Azure Data Architect

Role Summary
We are looking for an experienced Azure Data Architect to design, build, and govern scalable cloud data solutions on Microsoft Azure. You will define the data architecture strategy, lead technical design, and work with engineering, analytics, and business teams to deliver secure, high-performing data platforms.

Key Responsibilities

• Design end-to-end data architecture on Azure, covering ingestion, storage, processing, and consumption
• Architect data lake, data warehouse, and lakehouse solutions using Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2, Databricks, and Microsoft Fabric
• Build and oversee ETL/ELT pipelines using Azure Data Factory, Synapse Pipelines, or Databricks
• Define data models (conceptual, logical, physical), including dimensional and data vault modeling
• Establish data governance, security, and compliance standards (RBAC, encryption, data masking, Microsoft Purview)
• Optimize performance, scalability, and cost of Azure data workloads
• Lead migration of on-premises data platforms to Azure
• Set architecture standards, best practices, and documentation
• Mentor data engineers and review technical designs
• Collaborate with stakeholders to translate business requirements into technical solutions

Required Skills and Qualifications

• 10+ years in data engineering or architecture, with 4+ years on Azure
• Strong hands-on experience with Azure Data Factory, Synapse Analytics, Databricks, ADLS Gen2, Azure SQL, and Cosmos DB
• Proficiency in SQL, Python, and/or PySpark
• Experience with data modeling, data warehousing, and big data frameworks (Spark, Delta Lake)
• Knowledge of streaming technologies (Event Hubs, Kafka, Stream Analytics)
• Understanding of CI/CD and DevOps for data (Azure DevOps, Git, Terraform/ARM/Bicep)
• Strong knowledge of data security, governance, and regulatory requirements
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Microsoft certifications: Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305), Azure Data Engineer Associate (DP-203), or Fabric Analytics Engineer (DP-600)
• Experience with Power BI and enterprise reporting
• Exposure to MLOps or AI/ML data pipelines
• Experience in regulated industries (e.g., pharma/life sciences with GxP, healthcare, finance)