Lead Data Architect

We are seeking a Principal Data Solution Architect / Lead Data Architectto serve as the senior-most technical authority for end-to-end data architectures cloud data platforms integration strategies and enterprise-scale modernization initiatives. This roleoperatesat the intersection of architecture engineering analytics AI and mission strategy. The Principal Data Solution Architect shapes the vision for how data is collected governed transformed stored accessed and activated across complex environmentsultimately enablingreliable analytics ML/AI capabilities and mission-critical applications.

This leader drives architectural strategy across data platformslakehouses warehouses integration layers and AI/ML pipelines while guiding engineering teams toward scalable secure and maintainable solutions.

• Serve as the chief architect for data platform modernization designing enterprise data ecosystems includinglakehousearchitectures data mesh/fabric patterns domain modeling and multi-cloud data strategies.
• Translate mission and business needs into actionable data architecture roadmaps reference architectures and solution blueprints.
• Architect robust ingestion transformation and serving layers using a blend of batch streaming CDC API-based and event-driven patterns.
• Lead end-to-end data modeling strategy including canonical data models semantic layers MDM architectures metadata systems and AI/ML-aligned feature modeling.
• Partner with Data Engineering Data Science AI/ML Engineering andLLMOps/MLOpsteams to ensure data platforms support analytics ML RAG systems and advanced automation use cases.
• Define and enforce enterprise data standards:schema evolution data contracts quality frameworks lineage expectations observability data zones and Zero Trust data-access policies.
• Drive platform engineering decisions including storage optimization cluster sizing compute orchestration network design and cost-performance tradeoffs.
• Guideselectionand adoption of platform technologies such as Databricks Snowflake Redshift SynapseBigQuerylakehouseengines metadata platforms and orchestration tools.
• Oversee architectural governance including design reviews performance evaluations cloud readiness assessments and alignment with enterprise cybersecurity and compliance requirements.
• Serve as a senior advisor to client executivesframing modernization strategies defining investment pathways and articulating value realization for enterprise data initiatives.
• Mentor Data Engineers Data Architects and cross-functional technical staff strengthening architectural maturity across programs.
• Develop reusable frameworks architectural patterns playbooks and internal accelerators that improve consistency and reduce delivery time across engagements.
• Stay current with emerging trends in cloud-native data ecosystems metadata automation distributedcompute AI-ready data architectures and federal data regulations.
• You will contribute to the growth of our AI & Data Exploitation Practice!

• Ability to hold a position of public trust or higher clearance as.
• Bachelors Masters or Ph.D. in Computer Science Data Engineering Information Systems Cloud Architecture ora relatedtechnical field.
• 10 years of professional experience designing enterprise-scale data solutions with significant architectural leadership.
• Expert-level knowledge of modern data architectures includinglakehouse data mesh data fabric MDM event-driven architectures and domain-driven design.
• Deep experience with cloud-native data ecosystems across AWS Azure or GCPincluding storagecompute orchestration serverless virtualization containerization and security services.
• Mastery of distributed data processing frameworks (e.g. Spark Databricks Flink Kafka Synapse Dataflow) and strongproficiencyin SQL and Python.
• Proven ability to design end-to-end ingestion pipelines transformation logic metadata systems feature stores and data serving layersoptimizedfor analytics and AI workloads.
• Understanding of enterprise data governance including cataloging lineage privacy tagging Zero Trust access patterns and compliance requirements.
• Strong communicationskills with the ability to influence senior stakeholders justify architectural decisions and translate complex concepts into actionable insights.
• Demonstratedsuccessmentoring technical staff leading architecture reviews and guiding multi-team delivery across complex modernization programs.
• Experience collaborating with Data Science AI/ML andMLOpsteams to ensure dataarchitectures supportscalable model development and operationalization.
• Preferred certifications (highly relevant):
  • AWS Data Analytics Specialty
  • AWS Solutions Architect Professional
  • Azure Solutions Architect Expert
  • Databricks Data Engineer Professional
  • Google Professional Data Engineer
  • SnowflakeSnowProAdvanced Architect
  • TOGAF or cloud architecture frameworks
• Local to Washington DC metro area

Steampunk relies on several factors to determine salary including but not limited to geographic location contractual requirements education knowledge skills competencies and experience. The projected compensation range for this position is $165000 to $210000. The estimate displayed represents a typical annual salary range for this position. Annual salary is just one aspect of Steampunks total compensation package for employees. Learn more about additional Steampunk benefits here.

Identity Statement

As part of the application process you are expected to be on camera during interviews and assessments. We reserve the right to take your picture to verify your identity and prevent fraud.

Steampunk is a Change Agent in the Federal contracting industry bringing new thinking to clients in the Homeland Federal Civilian Health and DoD sectors. Through our Human-Centered delivery methodology we are fundamentally changing the expectations our Federal clients have for true shared accountability in solving their toughest mission challenges. As an employee owned company we focus on investing in our employees to enable them to do the greatest work of their careers and rewarding them for outstanding contributions to our growth. If you want to learn more about our story visit .

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race color religion sex national origin disability status protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by participates in the E-Verify program.