Databricks Lead/Solution Architect

Job: Databricks Lead/Solution Architect

Location: Minneapolis, MN Hybrid

Employment: Full-Time

We are looking for an experienced Databricks Lead / Solution Architect to design and lead enterprise-scale cloud and modern data platform solutions. This is a senior, hands-on architecture role requiring strong expertise across Microsoft Azure, Databricks Lakehouse, data engineering, governance, security, and cloud architecture .

The ideal candidate will bring 12 15 years of overall IT experience , strong architectural leadership, and the ability to translate business requirements into scalable, secure, and cost-efficient technical solutions.

• Architect enterprise-scale cloud and data solutions using Microsoft Azure and Databricks .
• Design Databricks Lakehouse architectures leveraging Spark, Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, MLflow, governance, and MLOps patterns.
• Architect scalable ETL/ELT pipelines, batch processing, and real-time streaming solutions .
• Design hybrid cloud/on-premise data platforms using Azure Data Lake Storage, Azure Data Factory, Azure Databricks, Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Event Hubs, Azure Functions, Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD), and Microsoft Purview .
• Create HLDs, LLDs, data-flow diagrams, integration patterns, deployment models, and security reference architectures .
• Lead requirements discovery and translate business needs into solution architectures and technical roadmaps.
• Guide Data Engineering, Analytics, DevOps, and Platform teams through implementation and optimization.
• Conduct architecture assessments and identify opportunities to improve scalability, reliability, performance, security, and cloud cost efficiency .
• Establish engineering standards around CI/CD, infrastructure automation, data governance, security, coding practices, and environment management .
• Serve as a technical SME during client workshops, architecture discussions, and executive presentations.

• 12 15 years of experience across data engineering, cloud platforms, and enterprise architecture.
• 5+ years of hands-on Azure architecture experience delivering production-grade solutions.
• 5+ years of strong Databricks experience , including Spark, Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, and MLflow.
• Strong hands-on expertise in Python, SQL, PySpark, and distributed data processing .
• Deep understanding of data modeling, data governance, metadata management, lineage, and modern data architecture .
• Experience with Terraform, Azure Bicep/ARM Templates, CI/CD, GitOps, and infrastructure automation .
• Strong understanding of Azure security and networking, including VNets, NSGs, Private Endpoints, RBAC, encryption, identity governance, and Microsoft Entra ID .
• Knowledge of enterprise security frameworks such as NIST and CIS benchmarks .
• Strong client-facing communication and the ability to influence both technical and business stakeholders.