Data & AI Solutions Architect

We are seeking a highly experienced Data & AI Solutions Architect to support a strategic enterprise initiative focused on identifying, evaluating, and enabling data- and AI-driven solutions within a manufacturing environment. This role is not a traditional delivery-focused data engineering position. The successful candidate must be comfortable operating in an evolving and ambiguous environment where business requirements, use cases, and platform capabilities are still being defined.

The ideal candidate will bring a blend of technical expertise, architectural thinking, business acumen, and strong stakeholder engagement skills. They will work closely with business leaders, architects, engineers, and manufacturing stakeholders to identify high-value opportunities, define solution approaches, create conceptual architectures, and guide future implementation efforts.

Key Responsibilities:

• Discovery & Strategy
  • Lead data discovery activities across manufacturing and enterprise business domains.
  • Collaborate with business stakeholders to understand operational challenges, opportunities, and objectives.
  • Identify, evaluate, and prioritize AI, analytics, and digital transformation use cases.
  • Translate business needs into technical solution concepts and implementation roadmaps.
  • Drive requirements gathering, stakeholder interviews, and workshop sessions.
• Architecture & Solution Design
  • Design conceptual and logical data architectures supporting AI and analytics initiatives.
  • Assess existing enterprise data ecosystems and identify integration opportunities.
  • Define data requirements, source system dependencies, and solution approaches.
  • Create architecture recommendations, proof-of-concept strategies, and technical roadmaps.
  • Collaborate with enterprise architecture, application, and platform teams.
• Data Engineering Leadership
  • Design and support scalable data ingestion, transformation, and processing frameworks.
  • Define data modeling strategies for operational, analytical, and AI consumption.
  • Support architecture decisions involving cloud platforms, data lakes, and enterprise data hubs.
  • Provide technical guidance for future implementation and production deployment activities.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Act as a trusted advisor across business and technical teams.
  • Facilitate discussions between manufacturing, operations, engineering, and IT stakeholders.
  • Present findings, recommendations, and progress updates to leadership and steering committees.
  • Guide teams through ambiguity and help establish strategic direction.

Required Qualifications:

• 8+ years of experience in Data Engineering, Data Architecture, Analytics Architecture, or related roles.
• Strong experience with SQL and Python.
• Experience designing enterprise-scale data platforms and data architectures.
• Proven ability to operate successfully in ambiguous, early-stage programs.
• Experience leading discovery and requirements gathering efforts.
• Demonstrated ability to translate business challenges into technical solutions.
• Experience creating solution architectures, technical roadmaps, and implementation strategies.
• Strong understanding of data modeling, data governance, and enterprise integration patterns.
• Experience supporting cloud-based data ecosystems (AWS preferred).
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting AI, Advanced Analytics, or Digital Transformation programs.
• Experience developing AI and Generative AI use cases.
• Experience with Databricks, Snowflake, Redshift, or similar modern data platforms.
• Experience with Industrial IoT, manufacturing systems, MES, ERP, SCADA, or telemetry platforms.
• Experience with proof-of-concept planning and execution.
• Experience presenting to executive leadership and steering committees.
• Background in automotive, battery manufacturing, or industrial environments.

Critical Success Factors:

• The ideal candidate will demonstrate:
  • Strong strategic thinking and business curiosity.
  • Ability to thrive in highly ambiguous environments.
  • Self-directed and proactive work style.
  • Comfort defining solutions before requirements are fully known.
  • Ability to independently research business processes and identify opportunities.
  • Confidence challenging assumptions and proposing new approaches.
  • Strong facilitation and stakeholder engagement capabilities.
  • Balance between architecture, strategy, and hands-on technical execution.

Benefits:

• 401(k).
• Dental Insurance.
• Health insurance.
• Vision insurance.
• We are an equal-opportunity employer and value diversity, equality, inclusion, and respect for people.
• The salary will be determined based on several factors, including, but not limited to, location, relevant education, qualifications, experience, technical skills, and business needs.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Participate in OP monthly team meetings and participate in team-building efforts.
• Contribute to OP technical discussions, peer reviews, etc.
• Contribute content and collaborate via the OP-Wiki/Knowledge Base.
• Provide status reports to OP Account Management as requested.

About us:
At OP, we help you harness the power of technology for maximum impact. A technology consulting and solutions company, we offer advisory and managed services, innovative platforms, and staffing solutions across a wide range of fields including AI, cyber security, enterprise architecture, and beyond. For nearly two decades, we ve been challenging the status quo of the consulting industry, serving up fresh, ingenious thinking through a radically lean structure. Together, this strategy delivers unprecedented performance at an unparalleled pace for faster results that propel your business forward.