating with Enterprise Architecture, Platform Architecture, Information Governance, Risk, and Product.
• Lead transformation from Informatica, on prem databases, Hadoop, and mainframe based reporting into cloud native architectures (Azure, Databricks/Delta, Snowflake, Event Hubs/Kafka).
• Define migration paths for mainframe jobs, batch interfaces, and legacy ledger/reporting logic into scalable modern architectures.
• Implement CI/CD for data, Infrastructure as Code (Terraform/Bicep), observability (logs/metrics/traces), and cost/performance governance.
• Ensure platform resiliency, scalability, and operational readiness (HA/DR, autoscaling, performance tuning, traffic management).
• Provide end to end architectural oversight for Payment Tracker, including UI, APIs/microservices, data models, analytics layers, and dashboards.
• Guide design for real time and near real time insights, data marts, and advanced analytics embedded in Payment Tracker experiences.
• Ensure adherence to NFRs (performance, security, maintainability, reliability) and integrated monitoring/alerting for application and data services.
• Lead design and code reviews; resolve architectural blockers; ensure compliance with the Bank’s Risk Framework, data privacy, entitlements, masking, and audit expectations.
• Partner with delivery teams to translate strategy into actionable technical backlogs and architecture epics.
• Drive the creation of reusable accelerators, libraries, templates, migration playbooks, and modernization frameworks.
• Mentor engineers and elevate engineering excellence across Channels Technology.
• Own R&D for the data and analytics portfolio: evaluate emerging tools, run POCs/Pilots, benchmark performance, publish decision records, and set technology adoption standards.

Required Qualifications

• 12+ years in data/software engineering with 8+ years designing enterprise data platforms or large distributed architectures.
• Demonstrated leadership in cloud modernization (Azure preferred), including Databricks (Spark/Delta), Snowflake, Kafka/Event Hubs.
• Strong background in modernizing legacy systems, including Informatica ETL, Hadoop/Big Data systems, and mainframe workloads (batch pipelines, reporting interfaces).
• Deep expertise in NFR driven design: resiliency, security, performance, scalability, observability, and operational excellence.
• Strong proficiency in SQL and Python (Scala or Java a plus).
• Proven ability to influence senior leaders, drive enterprise alignment, and deliver outcomes in highly regulated environments.
• Strong communication skills—capable of translating complex engineering concepts for executive, business, and technical audiences.
• Strong background in modernizing legacy systems, including Informatica ETL, Hadoop/Big Data systems, and mainframe workloads (batch pipelines, reporting interfaces).
• Experience with microservices, containers (Kubernetes/OpenShift), API gateways, and integration patterns.

Representative tools/technologies : Azure (ADLS Gen2, Event Hubs, Key Vault), Databricks, Snowflake, Informatica, Kafka, Mainframe/Z Series job orchestration, Oracle/Postgres, Python, SQL, Java/Scala (optional), Git, Azure DevOps/Jenkins, Docker/Kubernetes/OpenShift, Collibra, AppDynamics/Splunk/Grafana.Starburst

Desired Qualifications

• Experience in Payments, Channels, CashPro, or analytics driven applications.
• Knowledge of semantic layers (dbt, LookML), data quality frameworks (Great Expectations/Deequ), and data governance (Purview, Collibra).
• FinOps experience with cost optimization for cloud data workloads.
• Advanced understanding of streaming, event driven architectures, and ML/AI integration.

Job Description

This job is responsible for defining and leading the engineering approach for solutions at the program or portfolio level, to deliver significant business outcomes. Key responsibilities include continuously improving the design, quality, and reuse of the solution and delivering technology enablers that improve development efficiencies for the solution. Job expectations include familiarity with at least one area of engineering, acting as a “go to” reference across the organization, and applying knowledge to improve technical competencies through recruitment and development activities.

Responsibilities

• Develops the engineering approach for the entire program/portfolio solution and works with Architecture, to develop/analyze/deliver the implementation of technical enablers
• Leads the planning, definition, and design of the complex features which span multiple teams and explore solution alternatives
• Creates ideas on designing complex technology and solution development approaches
• Leads the technical oversight for teams in solution development including design reviews and code within own domain
• Defines the technology tool stack for the solution within ranged of internally approved and supported technologies
• Explores state-of-the-art technologies to improve development efficiencies, quality of test/QA coverage, and release management
• Leads and is responsible for the end-to-end test strategy/creation/adherence, and the integration between teams for a program/portfolio solution

Skills

• Automation
• Influence
• Result Orientation
• Stakeholder Management
• Technical Strategy Development
• Application Development
• Architecture
• Business Acumen
• Risk Management