Lead Data Architect

Choice Bank•Golden Valley, MN

16h

About The Position

The Data Architect job family is responsible for designing, documenting, and evolving the data structures, models, standards, and architecture patterns that enable trusted, secure, and scalable use of data across the organization. Roles within this family partner closely with technology, analytics, risk, compliance, and business stakeholders to translate business needs into practical data solutions that support reporting, operations, decision-making, regulatory expectations, and long-term data strategy. As levels progress, responsibilities expand from supporting defined data architecture activities to leading complex initiatives, influencing enterprise standards, advising senior stakeholders, and advancing organizational data maturity. Lead Data Architect Own enterprise data architecture, standards, and design patterns. Lead architecture and solution design for the Azure Data Platform and Databricks ecosystem. Implement data governance, security, data quality, integration, and performance standards in alignment with enterprise governance requirements. Provide technical leadership and mentorship to Data Engineers. Serve as the backup and escalation point for the Data Engineering team. Participate in the design, development, and review of data pipelines, ETL/ELT processes, and platform enhancements. Drive platform modernization, AI readiness, scalability, resiliency, and cost optimization initiatives. Partner with business and technology stakeholders to translate business requirements into scalable, secure, and maintainable data solutions. Ensure data platform solutions adhere to regulatory, security, architecture, and governance requirements established by the appropriate oversight functions. Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend enhancements to improve data platform capabilities, engineering efficiency, and business value delivery.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field.
10+ years of experience in Data Engineering, Data Architecture, or Data Platform Engineering, including 5+ years designing and implementing enterprise-scale cloud data platforms.
Strong hands-on expertise with Azure Data Services, Databricks, Spark, Python, SQL, ETL/ELT frameworks, and modern lakehouse/data warehouse architectures.
Proven experience leading technical teams, implementing data governance and security controls, and delivering scalable data solutions in a regulated environment, preferably within banking or financial services.

Nice To Haves

Financial services or banking industry experience.
Experience with Snowflake, Power BI, Microsoft Fabric, AI/ML platforms, and real-time data streaming technologies.
Azure certifications such as Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Azure Data Engineer Associate, or Databricks certifications.
Experience leading enterprise data modernization, cloud migration, or AI enablement initiatives.

Responsibilities

Own enterprise data architecture, standards, and design patterns.
Lead architecture and solution design for the Azure Data Platform and Databricks ecosystem.
Implement data governance, security, data quality, integration, and performance standards in alignment with enterprise governance requirements.
Provide technical leadership and mentorship to Data Engineers.
Serve as the backup and escalation point for the Data Engineering team.
Participate in the design, development, and review of data pipelines, ETL/ELT processes, and platform enhancements.
Drive platform modernization, AI readiness, scalability, resiliency, and cost optimization initiatives.
Partner with business and technology stakeholders to translate business requirements into scalable, secure, and maintainable data solutions.
Ensure data platform solutions adhere to regulatory, security, architecture, and governance requirements established by the appropriate oversight functions.
Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend enhancements to improve data platform capabilities, engineering efficiency, and business value delivery.