Data Architect

Title: Data ArchitectLocation: Berkeley Heights, NJ (5days onsite)We are seeking a visionary Senior Data Architect to lead our enterprise-wide data transformation. You will be the primary architect responsible for the strategic migration of legacy data infrastructures into a modern, cloud-native data plane. This role requires a rare blend of deep engineering roots, enterprise architectural foresight, and innovation leadership to build data systems that are not just scalable, but "future-proof."Key Responsibilities1. Strategic Architecture & Migration•Legacy-to-Modern Roadmap: Design and execute the multi-year strategy to migrate from legacy RDBMS and mainframes to modern Data Lakehouses and Data Meshes.•Data Plane Evolution: Define the "Modern Data Plane" architecture, ensuring seamless integration between storage (S3/ADLS/GCS), compute (Spark/Snowflake/Databricks), and consumption layers.•Hybrid Cloud Strategy: Architect robust patterns for data movement across hybrid and multi-cloud environments, ensuring minimal downtime and zero data loss.2. Engineering Excellence & Implementation•Pattern Development: Create reusable "Blueprints" for ELT/ETL pipelines, Change Data Capture (CDC), and real-time streaming architectures using Kafka or Redpanda.•Performance Engineering: Optimize cloud spend and query performance by implementing advanced indexing, partitioning, and caching strategies.•Automated Governance: Architect "Security-as-Code" within the data plane, integrating PII redaction, data masking, and RBAC directly into the automated deployment pipelines.3. Innovation & Emerging Tech•AI/ML Readiness: Architect data planes specifically optimized for Generative AI and LLM workloads (e.g., Vector Databases, Feature Stores).•Self-Service Innovation: Design and lead the implementation of a Data Catalog and self-service portal to empower data scientists and analysts.•Innovation Lab: Lead Proof-of-Concepts (POCs) for emerging technologies (e.g., Iceberg/Hudi formats, serverless data processing).