Director - Data Platforms & Architecture

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Director - Data Platforms & Architecture based in the United States. This role provides organization-wide technical leadership across data platforms, cloud architecture, and large-scale modernization programs. You will lead multiple teams and managers while shaping architecture for complex Azure initiatives spanning applications, platforms, data, AI, and analytics. The position combines people leadership with deep technical ownership, including enterprise data platform strategy centered on Databricks and modern lakehouse architectures. You will translate business objectives into scalable cloud roadmaps, establish reusable architecture standards, and guide multi-team execution. As a senior advisor, you will engage executives and technical leaders on modernization, platform strategy, AI adoption, and investment decisions. You will also mentor senior architects, strengthen engineering practices, and help turn successful delivery patterns into reusable capabilities. The role is fully remote in the U.S. within a virtual-first environment, with opportunities to influence both client outcomes and broader organizational strategy.

Lead multiple delivery teams and managers, maintaining strong team health, performance, engagement, workload balance, and alignment with organizational priorities. Coach and develop team members through regular feedback, career planning, stretch assignments, certifications, mentorship, and opportunities for increased visibility and responsibility. Oversee staffing and resource allocation across teams while balancing client needs, utilization, professional development, and sustainable workloads. Establish interview, performance, promotion, and talent-development standards and support consistent application across the organization. Represent teams in leadership forums, communicate strategic priorities, and surface organizational risks, opportunities, and patterns that should influence practice strategy. Lead architecture and technical strategy for large Azure programs and portfolios, ensuring solutions meet business objectives for security, scalability, reliability, performance, resilience, compliance, observability, and cost. Define modernization blueprints, reference architectures, system designs, standards, and reusable patterns across applications, platforms, data, and AI. Translate business and product strategies into cloud architecture roadmaps and execution plans with measurable outcomes and clear ownership. Guide major architectural decisions, resolve high-impact technical trade-offs, and ensure cohesive end-to-end architectures across multiple teams and workstreams. Define and own enterprise data platform strategy centered on Databricks or equivalent lakehouse architectures, covering ingestion, analytics, AI/ML, governance, security, workload isolation, streaming, batch processing, and data lifecycle management. Establish standards for Databricks, Delta Lake, Unity Catalog-aligned governance, multi-workspace and multi-region deployments, and integration with Azure-native services and complementary platforms such as Snowflake, Microsoft Fabric, and Power BI. Provide architectural oversight through design reviews, governance forums, and structured decision-making processes, while monitoring technical debt, architectural drift, quality, risks, and delivery dependencies. Promote modular design, automation, CI/CD, observability, testing, and strong non-functional requirements across delivery teams. Incorporate AI-assisted tools into discovery, architecture, development, testing, documentation, and analysis, helping teams adopt successful practices responsibly and consistently. Lead executive and senior stakeholder conversations around cloud modernization, data platforms, AI adoption, architecture strategy, and program roadmaps. Build trusted relationships with business and technology leaders, influencing priorities and investment decisions through clear communication of options, trade-offs, risks, and expected business value. Define discovery, architecture, and delivery frameworks that support predictable, incremental execution across multiple teams, time zones, and workstreams. Align teams around shared outcomes, APIs, integration contracts, ownership boundaries, operating models, backlogs, and release plans. Mentor Senior Architects, Delivery Architects, and senior engineers, strengthening systems thinking, architectural judgment, executive communication, and multi-team leadership capabilities. Create reusable learning and delivery assets, including reference implementations, architecture decision records, playbooks, modernization accelerators, landing-zone templates, workshops, and starter repositories. Support strategic growth by identifying opportunities within client accounts, developing executive relationships, contributing to pursuits, and shaping technical solutions, estimates, and program architectures. Partner with sales, account, and practice leaders to develop strategic proposals and identify follow-on opportunities involving platform extensions, modernization, AI, and data estate transformation. Champion modern cloud capabilities, automation, AI-assisted practices, and reusable delivery frameworks that improve quality, scalability, and delivery efficiency. Requirements 12+ years of experience delivering enterprise-scale solutions in areas such as application development, cloud platform engineering, DevOps, data, or analytics. 7+ years of experience in solution architecture and leading development or engineering teams, including multi-team or multi-workstream programs. 10+ years of experience in data platforms, data engineering, or consulting. Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field preferred. Deep architectural expertise with Databricks, including Spark optimization, Delta Lake, workload design, lakehouse architectures, and data platform strategy. Strong understanding of Azure-native data services and broader cloud architecture, with demonstrated experience designing and implementing Microsoft-based solutions. Proven experience leading enterprise-scale Azure modernization, transformation, AI, or platform programs. Ability to connect business strategy with scalable technical architecture, strong engineering practices, and measurable business outcomes. Experience leading hybrid and remote teams across multiple time zones while maintaining alignment, quality, collaboration, and predictable delivery. Strong knowledge of architecture principles, programming languages, frameworks, design patterns, automation, testing, observability, and quality practices at system and program scale. Experience using AI-augmented development practices and integrating AI or machine learning capabilities through APIs, frameworks, cloud services, or related technologies. Significant experience with Agile or Scrum delivery at scale, including backlog structuring, dependency management, integration planning, and release management. Proven success in consulting or professional services, with strong client-facing leadership and executive engagement experience. Familiarity with Azure services across areas such as compute, messaging, data, security, networking, integration, and management. Strong analytical, problem-solving, presentation, written, and verbal communication skills for both technical and executive audiences. Demonstrated commitment to continuous learning across cloud, data, AI, and emerging technologies, with the ability to translate new knowledge into practical improvements. Ability to foster inclusion, psychological safety, collaboration, and community participation across teams and organizational functions. Relevant cloud architecture certifications, such as Azure-focused architect certifications or comparable role-based credentials, are strongly preferred. Experience with multiple cloud vendors and complementary platforms such as Snowflake, Microsoft Fabric, and Power BI is preferred. Experience creating data platform offerings is preferred. Databricks certifications or advanced credentials, such as Databricks Champion or Professional-level certifications, are preferred. Applicants must be able to work in the U.S. without requiring work visa sponsorship. Benefits Base salary range of $162,800–$244,200 USD . Eligibility for an annual discretionary and/or utilization-based bonus, depending on role. Virtual-first, flexible work environment with remote work in the United States. 401(k) plan with employer matching of up to 50% of the first 6% of eligible contributions. Minimum of 15 days of PTO, plus 9 paid company holidays and 2 floating personal days. Two medical plan options. Optional dental and vision coverage. 100% employer-paid life and disability insurance. Paid leave for birth and non-birth parents. Healthcare FSA, HSA, and Dependent Care FSA options. $67 monthly technology and home-office allowance. Employee Assistance Program. Opportunities for professional growth, mentorship, and participation in strategic technical initiatives. Compensation is determined based on factors including skills, education, experience, and geographic location.