Principal Data Architect_ Denver, CO_(Onsite_Need Local_No Relcoation_F2F Interview)

We are seeking a highly experienced Migration Architect   Lakehouse & Data Migration to lead the architecture, design, and execution of a large-scale enterprise data modernization initiative. This role will own the target-state Lakehouse architecture built on Databricks, Snowflake, and AWS, driving the migration of legacy Redshift-based workloads to a modern, scalable, AI-ready data platform.

The ideal candidate will serve as the technical authority for architecture decisions, migration strategies, governance frameworks, and data platform standards, ensuring the solution is secure, resilient, cost-effective, and production-ready.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and maintain the target-state Lakehouse architecture, including security zones, data classifications, governance models, HA/DR strategies, observability, and CI/CD integration.

• Define and enforce migration blueprints and architecture patterns for Redshift-to-Databricks and Redshift-to-Snowflake migrations.

• Establish technical standards, design patterns, naming conventions, schema governance, and performance optimization frameworks.

• Architect AI-ready data platforms leveraging Unity Catalog, metadata governance, lineage, and open table formats such as Iceberg and Delta.

• Design and implement Medallion Architecture (Bronze, Silver, Gold) for enterprise-scale data processing and analytics.

• Author and maintain Architectural Decision Records (ADRs) for key design and technology decisions.

• Review and approve production deployments to ensure architectural integrity, compliance, and operational readiness.

• Participate in Change Advisory Board (CAB) reviews for high-risk deployments and platform changes.

• Lead architecture workshops, technical design reviews, and knowledge transfer sessions with architects, engineers, and business stakeholders.

• Collaborate with engineering, governance, security, and operations teams to ensure successful delivery of migration programs.

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and ensure no new technical debt is introduced into the platform.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• 15+ years of overall IT experience with strong expertise in Data Architecture and Cloud Data Platforms.

• 7+ years of experience leading large-scale Data Migration and Modernization programs.

• Deep expertise with AWS services including:

  • Amazon S3

  • Amazon Redshift

  • AWS Athena

  • AWS Glue

  • Amazon EMR

  • AWS Lambda

  • Amazon CloudWatch

  • Amazon DynamoDB

• Expert-level experience with Databricks:

  • Lakehouse Architecture

  • Delta Lake

  • Apache Iceberg

  • Unity Catalog

  • Delta Live Tables (DLT)

  • Auto Loader

• Strong Snowflake expertise:

  • Snowpipe

  • Snowpark

  • Streams & Tasks

  • Cortex AI

  • Horizon Catalog

• Hands-on experience designing and implementing Redshift-to-Lakehouse migration architectures.

• Strong understanding of:

  • Open Table Formats (Apache Iceberg, Delta Uniform)

  • Medallion Architecture (Bronze, Silver, Gold)

  • Data Governance and Metadata Management

• Experience with Apache Airflow for workflow orchestration.

• Experience building and managing GitLab CI/CD pipelines.

• Hands-on Infrastructure as Code (IaC) experience using Terraform and/or CloudFormation.

• Strong communication, stakeholder management, and technical leadership skills.