Principal Data Architect - Data & AI Platforms NextGen Invent is seeking a highly experienced Principal Data Architect to lead the design, modernization, and governance of enterprise-scale Data & AI platforms. The ideal candidate will possess deep expertise across Data Architecture, Data Engineering, Cloud Platforms, Analytics, Data Governance, AI/ML Enablement, and Enterprise Data Modernization. This role requires a hands-on architect capable of defining enterprise data strategies while driving technical execution across modern cloud-native data ecosystems. The candidate will serve as a trusted advisor to business and technology leadership and lead large-scale transformation initiatives involving Snowflake, Databricks, AWS, and Azure.
Key Responsibilities:
Define enterprise data architecture strategy, standards, and best practices.
Design scalable Data Lake, Lakehouse, Data Warehouse, and Real-Time Analytics solutions.
Create architecture blueprints, reference architectures, and modernization roadmaps.
Lead migration from legacy Hadoop/Data Warehouse platforms to modern cloud-based architectures.
Data Platform Leadership:
Architect enterprise data platforms leveraging Snowflake, Databricks, AWS, and Azure.
Design Medallion Architecture (Bronze/Silver/Gold) and Lakehouse solutions.
Build frameworks for ingestion, transformation, governance, and analytics.
Establish platform scalability, reliability, observability, and cost optimization strategies.
Modern Data Engineering:
Design large-scale batch and streaming data platforms.
Architect solutions utilizing Spark, Kafka, Delta Lake, Delta Live Tables, Snowpipe, Streams & Tasks.
Guide implementation of real-time and event-driven data pipelines.
Drive performance optimization and operational excellence.
Cloud Architecture:
Architect multi-cloud solutions using AWS and Azure.
Define cloud-native data integration patterns.
Drive cloud cost governance and infrastructure optimization.
Establish secure, scalable, and highly available platform architectures.
AI & Advanced Analytics Enablement:
Design AI-ready data architectures supporting ML, GenAI, and advanced analytics.
Build foundations for RAG, Vector Search, Feature Stores, and MLOps.
Collaborate with data science and AI teams to operationalize ML solutions.
Enable enterprise self-service analytics and reporting.
Governance, Security & Compliance:
Define governance frameworks covering Data Quality, Lineage, Security, and Metadata Management.
Implement RBAC, Data Masking, Column-Level Security, and Privacy Controls.
Ensure compliance with HIPAA, GDPR, SOX, and enterprise security standards.
Leadership & Stakeholder Management:
Lead architecture governance across multiple delivery programs.
Mentor architects, engineering leads, and data engineers.
Partner with executive stakeholders to define strategic roadmaps.
Drive large-scale transformation initiatives and platform adoption.
Required Experience:
10+ years in Data Architecture and Data Platform Engineering.
Proven experience designing enterprise-scale cloud data platforms.
Strong background in Data Engineering, Big Data, Cloud Architecture, and Analytics.
Experience leading enterprise data modernization and migration programs.
Experience managing globally distributed teams and stakeholder engagement.
Strong understanding of Agile, SAFe, and Product Ownership practices.
