We are looking for an experienced Senior Azure Data Architect to lead the design and implementation of scalable, secure, and high-performing data solutions on Microsoft Azure.

In this role, you will be responsible for defining the data architecture strategy, modernizing legacy systems, and building cloud-native solutions that enable advanced analytics, AI, and business intelligence.

The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise in Azure data services, data modeling, and data governance with strong leadership and communication skills.

You will work closely with stakeholders across engineering, data science, and business functions to architect data platforms that deliver measurable business impact.

Key Responsibilities :

- Design and implement end-to-end data architectures on Azure, including ingestion, storage, transformation, and consumption layers.

- Define the data architecture blueprint - ensuring scalability, availability, and performance across structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data.

- Architect data lakehouses, data warehouses, and real-time streaming solutions using Azure-native tools.

- Develop data modeling standards, naming conventions, and data integration frameworks that align with enterprise goals.

- Collaborate with data engineers, analysts, and scientists to enable self-service analytics and AI/ML workloads.

- Architect and manage solutions using Azure data services such as :

Azure Synapse Analytics
Azure Data Factory (ADF)
Azure Databricks
Azure Data Lake Storage (ADLS)
Azure SQL Database / Managed Instance
Azure Stream Analytics
Event Hubs, Service Bus, Cosmos DB, and Azure Purview

- Design data pipelines for batch and streaming ingestion using ADF, Databricks, or Synapse Pipelines.

- Ensure solutions adhere to Azure best practices for performance, cost optimization, and scalability.

- Define and implement data governance frameworks, including data quality, lineage, cataloging, and metadata management.

- Implement security and compliance controls (encryption, masking, RBAC, and data classification) in accordance with enterprise and regulatory standards.

- Partner with InfoSec teams to ensure compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, or ISO 27001 frameworks as applicable.

- Develop and evangelize data architecture standards and best practices across the organization.

- Drive data modernization initiatives, including migration from on-premise data platforms (SQL Server, Oracle, Teradata, etc.) to Azure cloud.

- Collaborate with product and engineering teams to align data strategy with business objectives.

- Mentor and guide junior architects, engineers, and data professionals.

- Serve as the technical authority in design reviews and architecture governance meetings.

- Design and implement ETL/ELT pipelines optimized for performance and cost.

- Monitor and tune data workloads to ensure optimal resource utilization.

- Implement DevOps practices (CI/CD, infrastructure as code, testing automation) for data platforms.

- Troubleshoot data architecture issues and provide hands-on technical leadership during critical projects.

Required Qualifications :

- Bachelors or Masters degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Data Engineering, or a related field.

- 8+ years of experience in data architecture, data engineering, or cloud data platform design.

- 5+ years of hands-on experience with Azure data services.

- Proven expertise in data modeling, ETL design, and data warehouse/lakehouse architecture.

- Strong knowledge of :

Azure Synapse, ADF, Databricks, ADLS Gen2

SQL / T-SQL, PySpark, Python, Scala, or Azure Functions

Event-driven data integration using Kafka, Event Hubs, or Stream Analytics

- Experience designing data governance, security, and compliance frameworks.

- Familiarity with DevOps and CI/CD tools (Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, Terraform, ARM templates).

- Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate technical designs into business language.

- Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills