Cloud Data Architect

Ozarks Electric Cooperative•Fayetteville, AR

10d•Onsite

About The Position

The Cloud Data Architect will be responsible for developing and implementing data strategies and technology roadmaps with a focus on cloud solutions, particularly within Azure environments. This role involves designing and maintaining data models, data lakes, warehouses, and cloud-based data systems to ensure reliable and accessible data. The architect will also establish best practices for data operations, including automation, monitoring, and incident response, to maintain data quality over time. Key responsibilities include overseeing the preparation and maintenance of datasets, defining and enforcing standards for data quality, and partnering with data leadership to establish governance frameworks and implement security measures. Additionally, the role provides technical leadership, supports analytics and AI use cases, and collaborates with cross-functional teams to ensure data systems meet evolving business needs.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or a related field.
At least 4 years of experience in data architecture, including hands-on work in cloud environments (Azure preferred).
Strong understanding of data systems, including data lakes, warehouses, and cloud-based platforms.
Experience with data modeling, SQL development, and database management.
Familiarity with data governance, quality, and security practices.
Experience with tools such as Microsoft Fabric, Databricks, Snowflake, or similar platforms.
Working knowledge of data analytics and machine learning concepts.
Proficient in SQL and Python.
Must have a valid driver's license without violation, which would prohibit insurability.
Excellent verbal communication skills to clearly explain architecture layout and design.
Excellent written communication skills to build out detailed documentation.

Nice To Haves

Cloud certifications (Azure or similar).
Experience with hybrid or multi-cloud environments.
Familiarity with unstructured data and feature engineering.
Experience with data catalogs, metadata management, or observability tools.
Experience with data visualization and dashboarding tools.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement data strategies and technology roadmaps with a focus on cloud solutions, particularly within Azure environments.
Design and maintain data models, data lakes, warehouses, and cloud-based data systems that support reliable and accessible data.
Ensure data is accurate, secure, and available across platforms.
Establish best practices for data operations, including automation, monitoring, and incident response to maintain data quality over time.
Oversee the preparation and maintenance of datasets so they are clean, well-documented, and consistently structured for reporting, operations, and analytics.
Define and enforce standards for data quality, versioning, lineage, and refresh processes.
Partner with data leadership to establish and maintain governance frameworks for cloud data assets.
Implement security and compliance measures to reduce data risk.
Document and manage data and metadata flows to support traceability.
Provide guidance on data architecture challenges and collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
Design reusable data patterns and solutions that can be applied across projects and platforms.
Define and promote engineering standards for cloud-based systems.
Continuously evaluate and improve system performance and data reliability.
Design data solutions that support machine learning and advanced analytics use cases.
Enable efficient data preparation processes for data scientists and analysts.
Collaborate with teams to ensure data systems meet evolving business needs.
Help assess whether datasets are suitable for analytics and AI use, including completeness and quality considerations.
Meet with vendors/contractors when needed for project development.
Work with customers when needed for professional services.