Data Architect

Role:
Data Architect

Location: Dubai-Abu Dhabi,
Employment Type: Full-time

We are seeking a highly experienced Lead Data Lakehouse Architect to provide end-to-end architectural leadership for the implementation of an AWS
S3 Lakehouse
. This role will be pivotal in defining and enforcing data architecture standards, ensuring scalability, performance, and governance across the data ecosystem.

• Architectural Leadership
  • Design and enforce Medallion Architecture for the Lakehouse.
  • Drive architectural decision-making through SAF/ARB architecture forums
    .
  • Lead design for all Data Factory squads working on data initiatives.
• Iceberg Table Standards
  • Define standards for Apache Iceberg tables
    , including:
  • • Partitioning strategy
    • Schema evolution
    • Time travel and snapshot retention
    • Table optimization schedules
• Data Modeling & Standards
  • Establish data modeling standards (e.g.,
    dimensional modeling for Gold layer
    , SCD2
    , naming conventions, metadata management).
  • Define lineage standards leveraging Open Metadata
    .
• Collaboration & Governance
  • Coordinate with platform teams on Iceberg-related activities.
  • Collaborate with Data Quality leads to implement validation rules.
  • Proactively manage escalations and communicate progress with senior stakeholders.
• Technical Leadership
  • Provide guidance to Glue Data Engineers
    .
  • Establish code review processes and best practices.
  • Create reusable design patterns and templates for consistency.

• Technical Expertise
  • Proven experience in Lakehouse architecture (S3, Iceberg, Glue, Spark).
  • Strong understanding of Medallion architecture and data modeling principles
    .
  • Hands-on experience with schema evolution
    , partitioning strategies
    , and table optimization in Iceberg.
• Leadership & Governance
  • Ability to lead architectural forums and influence decision-making.
  • Experience in defining metadata management
    , lineage
    , and data quality frameworks
    .
• Tools & Technologies
  • AWS services (S3, Glue, Athena, EMR)
  • Apache Iceberg, Spark
  • Open Metadata or similar lineage tools
  • Able to automate their work / repetive tasks.
• Soft Skills
  • Strong communication and stakeholder management.
  • Ability to work collaboratively across multiple squads and teams.
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and deliver aggressive migration targets.
  • Strong collaboration and communication skills.
  • Work with Jira and agile way of working.

• 10+ years in data architecture roles, with at least 3 years in Lakehouse implementations
  .
• Experience in financial services or banking domain is a plus.