Cloud Data Platform Architect

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Job Title:  Cloud Data Platform Architect
Location:  Remote
Job-Type:  Contract to Hire
Salary Range:  $150K – $175K
Position Overview:
Gravity IT is seeking a Cloud Data Platform Architect to lead the design and modernization of a client’s enterprise data platform as it evolves from a primarily on-prem SQL Server environment to a hybrid Azure ecosystem.
This role will define the architecture for a modern lakehouse-based platform supporting analytics, AI/ML workloads, and high-performance data processing. The architect will design scalable and secure infrastructure across Azure SQL, Azure Data Lake, Databricks, and hybrid workloads, while establishing standards for ingestion, storage, and performance optimization.
The ideal candidate brings deep experience in cloud data architecture, lakehouse platforms, and hybrid modernization strategies.
Duties & Responsibilities:

• Define architecture standards across Azure SQL (DB, Managed Instance, Hyperscale), Azure Data Lake Gen2, Databricks, and Synapse
• Design hybrid integration between on-prem SQL Server (Always On Availability Groups) and Azure data platforms
• Define workload segmentation across transactional, analytical, and AI/ML workloads
• Architect scalable, secure, and cost-optimized storage and compute models

• Lead migration strategy from on-prem SQL Server environments to Azure
• Design patterns for CDC, replication, and near real-time ingestion
• Architect event-driven pipelines using Event Hub or Kafka
• Support Infrastructure-as-Code implementations (Terraform, Bicep, ARM)

• Design and govern Bronze / Silver / Gold data layers
• Establish Delta Lake performance optimization standards
• Define partitioning, clustering, and indexing strategies
• Implement data lifecycle management and retention policies

• Ensure platform supports machine learning and AI workloads
• Define feature engineering zones and ML data access patterns
• Enable integration with Azure ML and Databricks ML environments
• Support semantic search and vector-ready architectures

• Architect data security frameworks (RBAC, row-level security, encryption)
• Design private endpoints and network isolation
• Establish performance monitoring and cost optimization strategies
• Define governance standards for enterprise data platforms

Required Experience & Skills:

• 10+ years data engineering or data architecture experience
• 5+ years designing Azure data platforms
• Strong expertise with:
• Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2
• Azure Databricks
• Delta Lake
• Azure SQL
• Strong knowledge of SQL Server HA/DR and Always On Availability Groups
• Experience designing hybrid data architectures (on-prem + cloud)
• Experience implementing CI/CD pipelines for data infrastructure

Employment Eligibility: Gravity cannot transfer nor sponsor a work visa for this position. Applicants must be eligible to work in the U.S. for any employer directly (we are not open to contract or “corp to corp” agreements).
 

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Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Gravity IT Resources is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs.