Databricks Architect (Lead Data Platform Architect)

iLink Digital

$150K — $180K *
Enterprise Technology
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 12+ years of experience in data engineering, architecture, or platform design.
  • 5+ years of hands-on experience with Databricks, Apache Spark, PySpark, and SQL.
  • Strong expertise in Delta Lake and distributed data processing.
  • Experience with at least one cloud provider: Azure (preferred), AWS, or GCP.
  • Proven leadership in large-scale data transformation initiatives.

Responsibilities

  • Define and implement end-to-end Databricks Lakehouse architecture.
  • Design scalable systems for batch and real-time data processing across structured and unstructured workloads.
  • Establish medallion architecture as a standard.
  • Lead deployment and optimization of Databricks across multiple cloud platforms.
  • Define standards for workspace design, cluster strategy, and job orchestration.
  • Architect robust data ingestion frameworks for both batch and streaming data.
  • Optimize workloads for performance, utilization, and storage efficiency.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies in data architecture.
  • Leadership role with significant influence over data strategy.
  • Access to professional development and mentorship opportunities.
  • Collaboration with cross-functional teams including data scientists and cloud architects.
  • Engagement in innovative projects involving data governance and security.
Full Job Description
Job Description
Role Overview

We are looking for a highly skilled Databricks Architect to design, build, and scale enterprise-grade Lakehouse data platforms. This role will drive architecture strategy, platform standardization, and enterprise data modernization initiatives, leveraging Databricks and cloud ecosystems.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in Spark, Delta Lake, and cloud-native architecture, along with strong leadership in driving large-scale data transformations.

Key Responsibilities
Data Platform Architecture
  • Define and implement end-to-end Databricks Lakehouse architecture.
  • Design scalable systems for:
    • Batch & real-time data processing
    • Structured & unstructured workloads
  • Establish medallion architecture (Bronze, Silver, Gold layers) as a standard.
Databricks Platform Leadership
  • Lead deployment and optimization of:
    • Azure Databricks / AWS Databricks / GCP Databricks
  • Define standards for:
    • Workspace design & cluster strategy
    • Job orchestration
    • Data storage (Delta Lake)
  • Drive adoption of:
    • Unity Catalog
    • MLflow
    • Databricks SQL & Photon
Solution Design & Engineering
  • Architect robust data ingestion frameworks:
    • Batch (ADF, Airflow)
    • Streaming (Kafka, Event Hub)
  • Define reusable patterns for:
    • ETL/ELT pipelines
    • Data modeling (star schema, data vault, dimensional models)
  • Guide engineering teams on best practices in Spark/PySpark optimization.
Performance & Cost Optimization
  • Optimize workloads for:
    • Query performance
    • Cluster utilization
    • Storage efficiency
  • Implement cost governance strategies (auto-scaling, job clusters, spot instances).
Data Governance & Security
  • Architect enterprise-grade governance frameworks:
    • Data lineage, cataloging, metadata management
    • Fine-grained access control (RBAC/ABAC)
  • Ensure compliance with data privacy and regulatory standards.
Cloud & Ecosystem Integration
  • Integrate Databricks with:
    • Data sources (ERP, CRM, APIs, IoT)
    • BI tools (Power BI, Tableau)
    • ML pipelines and AI platforms
  • Collaborate with cloud architects for:
    • Networking, security, and storage strategies.
Leadership & Mentorship
  • Provide architectural guidance to data engineers, scientists, and TPMs.
  • Conduct design reviews and enforce architecture governance.
  • Mentor teams on emerging patterns:
    • Data Mesh
    • DataOps / MLOps
    • GenAI workloads on Databricks
Skills & Qualifications
Mandatory Skills
  • 12+ years of experience in data engineering, architecture, or platform design.
  • 5+ years of hands-on experience with:
    • Databricks (must-have)
    • Apache Spark / PySpark / SQL
  • Strong expertise in:
    • Delta Lake
    • Distributed data processing
  • Experience with at least one cloud:
    • Azure (preferred), AWS, or GCP

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