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.