Chief Architect - Data Engineering (Databricks Practice)

Unison Software, Inc.

$160K — $200K *
Enterprise Technology
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 12+ years in data engineering/architecture, with at least 3 years on Databricks at enterprise scale
  • Deep expertise in Spark architecture, performance tuning, streaming, and debugging
  • Fluency in Lakehouse concepts, including Medallion architecture and Delta Lake
  • Proven experience leading large-scale migrations and transformation programs
  • Strong presales skills with the ability to design, price, and articulate solutions effectively
  • Proficient in Python, SQL, Scala, and CI/CD for data platforms
  • Relevant Databricks certifications (Data Engineer Professional/SA) preferred

Responsibilities

  • Own the end-to-end architecture and design of Databricks solutions
  • Lead delivery of production-grade data platforms including orchestration and governance
  • Manage large-scale migrations to Databricks on cloud platforms
  • Remain hands-on with performance tuning, debugging, and setting engineering standards
  • Lead presales efforts, including discovery, solutioning, and proposal generation
  • Translate technical trade-offs into actionable decisions for executives
  • Mentor engineers and create reusable assets for the practice

Benefits

  • Opportunity to shape and influence a growing Databricks practice
  • Exposure to a diverse range of enterprise data and AI projects across APAC
  • Work in a hands-on leadership role that encourages innovation and creativity
  • Mentorship and professional development opportunities
  • Access to cutting-edge technologies and methodologies in data engineering and architecture
Full Job Description
We are building a fast-growing Databricks practice delivering enterprise data and AI solutions across APAC. As Lead Solution Architect - Data Engineering, you will be the technical anchor of the practice: leading solution design on client engagements, owning and defending enterprise architectures in presales, and driving large-scale migration and cloud transformation programs. This is a hands-on leadership role for a builder who can equally command a whiteboard in front of a CTO and a Spark UI when a pipeline misbehaves. You will also shape the practice itself - mentoring engineers, creating accelerators and reusable assets, and converting delivery success into case studies and go-to-market offerings.

Architecture & Delivery
  • Own end-to-end architecture and design decisions on Databricks engagements, ensuring solutions are secure, scalable, performant, and aligned with Lakehouse best practices.
  • Lead delivery of production-grade data platforms - ingestion, transformation, orchestration, governance through Unity Catalog, and downstream BI/ML enablement.
  • Lead large-scale migrations (legacy DW/ETL, Hadoop, on-prem estates) and cloud transformation projects to Databricks on Azure/AWS/GCP, including assessment, wave planning, and cutover.
  • Stay hands-on: performance tuning, debugging, code and design reviews, and setting engineering standards for the team.


Presales & Stakeholder Management
  • Own and defend enterprise solution designs in front of architecture boards, CIOs, and CTOs - and enjoy it.
  • Drive presales end-to-end: discovery, solutioning, estimation, PoCs, RFPs, and proposals that convert.
  • Translate hard technical trade-offs into decisions executives can act on - from engineer to boardroom without changing gears.


Who Thrives Here
  • A builder at heart - 12+ years in data engineering/architecture, 3+ on Databricks at enterprise scale, and still happiest when hands are on the keyboard.
  • Deep Spark expertise - architecture, performance tuning, streaming, debugging, the advanced stuff that separates architects from diagram-drawers.
  • Lakehouse fluency - Medallion architecture, Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, governance, orchestration (Workflows, DLT/Lakeflow, Airflow, ADF); Microsoft Fabric exposure a bonus.
  • Battle-tested in migrations - you've led large transformation programs and have the scars and success stories to show for it.
  • Presales instinct - you don't just design solutions; you sell them, price them, and defend them under fire.
  • Modern edge - strong Python/SQL/Scala, CI/CD for data platforms, and comfort integrating ML/AI (MLflow, LLM APIs like OpenAI and Anthropic) into what you build.
  • Certified credibility - Databricks Data Engineer Professional / SA accreditations strongly preferred.
  • Founder energy - curiosity, adaptability, and the drive to build offerings, not just deliver projects

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