Lead Data Architect – Enterprise (Contract, Remote)

This is a remote position. Lead Data Architect (Enterprise) About the Role We are seeking an experienced Lead Data Architect to define, own, and evolve our enterprise data architecture. This role is responsible for designing scalable, secure, and governed data platforms that support analytics, reporting, and operational use cases across the organization. You will work closely with engineering, analytics, security, and business stakeholders to translate strategy into robust data solutions. This is a senior, hands-on leadership role requiring deep technical expertise and strong stakeholder influence. Requirements Key Responsibilities Architecture & Strategy • Define and maintain enterprise-wide data architecture standards, principles, and roadmaps • Design scalable data platforms including data lakes, data warehouses, and lake-house architectures • Lead architecture decisions for batch and real-time data processing • Ensure alignment between business strategy and data architecture Data Platforms & Engineering • Architect and oversee ETL/ELT pipelines and data integration solutions • Guide design and implementation of streaming and event-driven architectures • Select and govern enterprise data technologies, tools, and platforms • Review and approve data designs, models, and solutions Governance, Security & Quality • Establish and enforce data governance, data quality, and metadata management practices • Ensure compliance with data security, privacy, and regulatory requirements • Define data lineage, access control, and audit-ability standards • Partner with security and risk teams on enterprise data controls Cloud & Modern Architecture • Lead cloud and hybrid data architecture across AWS, Azure, and/or GCP • Drive cloud-native, scalable, and cost-optimized data solutions • Support infrastructure-as-code and automation practices Leadership & Collaboration • Act as the senior data architecture authority across programs and initiatives • Mentor and guide data architects, engineers, and analytics teams • Collaborate with product, engineering, BI, and business leaders • Communicate architectural decisions to technical and executive audiences Required Qualifications • 10+ years of experience in data architecture, data engineering, or enterprise systems • 5+ years in a senior or lead architecture role • Strong experience designing enterprise-scale data platforms • Deep knowledge of data modeling, integration, and processing patterns • Hands-on experience with modern cloud data platforms • Strong understanding of data governance, security, and compliance • Proven ability to influence architecture across large, complex organizations • Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills Technical Skills • Data Warehousing, Data Lakes, Lakehouse Architecture • ETL / ELT, Batch and Streaming Data Processing • SQL and data modeling methodologies • Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) • Technologies such as Snowflake, Databricks, Redshift, BigQuery, Synapse • Kafka, Spark, Airflow or similar tools • CI/CD, DataOps, and architecture governance practices Nice to Have • Experience in regulated industries (finance, healthcare, government) • MDM, metadata management, or data catalog tools • BI and analytics platform architecture • Cost optimization and performance tuning experience • Experience supporting AI/ML or advanced analytics platforms