Principal Data Architect & ETL Engineering Lead

SilverSearch, Inc.; United States; Remote; USD 130,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology consulting firm is seeking a Principal Data Architect & ETL Engineering Lead to drive the design and development of ETL processes for enterprise analytics. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in data architecture and engineering, particularly with Snowflake and AWS. This is a remote contract-to-hire opportunity requiring strong SQL and Python skills. Candidates must be able to align data architecture with business goals while leading engineering practices.

Qualifications

• 10+ years hands-on experience in data architecture and engineering.
• Proven expertise with Snowflake, AWS, and Informatica Cloud.
• Strong proficiency in SQL and Python.

Responsibilities

• Translate business objectives into scalable data architecture strategies.
• Architect and implement modern, cloud-native data pipelines.
• Mentor and coach data engineers to maintain coding standards.

Skills

Snowflake

AWS

SQL

Python

Informatica Cloud

dbt

Apache Airflow

Data governance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related discipline

Tools

Informatica Cloud

GitHub Actions

Apache Airflow

GitHub Actions

Job description

Principal Data Architect & ETL Engineering Lead

We’re seeking a highly technical, hands‑on Principal Data Architecture and ETL/ELT Lead to drive the design, development, and modernization of ETL/ELT processes in support of enterprise analytics and business intelligence. This role is ideal for a seasoned data engineer and architect who enjoys building scalable, cloud‑based data platforms and guiding the evolution of data integration strategy.

You’ll play a pivotal role in aligning enterprise data architecture with business objectives—designing robust data pipelines, optimizing data flow, and leading the transition from legacy systems to modern, code‑driven data solutions. The ideal candidate is both an architect and builder—comfortable writing code, mentoring engineers, and implementing best‑in‑class data practices.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with senior leadership to translate business objectives into scalable data architecture strategies and align technology priorities with analytics and operational goals.
• Architect and implement modern, cloud-native data pipelines (batch and streaming) using Snowflake, AWS, Informatica Cloud, and Python.
• Lead the modernization of ETL/ELT workflows, guiding the transition from Informatica to dbt, Dagster, and Airflow for flexible, version‑controlled data transformation and orchestration.
• Design and maintain enterprise data models and domain architectures, integrating diverse systems such as Salesforce, NetSuite, and SAP into a unified, governed data platform.
• Develop and maintain API‑driven integrations, including REST/SOAP and event‑driven architectures, to enable seamless data flow across applications.
• Establish and enforce data engineering best practices—including testing, CI/CD, monitoring, and performance optimization.
• Collaborate closely with data engineers, analysts, and product teams to translate requirements into scalable, automated technical solutions.
• Mentor and coach data engineers, fostering strong coding, documentation, and operational standards.
• Champion data governance, lineage, and observability, ensuring all data flows are reliable, auditable, and well‑documented.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of hands‑on experience in data architecture, data engineering, and ETL/ELT development at enterprise scale.
• Proven expertise with Snowflake, AWS (Lambda, Glue, S3, Kinesis), and Informatica Cloud.
• Strong proficiency in SQL and Python for automation, transformation, and data quality validation.
• Experience integrating platforms such as Salesforce, SAP Commerce Cloud, NetSuite, and third‑party APIs into centralized data warehouses.
• Familiarity with modern data transformation and orchestration tools such as dbt, Dagster, and Apache Airflow.
• Deep understanding of data governance, semantic modeling, and metadata management (e.g., Collibra, Alation).
• Track record of leading architecture and engineering delivery end‑to‑end—from concept through production.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or related discipline.
• Snowflake SnowPro Core or Data Engineer certification preferred.

Preferred Attributes

• Passion for working with data at scale and enabling teams to deliver trustworthy, analytics‑ready data.
• Ability to thrive in a hybrid strategic/technical role that balances hands‑on engineering with architectural leadership.
• Experience building CI/CD pipelines, version‑controlled transformations, and testable data workflows using dbt and GitHub Actions (or similar tools).
• Strong communicator, capable of explaining complex technical designs to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.

Contract to Hire opportunity

No sponsorship is offered at this time

Remote working EST hours

Seniority level

Director

Employment type

Contract

Job function

Information Technology

Industries

IT Services and IT Consulting, Retail, and Non‑profit Organizations