Senior Architect – Data Engineering

Job Title: Senior Architect – Data EngineeringLocation: Ideally Irvine, CA (But if you are away from this location and you are open to travel upto 70-80% then that will work as well)Compensation: Base + Bonus + BenefitsWork Authorization: US Citizens/Green Card Holders/Green Card EADsRole type: Full-Time.Job DescriptionSenior Architect – Data EngineeringRole OverviewWe are seeking a visionary and hands-on Senior Data Engineering Architect to design, scale, and optimize our enterprise data platform. In this role, you will define the blueprints for our data estate, leveraging a modern stack centered on Databricks, dbt, and Apache Airflow. You will bridge the gap between complex business strategy and technical implementation, ensuring our data pipelines are scalable, resilient, and cost-effective.Key ResponsibilitiesArchitecture & Platform Design• Design end-to-end lakehouse architectures on Databricks utilizing Delta Lake and Unity Catalog.• Establish robust governance, schema evolution, and fine-grained data security patterns.• Formulate standard frameworks for data modeling (e.g., Kimball dimensional modeling, Data Vault 2.0).• Optimize infrastructure for optimal price-to-performance across batch and streaming workloads.Data Pipeline & Orchestration Engineering• Architect modular, reusable transformation frameworks using dbt Core/Cloud integrated with Databricks.• Standardize data processing patterns using PySpark, Delta Live Tables (DLT), and Spark SQL.• Build highly observable, dynamic orchestration workflows using Apache Airflow.• Design cross-DAG dependency models, custom providers, and robust error-handling mechanisms.DataOps & Engineering Excellence• Drive DataOps maturity by implementing CI/CD pipelines via GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or Azure DevOps.• Deploy infrastructure-as-code patterns using Terraform and Databricks Asset Bundles (DABs).• Embed automated data quality testing directly into the dbt and Airflow lifecycle.• Define service-level indicators (SLIs) and objectives (SLOs) for pipeline uptime and data freshness.Leadership & Stakeholder Management• Serve as the principal technical authority and escalation point for data engineering teams.• Mentor senior and mid-level data engineers through code reviews and architectural workshops.• Collaborate with product managers, data scientists, and business leaders to solve data gaps.Required Qualifications• Overall 15+ Years of experience• 10+ years of total experience in data engineering, data warehousing, and distributed systems.• 4+ years of dedicated experience architecting production environments within the modern data stack.Technical Proficiencies• Databricks: Advanced mastery of Photon engine, Unity Catalog, Delta Lake optimization (Z-order, Liquid Clustering), and DLT.• dbt: Expert-level proficiency with compl ex macro development, custom materializations, and multi-project dbt mesh architectures.• Airflow: Deep understanding of Airflow scheduling, custom operators, dynamic task mapping, and infrastructure scaling.• Languages: Elite proficiency in Python (PySpark) and advanced SQL.• Cloud Infrastructure: Strong experience with at least one major cloud ecosystem provider: AWS, Azure, or GCP.Soft Skills• Strong technical communication skills to distill complex infrastructure designs for non-technical stakeholders.• Natural ability to lead by influence and drive cross-functional engineering initiatives.Preferred Qualifications• Official Databricks certifications (e.g., Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional or Solutions Architect).• Active contributor to open-source data communities (dbt, Airflow, or Apache Spark).• Solid foundation in streaming data technologies like Apache Kafka or AWSApply directly or send you resume to sohrab.ali@techaxisinc.com