Senior Databricks Solutions Architect - Data Modernization

Blue Pearl PTY; South Africa; Remote; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Blue Pearl PTY is seeking a Senior Solutions Architect specializing in Databricks to provide strategic leadership for a large-scale data modernization program within a leading Financial Services organization. The role focuses on target-state architecture, governance, platform design, and ensuring alignment with AI, analytics, and regulatory needs across cloud environments.

You will guide the Data Engineering team, drive best practices, and optimize costs while enabling scalable data and

Qualifications

• Deep expertise in Databricks architecture, implementation, and optimization.
• Strong understanding of enterprise data platforms and modern data architectures.
• Data Lakehouse architecture design and implementation.
• Data governance, security, compliance, and data management frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic architectural leadership for the organisation's Databricks implementation and data modernization initiatives.
• Design and define enterprise-scale data and analytics architectures aligned to business and AI objectives.
• Develop and implement architectural frameworks, standards, patterns, and best practices for Databricks adoption.
• Guide the Data Engineering team on solution design, scalability, performance optimization, security, and governance.
• Assess current SQL Server and Microsoft-based environments and define migration strategies to Databricks.
• Ensure architecture decisions support future AI, machine learning, advanced analytics, and reporting requirements.
• Evaluate and optimize platform utilization to drive cost efficiency and maximize return on investment.
• Establish governance, architecture review processes, and implementation roadmaps.
• Provide executive-level insights and recommendations on technology direction, risks, opportunities, and investments.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders, technology leadership, engineering teams, and vendors to drive successful outcomes.
• Oversee solution quality and ensure alignment with enterprise architecture principles and regulatory requirements.
• Identify technical risks, dependencies, and potential challenges, implementing mitigation strategies where required.
• Mentor engineering teams and promote architectural excellence across the program

Skills

Databricks architecture

Enterprise data platforms

Data Lakehouse

Data governance & security

Data migration strategy

Enterprise integration patterns

Analytics & AI/ML enablement

Tools

Azure Data Services

Databricks

Unity Catalog

Job description

Blue Pearl PTY is seeking a Senior Solutions Architect specializing in Databricks to provide strategic leadership for a large-scale data modernization program within a leading Financial Services organization. The role focuses on target-state architecture, governance, platform design, and ensuring alignment with AI, analytics, and regulatory needs across cloud environments.

You will guide the Data Engineering team, drive best practices, and optimize costs while enabling scalable data and