Senior Solutions Architect (Databricks Specialist

Position: Senior Solutions Architect (Databricks Specialist)
This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Senior Solutions Architect (Databricks Specialist) based in Canada.

This is a senior architecture role supporting a major data modernization program within a highly regulated financial services environment. You’ll provide strategic direction for the transition from traditional Microsoft and SQL Server ecosystems to a modern Databricks-based data platform. Your focus will be on defining target-state architecture, establishing governance, and creating scalable standards and implementation frameworks. You’ll work closely with experienced Data Engineering teams, providing guidance on architecture, performance, security, scalability, and cost optimization.

The role also offers significant influence over the organization’s future AI, machine learning, analytics, and reporting capabilities. You’ll engage with senior technology and business stakeholders, translating complex architecture decisions into clear strategic recommendations. This is an opportunity to shape an enterprise-scale transformation while driving measurable business value from modern cloud data technologies.

Accountabilities

Provide strategic architectural leadership for Databricks adoption and enterprise-wide data modernization initiatives.

Define scalable, secure, and future-ready data and analytics architectures aligned with business, AI, and technology objectives.

Establish architectural frameworks, standards, design patterns, governance models, and best practices for Databricks implementation.

Guide Data Engineering teams on solution architecture, scalability, performance optimization, security, governance, and implementation decisions.

Assess existing SQL Server and Microsoft-centric data environments and define practical migration strategies toward Databricks.

Design target-state architectures that support advanced analytics, business intelligence, AI, and machine learning use cases.

Evaluate platform utilization, architecture decisions, and technology investments to improve cost efficiency and maximize return on investment.

Establish architecture review processes, implementation roadmaps, and governance mechanisms across the transformation program.

Provide executive-level recommendations on technology direction, strategic opportunities, risks, dependencies, and investment priorities.

Collaborate with business stakeholders, technology leadership, engineering teams, vendors, and other partners to drive successful delivery.

Ensure solution designs meet enterprise architecture principles, security requirements, governance standards, and applicable regulatory obligations.

Identify technical risks and dependencies early and develop appropriate mitigation strategies.

Mentor engineering teams and promote architectural consistency, technical excellence, and adoption of modern data platform practices.

Requirements:

10+ years of experience  in Solution Architecture, Enterprise Architecture, Data Architecture, or closely related senior technical roles.

Extensive hands-on experience designing, implementing, and optimizing  Databricks solutions in enterprise environments .

Deep knowledge of modern enterprise data platforms, including  Data Lakehouse architecture  and cloud-based data ecosystems.

Strong understanding of data governance, security, compliance, data management, and risk management frameworks.

Proven experience delivering large-scale data transformation, modernization, and cloud migration programs.

Experience developing enterprise architecture standards, frameworks, governance models, and implementation strategies.

Strong knowledge of enterprise integration patterns and modern cloud architectures.

Experience enabling analytics, business intelligence, AI, and machine learning platforms through enterprise data architecture.

Experience with  Microsoft Azure Data Services , particularly Azure Data Factory, Azure Synapse Analytics, and SQL Server, is highly valuable.

Familiarity with  Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, Data Ops, Dev Ops , and AI/ML platform architecture is preferred.

Experience working in  Financial Services, Banking,…