Remote Principal Data Architect: AI-Ready Leader

Lifeway Christian Resources; United States; On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Lifeway Christian Resources seeks a Principal Data Architect to lead the design, governance, and evolution of the enterprise data landscape, with cross‑functional collaboration with BI and MDM teams. This remote role sets architectural direction for data integration, warehousing, master data management, and AI readiness across the organization.

This senior position emphasizes technical depth and strategic leadership within a mission‑driven environment, with limited travel to Nashville for

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in data engineering, software development, or data architecture roles.
• 5+ years in a senior or principal‑level data architecture capacity with ownership of enterprise‑scale data programs.
• Deep expertise in data warehousing strategies (Inmon, Kimball, lake‑house architecture).
• Proven experience designing Data Mesh architecture including domain ownership models and data product definitions.
• Strong background in ETL/ELT design and data integration patterns including batch, micro‑batch, and streaming.
• Hands‑on experience with enterprise integration platforms (Kafka, dbt, Airflow or equivalents).
• Experience with cloud data platforms such as Snowflake, Microsoft Fabric, or Google BigQuery.
• Proficiency in Python, SQL, Scala, or Java with experience in modern software delivery practices.
• Deep knowledge of Master Data Management principles, tooling, and implementation patterns.
• Ability to travel to the Middle Tennessee area 2–4 times annually for team gatherings.
• Actively involved in an evangelical Christian church.

Responsibilities

• Lives out Lifeway’s mission and values, showing deep commitment to Kingdom work.
• Define and maintain the enterprise data architecture roadmap, aligning data strategy with long‑term business priorities and technology goals.
• Lead the design and evolution of data platforms including data warehouse and lake‑house architecture.
• Develop and champion a Data Mesh strategy enabling domain‑oriented data ownership, self‑serve data infrastructure, and federated governance.
• Architect and oversee enterprise data integration patterns including batch ETL, real‑time streaming, and event‑driven architectures.
• Establish standards for data pipelines, transformation logic, lineage tracking, and integration frameworks across on‑premises and cloud environments.
• Lead efforts to make the organization’s data AI‑ready to support machine learning and AI applications.
• Drive adoption of data contracts and data product thinking to improve reliability and trust in data assets.
• Lead the design of Master Data Management integrations and provide technical leadership across MDM initiatives.
• Act as a strategic advisor on data initiatives across business units, ensuring architectural soundness and alignment with enterprise standards.
• Provide technical mentorship and architectural guidance to data engineers, BI developers, and MDM software engineers.
• Limited travel: 2–4 times per year, typically overnight.

Skills

Data engineering

Data architecture

Data warehousing

Data Mesh

ETL/ELT

Kafka

dbt

Airflow

Snowflake

BigQuery

Python

SQL

Scala/Java

MDM

Cloud platforms

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, or related field

Master's degree in related field

Advanced graduate degree (PhD, etc.), not required

Tools

Kafka

dbt

Airflow

Snowflake

Google BigQuery

Microsoft Fabric

Job description

Lifeway Christian Resources seeks a Principal Data Architect to lead the design, governance, and evolution of the enterprise data landscape, with cross‑functional collaboration with BI and MDM teams. This remote role sets architectural direction for data integration, warehousing, master data management, and AI readiness across the organization.

This senior position emphasizes technical depth and strategic leadership within a mission‑driven environment, with limited travel to Nashville for