Director, Principal Data Architect
About The Position
The Principal Data Architect shapes enterprise data architecture and guides significant decisions across data management, analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud platforms, and operational data solutions. The role translates business priorities into target-state architectures, roadmaps, reusable patterns, standards, and practical delivery guidance. As a senior individual contributor, this architect works across organizational boundaries to align stakeholders, constructively challenge designs, and connect near-term delivery decisions to the firm’s long-term data strategy. Schwab Technology Services provides technology products and services that support how clients manage money, as part of the firm’s commitment to democratizing access to investing and financial planning. The selected candidate is expected to work on site in the specified location(s). The role is eligible for bonus or incentive opportunities in addition to the salary range.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, Data Science, or a related field, or equivalent relevant professional experience.
- 10 or more years of broad enterprise data architecture experience, including 3 or more years focused on modern data architecture.
- Demonstrated experience with data management, modeling, warehouses and BI, cloud data platforms, batch and streaming integration, analytics, data science, and AI/ML enablement.
- Experience developing domain- and ecosystem-level target states, roadmaps, blueprints, and reusable architecture patterns.
- Experience with hyperscale cloud data platforms.
- Strong written and verbal communication, sound decision quality, and demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and technical teams without direct authority.
- Experience applying established architecture practices such as TOGAF or comparable methods.
Nice To Haves
- Google Cloud experience.
Responsibilities
- Develop strategic architecture for enterprise data, analytics, AI/ML, client data, operational data, and self-service capabilities.
- Create target-state and reference architectures, architecture decision records, integration and data-flow designs, data models, standards, and roadmaps.
- Lead or materially contribute to architecture for complex, high-impact, or cross-domain initiatives.
- Evaluate alternatives across business value, risk, cost, scalability, resiliency, security, operational complexity, delivery speed, and long-term maintainability.
- Guide appropriate use of Google Cloud data services, including BigQuery, Cloud SQL, Vertex AI, BigQuery ML, and Dataplex, when aligned with approved strategy and use-case needs.
- Review designs for alignment with enterprise direction, architecture standards, governance, security, privacy, and data lifecycle requirements.
- Identify material risks, dependencies, duplication, and technical debt early, and recommend practical alternatives and escalation paths.
- Partner with business, product, engineering, platform, cybersecurity, governance, risk, and other architecture teams to drive cohesive outcomes.
- Communicate architecture vision, implications, and progress in clear business language to technical, business, and executive audiences.
- Mentor architects and engineers, facilitate design workshops and communities of practice, and publish reusable patterns and guidance.
Benefits
- Bonus or incentive opportunities in addition to the salary range.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Principal
