Data Architect

Overview

We are seeking a seasoned Data Architect to lead the design, governance, and optimization of CADY’s enterprise data platform. This role is pivotal in consolidating legacy systems, integrating data from acquisitions, and establishing a single source of truth across operational and analytical environments. The ideal candidate will define data schemas, oversee migrations, and implement governance standards to ensure data quality, compliance, and scalability within a service-oriented architecture (SOA).

• Design and maintain enterprise data architecture, including Postgre
  
  SQL for operational systems and AWS-based analytics pipelines (S3/Parquet, Glue, Athena, Redshift).
• Define canonical data models, schemas, indexes, and partitioning strategies to support SOA microservices.
• Lead ETL/migration efforts for legacy and acquired systems, ensuring data reconciliation, mapping, and quality.
• Establish and enforce data governance frameworks, including metadata management, data lineage, access control, and auditability (FERPA, COPPA, SOX).
• Collaborate with Dev Ops and engineering teams to design event-driven data flows using patterns such as outbox, SQS, SNS, and Event Bridge.
• Partner with business stakeholders to translate reporting requirements into efficient data structures and pipelines.
• Implement performance tuning and query optimization across databases and analytics tools.
• Document data architecture, definitions, and policies to ensure long-term clarity and compliance.
• Mentor engineers and analysts on data modeling, SQL best practices, and governance principles.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• 7+ years of experience in data architecture, data engineering, or enterprise data management.
• Proven experience in leading system consolidations and large-scale data migrations.
• Deep expertise in relational databases, particularly Postgre
  
  SQL, including schema design, indexing, and performance tuning.
• Strong knowledge of cloud-native data platforms such as AWS S3/Parquet, Glue, Athena, Redshift; familiarity with Snowflake or Databricks is a plus.
• Proficiency with ETL/ELT tools and pipelines, including AWS Step Functions, Lambda, or ECS workers.
• Familiarity with data governance and compliance frameworks (FERPA, COPPA, SOX).
• Solid understanding of event-driven architectures and streaming patterns.
• Strong SQL skills; experience with Python or Scala for data processing is a plus.
• Excellent communication and documentation skills to effectively collaborate with both technical and business teams.

• Hands-on experience with AWS data services.
• Experience implementing data governance programs in regulated industries.
• Background in mentoring technical teams on data best practices.