Databricks Architect

Title: Databricks Architect
Location: Princeton, NJ (Hybrid)
Job Type: Contract

Job Description:

We are seeking a highly skilled Databricks Architect to lead the design and implementation of next-generation data platforms built on the Lakehouse paradigm.

This role goes beyond pipeline development—you will own the Databricks platform architecture end-to-end, driving scalability, governance, performance, and cost optimization across enterprise data ecosystems.

 Databricks Platform Architecture:

• Architect and implement enterprise-scale Databricks environments (dev/test/prod)
• Design secure, scalable Lakehouse architecture using Delta Lake

Data Engineering & Processing:

• Build and optimize high-performance data pipelines using Apache Spark (PySpark / Scala)
• Implement Medallion Architecture (Bronze, Silver, Gold)
• Develop batch and real-time streaming pipelines using Structured Streaming

Governance, Security & Compliance:

• Implement fine-grained access control using Unity Catalog
• Define enterprise-wide data governance, lineage, and auditing

Performance & Cost Optimization:

• Optimize workloads using partitioning, caching, and Photon engine
• Design cost-efficient cluster strategies (autoscaling, spot instances, DBU optimization)
• Monitor and improve query and pipeline performance at scale

 Cloud Integration:

• Architect Databricks solutions on AWS / Azure / Google Cloud Platform
• Integrate with cloud-native services (AWS S3/Glue, Azure ADLS/ADF, etc.)

AI Skills:

1. Experience with Agentbricks and AI agents at scale to build use cases
2. Production and establish guardrails with AI use cases

Must-Have Skills:

• Advanced proficiency in SQL and Python
• Hands-on experience with Delta Lake, Medallion Architecture, and Unity Catalog
• Strong experience with at least one cloud platform (AWS / Azure / Google Cloud Platform)
• Experience with CI/CD tools (Azure DevOps, Jenkins, GitHub Actions)
• Knowledge of workflow orchestration tools (Airflow or equivalent) 

Good to Have:

• Databricks certifications (Associate / Professional)
• Experience with Databricks SQL & dashboards
• Exposure to ML pipelines (MLflow)
• Experience with Kafka or event-driven architectures
• Domain experience in Finance / Retail / Healthcare

What Makes You a Great Fit:

• Strong architectural mindset with ability to design scalable data platforms
• Deep understanding of performance tuning and cost optimization
• Ability to balance technical depth with business impact
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills