Lead Data Architect (P4)

Lead Data Architect

Kestra Holdings offers industry-leading wealth management platforms for independent wealth management professionals nationwide. Kestra is dedicated to empowering independent financial professionals—including traditional and hybrid RIAs—to grow their businesses and deliver exceptional client service. We combine advanced business management technology with personalized consulting to provide unmatched scale, efficiency, and support. Our advisor-focused culture is built on innovation and advocacy, enabling advisors to offer comprehensive securities and investment advisory solutions to their clients.

We are seeking a Lead Data Architect to drive the design and implementation of our enterprise data architecture with a focus on Azure Data Lake, Databricks, and Lakehouse architecture. This role will serve as the data design authority, ensuring alignment with enterprise standards while enabling business value through scalable, high-quality data solutions.

The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in wealth management or financial services, deep expertise in data modeling, MDM (e.g., Profisee), and experience architecting cloud-native data platforms that support analytics, AI/ML, and regulatory and compliance requirements.

What you'll do:

• Define and own the enterprise data architecture strategy, standards, and patterns across Wealth Management initiatives.
• Lead the design and implementation of Azure-based Lakehouse architecture leveraging Azure Data Lake, Databricks, Delta Lake, and related services.
• Serve as the data design authority, governing data models, integration patterns, metadata management, and data quality standards.
• Architect and implement Master Data Management (MDM) solutions, preferably with Profisee, to ensure golden records, hierarchies, and reference data integrity.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders, data engineers, and analysts to translate business requirements into scalable data architecture and data models.
• Ensure alignment with data governance, security, and compliance frameworks (e.g., FINRA, SEC).
• Provide technical leadership in data design, ETL/ELT best practices, and performance optimization.
• Partner with enterprise architects, solution architects, and technology leaders to integrate data architecture with application and cloud strategies.
• Mentor and guide data engineers and modelers, building a culture of engineering and architecture excellence.

What you bring:

• 10+ years of experience in data architecture, data engineering, or related fields, with at least 5 years in a lead/architect capacity.
• Strong expertise in Azure Data Lake, Databricks, Delta Lake, and Lakehouse architecture.
• Hands-on experience architecting and implementing MDM solutions (Profisee strongly preferred).
• Deep knowledge of data modeling (conceptual, logical, physical) and metadata management.
• Experience as a data design authority, setting standards and ensuring architectural alignment across programs.
• Strong understanding of Wealth Management / Financial Services business processes, data domains (clients, accounts, portfolios, products, transactions), and regulatory data needs.
• Proficiency in SQL, Python, Spark, and modern ELT/ETL tools.
• Familiarity with data governance, lineage, cataloging, and data quality tools.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills to engage with senior business and technology stakeholders.

Benefits to support you:

• Competitive pay and benefits with a large employer (over 1600 employees nationwide)
• 401(k), health insurance, and a competitive benefits package
• Work in a supportive, collaborative environment committed to professional excellence
• Help clients navigate meaningful financial decisions with confidence
• Opportunities for training, development, and long-term growth within the firm
• Tuition reimbursement for qualified expenses

Kestra Values: Our Mission is Powering Financial Independence, enabling the growth and success of investing clients and the advisors who serve them. We do that by living our values: Serve, Make it Happen, and One team.

Disclosure By applying to a job at Kestra Financial, Inc., you are agreeing to the following statements:

• You acknowledge that if hired, Kestra Financial, Inc. may, obtain and use background information concerning your credit, character, general reputation, personal characteristics, work habits, performance and experience for evaluation for your potential employment.
• It is the policy of Kestra Financial to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, national origin, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. Kestra Financial prohibits any such discrimination or harassment.