Solution Architect Data Platforms

RSM • Chicago, IL

1d

About The Position

We are the leading provider of professional services to the middle market globally, our purpose is to instill confidence in a world of change, empowering our clients and people to realize their full potential. Our exceptional people are the key to our unrivaled, culture and talent experience and our ability to be compelling to our clients. You’ll find an environment that inspires and empowers you to thrive both personally and professionally. There’s no one like you and that’s why there’s nowhere like RSM. Solution Architect – Data Platforms The Solution Architect - Data Platforms owns the current and target-state architecture for RSM's analytical and data platform ecosystem, servicing both our internal and client-facing business units. This role evolves the core data platform stack, partners with the Solution Architect - Data Solutions Architect on canonical models and inbound contracts and represents platform architecture in ARB and steering committee reviews.

Requirements

• 8+ years of data/platform architecture experience, including at least 4 years designing enterprise-scale lakehouse or modern data warehouse platforms.
• Deep hands-on expertise with one or more modern platform stacks (e.g., Microsoft Fabric, Databricks).
• Strong understanding of medallion architecture, Data Mesh, and Data Vault 2.0 concepts and when each pattern applies.
• Experience with data governance tooling (Microsoft Purview or comparable) for cataloging, lineage, and classification.
• Familiarity with orchestration engines (e.g., ADF, Airflow) and streaming/change-data-capture approaches.
• Knowledge of data platform security architecture (RBAC, row/column-level security, data residency).
• Experience operating in regulated environments and adhering to SOC 2 / SOX control requirements.
• Strong communication skills; ability to present architecture options and trade-offs to steering committees and leadership.
• Prior experience partnering with integration and data modeling architects on canonical models and contracts.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field, or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Own the enterprise data platform architecture, including lakehouse/medallion (bronze/silver/gold) layering for the analytical platform serving Assurance, Consulting, Tax, and cross-LOB portfolios.
• Evaluate and recommend platform technologies for storage, compute, and orchestration (e.g., Databricks, Snowflake, Azure Synapse/Fabric, ADLS), producing architecture decision records for steering committee review.
• Design ingestion, ELT/ETL, and orchestration patterns spanning batch, micro-batch, and workloads.
• Adhere to data governance and catalog architecture, partnering with data stewardship on lineage, classification, and data quality using Microsoft Purview.
• Establish reference architecture and platform standards, including access controls, data residency, SOC 2 / SOX compliance, and IRS 7216 requirements.
• Partner with the Solution Architect - Data Solutions Architect to align canonical data models, conformed dimensions, and integration contracts feeding the platform.
• Guide build-vs-buy decisions and platform proof-of-concepts, comparing target architecture options (e.g., Medallion vs. Kimball, Inmon, Data Vault 2.0, Data Mesh) and documenting trade-offs.
• Lead capacity and cost architecture for compute and storage, including FinOps considerations across cloud consumption.
• Maintain platform documentation: reference architecture, data flow diagrams, architecture decision records.
• Sponsor ARB submissions for platform-related initiatives and ensure adherence to enterprise architecture governance.

Benefits

• Competitive benefits and compensation package
• Flexibility in schedule
• Discretionary bonus based on firm and individual performance

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior