Chief Data Architect

L3Harris Technologies•Melbourne, NY

22h•$165,500 - $354,500

About The Position

L3Harris is undertaking a multi-year enterprise Data/AI program that integrates approximately 100 legacy systems and builds AI applications on unified data. The Chief Data Architect of the Unified Data Layer is a senior, hands-on contributor responsible for the strategic design of the enterprise data and ontology architecture for a Palantir implementation. The role establishes the ontology strategy, architecture operating model, principles, and governance for cross-functional teams, and works with experienced architects and IT leadership to create enterprise standards and support consistent implementation. The architect selects tools, designs architectures, reviews technical decisions, mentors architects, and engages senior stakeholders. The role's decisions about data modeling, domain structures, metadata management, and system integration help enable the platform to deliver value across use cases in program management, finance, operations, supply chain, engineering, and strategic planning. The position is located in Melbourne, Florida; Rochester, New York; Salt Lake City, Utah; or remote. The listed schedule is 9/80: 80 hours over nine workdays in each 14-day period, with every other Friday off.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and at least 15 years of prior related experience, or a graduate degree and at least 13 years of prior related experience; alternatively, at least 19 years of prior related experience in lieu of a degree.

Nice To Haves

Experience building and scaling engineering organizations, including hiring, training curricula, and career development frameworks.
Experience with Palantir or similar graph platforms; Palantir experience preferred.
Demonstrated ability to design ontologies, taxonomies, and data models that capture complex domain semantics and support multiple use cases.
Experience integrating 10 or more systems across heterogeneous platforms, including ERP, PLM, databases, APIs, and legacy systems.
Excellent communication skills, including translating complex technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders and defining strategies aligned with business needs and technical constraints.
Experience in heavily regulated environments such as defense, financial services, utilities, or healthcare; familiarity with DoD security standards is a plus.
Background in formal ontology methodologies or semantic modeling frameworks.
Experience working with systems integrators and managing vendor relationships in large programs.
Direct experience with large-scale Palantir implementations; familiarity with Palantir Ontology API, Foundry, and configuration frameworks.
Background in supply chain, operations, financial systems, or defense/aerospace.
Experience with master data management, data quality frameworks, and enterprise-scale data governance.

Responsibilities

Own the strategic design of the enterprise data and ontology architecture for the Palantir implementation.
Build a technical culture focused on principled design, collaborative problem-solving, continuous learning, and balancing speed, performance, and compliance.
Develop a training and mentorship program, architecture communities of practice, and knowledge-sharing mechanisms.
Design and roll out the architecture operating model and governance framework for cross-functional teams.
Design the enterprise data ontology representing organizational entities, relationships, and business concepts as the foundation for Palantir workspaces and integrations.
Define integration architecture and patterns for real-time and batch data flows, master data management, and data quality across approximately 100 legacy systems.
Establish metadata strategy, governance standards, and lineage tracking for transparency and auditability.
Define analytical and operational data models for financial analysis, supply chain optimization, engineering insights, strategic planning, and other use cases.
Partner with IT leadership to establish enterprise architecture standards, data governance policies, and integration patterns.
Define naming conventions, data classification schemes, security models, and compliance requirements, including ITAR.
Embed architects within implementation and product teams to guide decisions and maintain consistent standards.
Work with product development teams to validate approaches and resolve technical constraints.
Engage business stakeholders across finance, operations, supply chain, and engineering to understand use cases and align architecture with business objectives.
Lead design reviews for complex integration challenges, ontology extensions, and cross-cutting architectural decisions.
Stay current with Palantir best practices, emerging data architecture patterns, and industry benchmarks.
Drive architectural innovation while considering timelines, budgets, and technical debt.
Select architectural tools, design architectures, review key technical decisions, mentor architects, and engage senior stakeholders.