AI and DATA - Cloud Data Architect - Databricks - Executive Director

Job Name-GDS Consulting Cloud Data Architect Databricks Job Summary

The Cloud Data Architect will lead the strategic migration and transformation of enterprise data platforms from legacy systems to modern cloud-native architectures using Databricks. This role is pivotal in enabling scalable, secure, and high-performance data analytics environments for EY clients across sectors.

The architect will be responsible for designing future-state reference architectures, guiding implementation teams, and ensuring alignment with EY data modernization strategy. The role demands deep technical expertise, hands-on leadership, and the ability to influence stakeholders across business and technology domains.

The leader will be responsible for accelerating the following:

Strategic Leadership

• Drive the strategic vision for cloud data modernization, leveraging Databricks capabilities within EY
• Lead cross-functional teams across geographies to deliver scalable data solutions that support enterprise transformation.
• Influence client C-suite stakeholders by articulating the business value of cloud-native data architectures. Market Intelligence and Go-To-Market (GTM)
• Monitor industry trends, competitor offerings, and emerging technologies in cloud data platforms to inform solution strategy.
• Collaborate with EY GTM teams to develop differentiated offerings around Databricks.
• Contribute to EYs market positioning by aligning architecture capabilities with client demand and sector-specific needs.

Sales and Business Development

• Support pre-sales activities including client workshops, RFP responses, and solution demos.
• Partner with account teams to identify opportunities for cloud data transformation and drive pipeline growth.
• Translate client requirements into scalable architecture proposals that align with EYs delivery capabilities.

Thought Leadership

• Represent EY in industry forums, webinars, and conferences focused on cloud data and analytics.
• Author whitepapers, blogs, and internal knowledge assets on Databricks best practices.
• Mentor junior architects and contribute to EYs internal capability development programs.

Partnership and Ecosystem Development

• Build and nurture strategic alliances with Databricks and Azure to codevelop joint solutions.
• Engage with technology partners to stay abreast of product roadmaps and integration capabilities.
• Leverage EYs ecosystem to deliver end-to-end solutions that span data, AI, cloud, and security.

Essential Functions of the job

• Lead and architect the migration of data analytics environments from legacy systems to Databricks with a focus on performance, reliability, and scalability.
• Define high-level migration roadmaps and future-state reference architectures on Azure cloud.
• Design and implement end-to-end data analytics solutions leveraging Databricks utilities and big data modeling techniques using Python.
• Setup, configure, and deploy Databricks solutions across multidepartment environments.
• Guide teams in implementing best practices for data transformation, aggregation, and workload management.
• Address technical inquiries related to customization, integration, and enterprise architecture.
• Enable business stakeholders to make data-driven decisions through accurate analysis, reporting, and presentation of key findings.

Analytical/Decision Making Responsibilities

• Make strategic decisions on cloud architecture design, resource allocation, and technology investments.
• Evaluate performance metrics and ROI of Databricks implementations.
• Conduct impact analysis of proposed solutions on client operations, including cost-benefit, scalability, and integration feasibility.
• Prioritize solution components based on business value and technical feasibility.

Education & Experience

• Bachelors degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
• 15-20 years of experience in data architecture, solution design, and implementation.
• At least two end-to-end implementations of Databricks and cloud data platforms.
• Demonstrated success in leading large-scale data migration projects and managing cross-functional teams.
• Experience in client-facing roles with a track record of delivering high-impact solutions.

Knowledge and Skills Requirements

• Proven experience in designing and implementing cloud data warehouse solutions (Databricks) on Azure.
• Deep understanding of Databricks architecture including compute/storage separation, RBAC, performance tuning, and advanced features like time travel and zero-copy clone.
• Expertise in big data modeling, ETL pipeline optimization, and Python-based data engineering.
• Strong consultative skills with the ability to manage client relationships and drive consensus.
• Experience in handling complex deployments and multi-tower configurations.
• Familiarity with Presto/Starburst, shell scripting, and Unix/Windows environments is a plus.