Lead Data Architect

CACI•Arlington, VA

About The Position

CACI is seeking a Lead Data Architect to advise the Chief Data and AI Officer (BCDAO) at Diplomatic Security (DS) and own the technical vision, strategy, roadmap, and implementation of the DS data platform. The platform is built on Microsoft Azure, with future expansion to AWS planned. The role translates BCDAO and DS data and AI priorities into a secure, scalable, and cost-effective Azure data platform spanning ingestion, integration, storage, transformation, and analytics. The Lead Data Architect works with engineering, cloud, cybersecurity, and mission teams to turn requirements into supportable solutions, and leads the data engineering team from design through operations across unclassified and classified environments. The position requires an active Secret clearance, a relevant bachelor's degree, and extensive data architecture and Azure platform experience. It includes advising senior leaders, guiding technical teams, architecting data movement across security domains, modernizing legacy solutions, and establishing governance and compliance practices. The role supports CACI's customer missions and offers flexible time off, learning and development opportunities, and a broad benefits package. The proposed salary range is $120,800–$265,800.

Requirements

Active Secret clearance required to start.
Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, engineering, data management, or another technical discipline.
10+ years of experience in data architecture, data engineering, data warehousing, BI, or data platform delivery, including 3+ years in an architect or technical lead role.
Extensive hands-on experience architecting and delivering Microsoft Azure data solutions, including Azure Data Factory, ADLS Gen2, Synapse Analytics, Databricks, and Azure SQL.
Expert knowledge of data architecture, integration, ETL/ELT, data modeling, data warehousing, and data lifecycle management.
Experience with classified or restricted environments and data management across Unclassified, Secret, and Top Secret domains, including cross-domain solution concepts.
Proven experience owning a data platform roadmap, leading implementation, and driving cloud migration or modernization.
Demonstrated ability to advise senior executives and lead technical teams.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting U.S. federal, law enforcement, diplomatic, or national security missions, particularly in Azure Government or classified Azure environments.
Experience designing data platforms that support AI/ML, advanced analytics, or real-time data processing.
Experience with Microsoft Purview, Event Hubs, Cosmos DB, Power BI, Azure DevOps/CI/CD, and infrastructure as code.
Experience with data platform monitoring, performance optimization, disaster recovery, and cloud cost management.
Familiarity with AWS data services and multi-cloud architectures.
Relevant certifications such as Azure Solutions Architect Expert or DAMA CDMP.

Responsibilities

Serve as a trusted advisor to the BCDAO and DS leadership on data architecture, technical options, risks, and trade-offs.
Own the technical vision, strategy, standards, and roadmap for the DS data platform, including data warehouse, data lake, lakehouse, analytics, and AI/ML solutions.
Lead platform implementation through the data engineering team by providing direction, conducting design reviews, performing proof-of-concept work, and troubleshooting.
Architect secure data management and movement across unclassified, Secret, and Top Secret environments in coordination with cybersecurity and cross-domain teams.
Lead data integration and ETL/ELT design across diverse source systems and drive migration of legacy on-premises and IaaS solutions to Azure PaaS and SaaS services.
Establish data governance, data quality, metadata, lineage, and access control practices to standardize data and prepare it for analytics and AI/ML use.
Embed security and compliance requirements into the architecture, including identity, network isolation, encryption, auditability, and automated compliance controls.
Evaluate solutions for reliability, performance, scalability, resilience, maintainability, and cost, and document key designs and architecture decisions.