Databricks Architect

Databricks Architect Lakehouse Architecture · Finance Data Platform · Enterprise Governance About the Role This role is for an established Databricks environment underpinning our data strategy. Having successfully scaled our Lakehouse for operational and commercial data, we are now expanding to bring Finance data into the platform — delivering authoritative, governed financial reporting, planning, and analytics across the business. We are looking for a Databricks Architect to take ownership of the platform's evolution: shaping the technical strategy, defining architectural standards, and ensuring the Lakehouse scales to serve Finance and future business domains with confidence. This is a senior, high-influence role reporting into technology leadership with direct engagement at CFO level. What You Will Do Platform Architecture & Strategy • Own the end-to-end architecture of the Databricks Lakehouse, setting standards for data modelling, pipeline design, compute governance, and security • Define the architectural blueprint for onboarding Finance data — and establish a repeatable pattern for future domains • Evaluate and recommend tooling and integration patterns (dbt, Delta Live Tables, Unity Catalog, streaming vs batch) to meet evolving business needs • Drive adoption of best practices: medallion architecture, data contracts, schema evolution, and data quality frameworks Finance Data Platform • Architect scalable, finance-grade data models covering P&L, actuals, budgets, forecasting, and cost allocation • Design the serving layer to support Finance visualisation and self-service analytics (Databricks SQL, Power BI, or equivalent) • Work closely with the CFO and Finance stakeholders to understand reporting and planning requirements and translate them into durable data products • Establish data lineage, audit trails, and access controls appropriate for sensitive financial data Governance, Security & Enablement • Own Unity Catalog implementation: data classification, access policies, and cataloguing standards • Define compute optimisation and cost management strategies across the workspace • Mentor and provide technical direction to data engineers working within the platform • Act as the internal authority on Databricks — staying current with the roadmap and identifying capabilities that unlock business value What We Are Looking For • 8+ years in data engineering or data platform roles, with 3+ years in an architecture or principal engineering capacity • Deep, proven expertise with Databricks: Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, Delta Live Tables, Databricks SQL, and Workflows • Strong data modelling skills — dimensional, relational, and lakehouse patterns — with Finance or enterprise reporting experience preferred • Ability to design for non-functional requirements: scalability, cost, security, and auditability • Track record of engaging C-suite or senior Finance stakeholders and translating their needs into technical outcomes • Proficiency in PySpark, Python, and SQL; familiarity with dbt is a strong plus • Experience integrating Finance source systems (SAP, Oracle Financials, NetSuite, or similar) into a data platform • Strong communicator — equally comfortable in a whiteboard session with engineers and a presentation to the CFO Nice to Have • Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional and/or Databricks Certified Associate Developer • Experience architecting multi-domain Lakehouses in a retail or supply chain environment • Familiarity with data mesh or data product thinking • Exposure to MLflow or Databricks AI/BI for future platform evolution