Principal Data Architect

Architect the Data Platform Behind a Top 5 Amazon Seller

Role: Principal Data Architect

Location: San Diego, CA 92101 (Onsite at Symphony Towers)

Compensation Range: $175,000-$220,000 DOE

At Luminize , our scale is the opportunity. As one of the top 5 Amazon sellers in the US, we generate massive, complex marketplace data across orders, fees, advertising, settlements, and inventory, and we're investing in the data foundation that turns it into a competitive advantage.

We're hiring a Principal Data Architect to own the evolution of our data ecosystem. You'll lead the architecture, modeling, and governance standards that scale with our e-commerce and logistics operations, partner closely with software engineering and product, and help build a true in-house data platform that reduces our reliance on third-party pipeline vendors. This is a senior IC role with a defined path to leading the analytics engineering team.
If you want real ownership of a warehouse environment with production stakes and the autonomy to shape it, we'd love to meet you.

What You'll Be Doing

• Define and maintain enterprise data models across operational and analytical environments, setting standards for schema design, documentation, and lifecycle management
• Architect and optimize our cloud data warehouse environments (BigQuery/Snowflake), including consolidating and rationalizing the current multi-platform setup
• Simplify the transformation layer by consolidating fragmented pipelines into centralized, reusable datasets with clear lineage and documentation
• Design scalable frameworks for normalizing complex marketplace data (orders, fees, ad metrics, settlements, inventory events) into analysis-ready schemas
• Establish data quality, governance, and reliability standards, including validation, monitoring, and structured-exchange guidelines
• Define and enforce data contracts between ingestion pipelines and downstream consumers to prevent schema drift
• Architect reconciliation frameworks that keep transaction, settlement, and fee data consistent for accurate financial and profitability analysis
• Develop a transition plan to reduce reliance on third-party pipeline vendors while keeping core data models in-house
• Design and own ELT pipelines ingesting from heterogeneous sources including Postgres, MongoDB, and Google Sheets
• Partner with engineering, analytics, and product to align on schema decisions before they ship and ensure the warehouse serves both reporting and product needs
• Support downstream consumers like Looker and internal reporting platforms with models that protect reporting fidelity

• What You Bring

• 8+ years in data engineering, data architecture, or platform engineering, with at least 3 years in a senior or lead role
• Bachelor's degree in software engineering or related field, or equivalent practical experience
• Deep expertise in BigQuery and Snowflake, including performance tuning, cost optimization, and warehouse design
• Mastery of OLTP and OLAP patterns and when to apply each
• Strong command of Kimball dimensional modeling principles applied in cloud warehouse environments
• Proficiency with dbt or similar transformation frameworks, with experience building reusable, well-documented transformation layers
• Experience designing and optimizing both relational (Postgres) and NoSQL (MongoDB) databases
• Track record building production-grade ELT/ETL pipelines and scalable data models
• Familiarity with BI tools such as Looker or equivalent
• Ability to design and enforce data contracts, governance, and quality frameworks across an organization
• Strong understanding of data security, access controls, and lifecycle management in cloud environments
• Ability to critically evaluate third-party data vendors and develop transition strategies that reduce external dependency
• Clear communicator who can document architecture decisions and translate technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders
• Collaborative by default, able to drive alignment across engineering, product, and analytics without organizational authority
• Leadership disposition with the ability to mentor junior engineers and grow into formal team management
• High-volume retail, e-commerce, or logistics data experience strongly preferred

You'll be based in Symphony Towers, one of San Diego's premier office spaces that offers:

• Stunning views of the city and coastline
• Free access to the building gym
• Discounts at restaurants and cafes in the tower
• Secure bike racks in the building and 24/7 paid parking in a nearby downtown structure
• Close walking distance to 100+ of the top bars, restaurants, and coffee shops

Our office is designed for comfort, productivity, and collaboration, featuring:

• Ergonomic standing desks and high-quality workstations
• A fully stocked snack bar, espresso machine, and cold drinks
• A welcoming team lounge area and sunny workspaces
• A clean, modern space where we can do our best work together

Benefits & Perks
Our people are our #1 priority. Our benefits include:

• Multiple medical plan options through Anthem Blue Cross
• Dental & vision insurance (including orthodontia and annual exams)
• Pet benefit program with savings on vet care, products, and services
• Paid vacation (accruing up to 120+ hours/year with rollover and cap)
• Paid holidays annually
• Coverage for spouses/domestic partners and dependents under 26
• Benefits begin on the first of the month after your hire date

Compensation Transparency
We've listed a broad salary range of $175,000-$220,000/year to account for varying levels of experience, depth in cloud warehouse architecture, and leadership scope. Where you land in the range will depend on how your background aligns with this role.
We're committed to compensating based on value and impact, not just years on paper, and we're happy to have open conversations throughout the process.

Growth & Career Opportunities at Luminize
At Luminize, growth isn't just something we drive for our clients, it's our mindset and a big priority for our people.
This role is built with a defined path to leading our analytics engineering team. You'll have the autonomy to shape architecture decisions today and the runway to grow into formal team leadership as the function scales.
We offer clear career paths and leveling guidelines so you always know where you stand, what's next, and what skills and experience you need to get there. From day one, you'll have visibility into advancement opportunities and what it takes to grow into leadership, specialization, or other cross-functional roles.
We're proud of our strong track record of promoting from within. Many of our team leads and managers started in independent contributor roles and grew by consistently showing initiative, curiosity, and impact.
You'll also benefit from:

• Mentorship and partnership with senior engineering and product leaders
• Cross-functional exposure to departments including software engineering, analytics, brand management, supply chain, operations, and catalog
• Learning resources, including Udemy course access and additional training programs
• A culture that encourages asking questions, trying new things, and leveling up together

About Luminize
Luminize is a full-service Amazon growth partner helping brands achieve next-level success in a competitive digital marketplace. From creative strategy to advertising and analytics, we combine expertise and hustle to fuel results for brands in CPG, health, wellness, beauty, and beyond.
We're not your typical agency, and we like it that way. We operate with transparency, celebrate wins often, and treat every brand like it's our own.
If you're ready to work with great people, do work that matters, and keep growing, we'd love to meet you!

Apply now and let's grow together!