Data Platform Infrastructure Architect

Guidehouse•Tysons Corner, VA

About The Position

The Data Platform Infrastructure Architect provides technical leadership for the design, implementation, automation, security, and evolution of modern data and cloud infrastructure across Microsoft Azure and Databricks. The role establishes reusable infrastructure patterns and standards, guides engineering teams, and ensures Azure and Databricks environments are secure, scalable, automated, supportable, governed, and cost-effective. It works with Data Engineering, Cloud/Infrastructure, Security, DevOps, Architecture, Analytics, and application teams to support the organization’s modern data platform and NGDS initiatives. The architect designs and maintains enterprise Azure and Azure Databricks architecture, including infrastructure for Development, Test, QA/UAT, and Production environments. The position covers networking, connectivity, identity, security, storage, compute, platform services, governance, availability, and disaster recovery, and contributes to architecture reviews and technical recommendations. The role also designs and implements infrastructure using Terraform, develops reusable Terraform modules, and establishes Infrastructure as Code standards and practices. It manages environment configuration, remote state, module versioning, and controlled infrastructure promotion; automates Azure and Databricks provisioning; integrates deployments with GitHub-based CI/CD pipelines; and applies code review, testing, approval, and promotion processes to reduce manual configuration and configuration drift.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree, or four additional years of professional experience in lieu of a degree.
At least 6 years of experience in cloud, infrastructure, data platform, or solution architecture.
At least 3 years of hands-on Azure architecture experience.
Strong hands-on experience implementing infrastructure using Terraform.
Strong Azure Databricks architecture and administration experience.
Experience implementing enterprise Infrastructure as Code.
Experience designing secure cloud networking and identity solutions.
Experience implementing CI/CD pipelines for infrastructure and platform deployments.
Experience working with enterprise security, infrastructure, DevOps, and data engineering teams.
Ability to translate technical requirements into scalable architecture and reusable engineering patterns.
Azure Databricks infrastructure configuration experience, including workspace architecture, Unity Catalog, networking, identity/security, compute, storage integration, platform administration, and deployment automation.
Hands-on Terraform experience, including Terraform modules, state management, variables and environment configuration, AzureRM provider, Databricks Terraform provider, and infrastructure deployment through CI/CD.
Knowledge of Infrastructure-as-Code design patterns and Microsoft Azure cloud infrastructure architecture, including Storage, Key Vault, private connectivity, RBAC, monitoring/observability, and security architecture.
Knowledge of networking and identity and access management.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2.
Experience with Azure Data Factory.
Experience with Microsoft Fabric.
Experience with Power BI architecture.
Experience with SQL.
Experience with Python/PySpark.
Experience with Delta Lake.
Experience with Lakeflow.
Experience with REST APIs.
Experience with Azure Monitor / Log Analytics.
Experience with Microsoft Entra ID.
Experience with enterprise data governance.
Experience with cloud FinOps / cost management.
Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification.
Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert certification.
HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate certification.
Databricks certifications in data engineering or platform-related areas.

Responsibilities

Design and maintain enterprise architecture for Azure and Azure Databricks environments.
Define scalable infrastructure patterns across Development, Test, QA/UAT, and Production environments.
Design Azure networking, connectivity, identity, security, storage, compute, and platform services.
Establish architecture standards for cloud infrastructure supporting data and analytics workloads.
Develop reference architectures and reusable platform patterns.
Ensure solutions align with enterprise security, networking, governance, availability, and disaster-recovery requirements.
Participate in architecture reviews and provide technical recommendations for new solutions.
Design and implement Azure and Databricks infrastructure using Terraform.
Develop reusable Terraform modules for Azure and Databricks resources.
Establish Infrastructure as Code standards, patterns, and engineering practices.
Manage configuration and deployment differences across Development, Test, QA/UAT, and Production.
Implement remote state management, module versioning, environment configuration, and controlled infrastructure promotion.
Automate provisioning of Azure and Databricks platform components.
Integrate Terraform deployments with GitHub-based CI/CD pipelines.
Implement code review, testing, approval, and controlled promotion processes for infrastructure changes.
Minimize manual infrastructure configuration and configuration drift.
Work with Data Engineering, Cloud/Infrastructure, Security, DevOps, Architecture, Analytics, and application teams to support the modern data platform and NGDS initiatives.