Senior AI Infrastructure Architect at Databricks $247K

Databricks; United States; Remote; USD 180,000 - 248,000; Full time

Job summary

Databricks is seeking an Infrastructure & AI Platform Specialist Solutions Architect (SSA) to guide enterprise customers through architecture, cloud infrastructure, and AI deployment patterns of the Databricks Platform on AWS. You will combine deep tech with strategic thinking to position Databricks as the data and AI backbone for customers.

This role can be remote within the USA, with up to 30% travel to client sites.

Qualifications

• 6+ years in solutions architecture, pre-sales, or senior hands-on roles.
• Experience architecting AI/ML cloud infrastructure and large-scale deployments.
• Strong coding in Python and SQL; can debug and build solutions live.

Responsibilities

• Guide strategic customers through Databricks on AWS lifecycle from design to production.
• Architect and scale AI-focused compute/networking infrastructure.
• Serve as SME in AWS infra, IaC, security, and identity management.
• Drive technical wins via tailored, differentiated solutions.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to deliver complex customer needs.

Skills

Databricks

AWS

GenAI infrastructure

LLM deployment

Enterprise pre-sales

Customer-facing architecture

Python

SQL

Distributed data systems

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in CS/Engineering or quantitative field

Tools

Terraform

AWS CloudFormation

AWS CDK

Job description

At $180,000–$247,500 base (plus bonus and equity), this is top-of-market for a Solutions Architect role. Comparable SSA roles at AWS, Snowflake, or Palantir typically range $160,000–$220,000 base. Databricks' equity component in a late-stage, high-valuation company adds meaningful upside — the company has been consistently mentioned as a pre-IPO candidate.

Skills You'll Build

This role is a career accelerator for anyone targeting the intersection of cloud infrastructure and AI:

• Deep, hands-on expertise in Databricks, AWS, GenAI infrastructure, and LLM deployment — all skills commanding premium salaries in 2024–2025
• Enterprise pre-sales and customer-facing architecture experience, which opens doors to VP of Engineering, Principal Architect, or Field CTO tracks
• Exposure to 20,000+ customer organizations, including Fortune 500 companies

Culture & Growth Signals

Databricks is a mature, well-funded scale-up (~$43B valuation as of last funding round) with 30+ global offices. The structured 6-stage interview process signals a rigorous, engineering-first culture. The role involves influencing product direction, which is a green flag for candidates who want impact beyond execution.

Watch Out For:

The 30% travel requirement and customer-facing pressure can erode work-life balance. This is a high-performance, high-expectation environment best suited for self-driven technical sellers.

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As an Infrastructure & AI Platform Specialist Solutions Architect (SSA), you will serve as a trusted technical advisor, guiding enterprise customers through the architecture, cloud infrastructure, and AI deployment patterns of their Databricks Platform on AWS. You combine deep technical expertise with strategic thinking to position Databricks as the foundation of your customers' data and AI strategy.

This role can be remote.

The Impact You Will Have

• Guide strategic customers through the full lifecycle of Databricks on AWS, including platform administration from initial architectural design to production deployment
• Architect and scale compute/networking infrastructure designed specifically for AI workloads, enterprise LLM deployments, and high-performance GenAI applications built on Databricks
• Serve as a subject matter expert in core areas such as AWS infrastructure, infrastructure-as-code (IaC), cloud networking, and identity management
• Drive technical wins in competitive scenarios by demonstrating Databricks' differentiation through custom-built solutions
• Orchestrate cross-functional resources (DSAs, SAs, SSAs, Partners) to deliver comprehensive solutions for complex customer needs
• Influence product direction by providing structured feedback on customer requirements and competitive gaps

What We Look For

• 6+ years in solutions architecture, technical pre-sales, or a senior hands-on technical role
• Hands-on experience architecting underlying cloud infrastructure for AI/ML execution — including accelerator configuration (GPUs/TPUs), scalable model serving infrastructure, vectorized data retrieval, and balancing cloud performance vs. cost for large-scale AI workloads
• Advanced expertise across the following areas:
  • Security & Identity: AWS security controls, platform/network/data security, encryption, vulnerability management, compliance, and identity protocols (AWS IAM, AWS IAM Identity Center, SCIM, OAuth, SAML, Federation)
  • Networking & Deployments: AWS enterprise networking (VPC peering, AWS Direct Connect, PrivateLink), network routing, performance optimization, and large-scale deployment management
  • Platform Administration: High availability, disaster recovery, cluster orchestration, observability (Amazon CloudWatch, AWS CloudTrail), and AWS Cost Management
  • Infrastructure Automation (InfraOps): Hands-on automation using IaC tools (e.g., Terraform, AWS CloudFormation, AWS CDK) to build, maintain, and scale complex AWS environments
• Strong coding proficiency in Python and SQL — you must demonstrate live coding, debugging, and solution-building skills
• Deep expertise in distributed data systems architecture: designing scalable pipelines, streaming architectures, lakehouse patterns, and cloud-native data platforms
• Proficient on the Databricks Platform (or demonstrated ability to achieve proficiency rapidly) with a developing technical specialization in one area (e.g., real-time/streaming, ML/AI, data governance, migrations)
• Proven ability to lead architecture discussions with senior technical stakeholders — whiteboarding, design reviews, and trade-off analysis
• Track record of driving platform adoption and consumption growth within accounts
• Excellent communication skills — able to translate complex architectures into business value for both technical and executive audiences
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a quantitative discipline (or equivalent experience)
• Willingness to travel up to 30% as needed

Nice to Have

• Databricks certifications (Data Engineer, ML, Platform)
• AWS certifications (AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional, AWS Certified Data Engineer)
• Experience with competitive platforms (Snowflake, AWS native services, Azure Synapse) — understanding the landscape you'll position against
• Background in a data/AI company or cloud provider

Interview Process

Pay Range Transparency

Databricks is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. The pay range(s) for this role is listed below and represents the expected salary range for non-commissionable roles or on-target earnings for commissionable roles. Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to job-related skills, depth of experience, relevant certifications and training, and specific work location. Based on the factors above, Databricks anticipates utilizing the full width of the range. The total compensation package for this position may also include eligibility for annual performance bonus, equity, and the benefits listed above. For more information regarding which range your location is in visit our page here .

Local Pay Range: $180,000 — $247,500 USD

About Databricks

Databricks is the Data and AI company. More than 20,000 organizations worldwide — including adidas, AT&T, Bayer, Block, Mastercard, Rivian, Unilever, and 70% of the Fortune 500 — rely on the Databricks Data + AI Platform to build and scale data and AI apps, analytics and agents. Headquartered in San Francisco with 30+ offices around the globe, Databricks offers a unified platform that includes Genie, Lakebase, Agent Bricks, Lakeflow, Lakehouse, and Unity Catalog. To learn more, follow Databricks on LinkedIn , X , YouTube , and Instagram .

At Databricks, we strive to provide comprehensive benefits and perks that meet the needs of all of our employees. For specific details on the benefits offered in your region click here .

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

At Databricks, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture where everyone can excel. We take great care to ensure that our hiring practices are inclusive and meet equal employment opportunity standards. Individuals looking for employment at Databricks are considered without regard to age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other protected characteristics.

Compliance

If access to export-controlled technology or source code is required for performance of job duties, it is within Employer's discretion whether to apply for a U.S. government license for such positions, and Employer may decline to proceed with an applicant on this basis alone.

Is this Databricks Solutions Architect role truly remote? Yes, the role is listed as remote. However, it is restricted to the USA and requires up to 30% travel to customer sites, so candidates should be comfortable with regular in-person client engagements. What is the salary range for this position? The local pay range is $180,000–$247,500 USD annually. The total package may also include an annual performance bonus and equity, with Databricks noting it anticipates utilizing the full width of the range. What does the interview process look like for this role? The process has six stages: Recruiter Screen, Hiring Manager Screen, Design and Architecture Interview, Live Coding Assessment, Presentation, and Reference Check. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate live coding and architecture whiteboarding skills. Do I need Databricks or AWS certifications to apply? Certifications such as Databricks Data Engineer/ML/Platform and AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional are listed as "nice to have" but are not required. Demonstrated proficiency or the ability to ramp quickly on the Databricks Platform is expected. What technical specializations are most valuable for this role? The job emphasizes AWS infrastructure, infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, CloudFormation, CDK), AI/ML workload architecture (GPUs/TPUs, LLM deployment), cloud security and identity, and Python/SQL coding. A specialization in real-time streaming, ML/AI, or data governance is a strong differentiator.

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