Solutions Architect

Sterling Search Partners; Birmingham (AL); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Sterling Search Partners is seeking a Solutions Architect to own end-to-end architecture for a modern data and technology platform. The role involves hands-on design, coding, mentoring, and turning business needs into scalable technical solutions.

You will guide data ingestion, storage, modeling, serving, and governance while ensuring security, governance, and auditable architecture across cloud-native environments. Hybrid work near Birmingham, AL is preferred.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience across data engineering, software engineering, or platform architecture.
• Deep hands-on experience with T-SQL, SQL Server, SSAS, and Azure Data Factory.
• Production experience with ClickHouse or comparable columnar platforms such as Snowflake, BigQuery, or Databricks.
• Strong production-level experience with Python, Go, or a comparable backend language.

Responsibilities

• Own target-state architecture across data ingestion, storage, modeling, serving, integration, and governance.
• Define the technical direction for the organization’s analytic and data platforms.
• Design and operate event-driven, service-oriented apps in Kubernetes environments.

Skills

8+ years exp

Data engineering

Software engineering

Platform architecture

Kubernetes

Python/Go

AI/LLMs

Security/governance

Tools

ClickHouse

Snowflake

BigQuery

Databricks

SQL Server

Azure Data Factory

Job description

Solutions Architect | Data & AI Platform

Our client is a rapidly growing, multi-location organization seeking a Solutions Architect to own the end-to-end architecture of a modern data and technology platform. This is a hands-on architecture role for someone who enjoys designing systems, writing code, mentoring engineers, and turning complex business needs into scalable technical solutions.

What You’ll Do:

• Own the target-state architecture across data ingestion, storage, modeling, serving, integration, and governance.
• Define the technical direction for the organization’s analytical and data platforms.
• Design and operate event-driven, service-oriented applications and workloads in Kubernetes environments.
• Develop and implement AI-assisted engineering capabilities, including coding agents, retrieval tools, LLM-based workflows, and automation.
• Establish data contracts, schema standards, quality expectations, and governance practices.
• Build security, privacy, access controls, and auditability into platform architecture.
• Lead technical design reviews and mentor engineering teams.
• Partner with executive and business leadership to translate ambiguous business needs into practical, durable technical solutions.
• Help establish roadmaps and technical priorities as the organization continues to scale.

What We’re Looking For:

• 8+ years of experience across data engineering, software engineering, platform architecture, or related disciplines.
• Deep hands-on experience with T-SQL, SQL Server, SSAS, and Azure Data Factory.
• Production experience with ClickHouse or a comparable columnar data platform such as Snowflake, BigQuery, or Databricks.
• Strong production-level experience with Python, Go, or a comparable backend language.
• Experience designing event-driven systems using technologies such as REST APIs, Kafka/NATS, and CDC.
• Experience operating workloads in Kubernetes environments.
• Strong understanding of AI-assisted software development, including coding agents, LLM tooling, retrieval, and evaluation.
• Ability to balance innovation with responsible technology practices, security, and governance.
• Proven ability to work with executive stakeholders and turn complex or ambiguous requirements into scalable technical architecture.
• Strong communication, leadership, and mentoring skills.

Why This Opportunity?

This is an opportunity to play a key role in shaping the technology architecture of a high-growth, multi-location organization. You’ll have meaningful influence over data strategy, AI adoption, engineering practices, and the systems that support continued growth — while remaining close to the technology and implementation.

Focus:

Data Architecture | Cloud | AI/LLMs | Software Engineering | Platform Architecture

Location:

Preferably hybrid in or within driving distance to Birmingham, AL, but might consider strong remote candidates!