Principal Data Architect - Data & AI Platforms

Experience: 10+ Years

Location: WFH / Remote (India)

Open Positions: Multiple

Qualification: B.Tech / M.Tech / MCA or equivalent

Work Timings: 1:30 PM IST – 10:30 PM IST

Functional Area: Data Engineering

Position Summary

NextGen Invent is seeking a highly experienced Principal Data Architect to lead the design, modernization, and governance of enterprise-scale Data & AI platforms. The ideal candidate will possess deep expertise across Data Architecture, Data Engineering, Cloud Platforms, Analytics, Data Governance, AI/ML Enablement, and Enterprise Data Modernization.

This role requires a hands-on architect capable of defining enterprise data strategies while driving technical execution across modern cloud-native data ecosystems. The candidate will serve as a trusted advisor to business and technology leadership and lead large-scale transformation initiatives involving Snowflake, Databricks, AWS, and Azure.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Data Architecture

• Define enterprise data architecture strategy, standards, and best practices.
• Design scalable Data Lake, Lakehouse, Data Warehouse, and Real-Time Analytics solutions.
• Create architecture blueprints, reference architectures, and modernization roadmaps.
• Lead migration from legacy Hadoop/Data Warehouse platforms to modern cloud-based architectures.

Data Platform Leadership

• Architect enterprise data platforms leveraging Snowflake, Databricks, AWS, and Azure.
• Design Medallion Architecture (Bronze/Silver/Gold) and Lakehouse solutions.
• Build frameworks for ingestion, transformation, governance, and analytics.
• Establish platform scalability, reliability, observability, and cost optimization strategies.

Modern Data Engineering

• Design large-scale batch and streaming data platforms.
• Architect solutions utilizing Spark, Kafka, Delta Lake, Delta Live Tables, Snowpipe, Streams & Tasks.
• Guide implementation of real-time and event-driven data pipelines.
• Drive performance optimization and operational excellence.

Cloud Architecture

• Architect multi-cloud solutions using AWS and Azure.
• Define cloud-native data integration patterns.
• Drive cloud cost governance and infrastructure optimization.
• Establish secure, scalable, and highly available platform architectures.

AI & Advanced Analytics Enablement

• Design AI-ready data architectures supporting ML, GenAI, and advanced analytics.
• Build foundations for RAG, Vector Search, Feature Stores, and MLOps.
• Collaborate with data science and AI teams to operationalize ML solutions.
• Enable enterprise self-service analytics and reporting.

Governance, Security & Compliance

• Define governance frameworks covering Data Quality, Lineage, Security, and Metadata Management.
• Implement RBAC, Data Masking, Column-Level Security, and Privacy Controls.
• Ensure compliance with HIPAA, GDPR, SOX, and enterprise security standards.

Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Lead architecture governance across multiple delivery programs.
• Mentor architects, engineering leads, and data engineers.
• Partner with executive stakeholders to define strategic roadmaps.
• Drive large-scale transformation initiatives and platform adoption.

Required Experience

• 10+ years in Data Architecture and Data Platform Engineering.
• Proven experience designing enterprise-scale cloud data platforms.
• Strong background in Data Engineering, Big Data, Cloud Architecture, and Analytics.
• Experience leading enterprise data modernization and migration programs.
• Experience managing globally distributed teams and stakeholder engagement.
• Strong understanding of Agile, SAFe, and Product Ownership practices.