Principal Solutions Architect

Role Overview

We are looking for a Principal Solutions Architect to join our Data Engineering team. In this role, you will lead the design and implementation of modern data platforms and solutions, helping clients turn complex data and AI ambitions into secure, scalable, and production-ready outcomes. You will collaborate closely with clients, cross-functional delivery teams, technology partners, and practice leadership to deliver high-quality solutions and advance phData’s delivery excellence.

Key Responsibilities

Client Delivery

• Own and drive end-to-end solution design and implementation for complex data engineering and analytics initiatives across enterprise clients.
• Translate business requirements into scalable, secure, and high-performing cloud data architectures and integration solutions using SQL and programming languages such as Java, Python, and/or Scala.
• Design and guide implementation of data solutions on core cloud data platforms (e.g., Snowflake, AWS, Azure, Databricks, GCP), ensuring performance, reliability, and robust data integration into production.
• Create and deliver detailed client-facing technical artifacts, including solution designs, POCs, roadmaps, sequence diagrams, logical system views, and other architectural documentation.
• Ensure engagements are delivered on time, within scope, and with measurable business value for clients.

Collaboration & Leadership

• Collaborate with cross-functional partners including data engineers, analytics engineers, ML engineers, architects, project managers, and sales teams to deliver successful client engagements.
• Lead technical and strategic discussions during workshops, discovery sessions, design reviews, and ongoing project delivery, clearly articulating trade-offs and recommended approaches.
• Demonstrate expertise in leading and managing teams of Solution Architects and Data Engineers, fostering growth through coaching, mentoring, feedback, and performance management.
• Work closely with client stakeholders, technology partners, and distributed global teams to ensure seamless coordination and successful delivery outcomes.
• Ensure high quality in deliverables through code and design reviews, documentation standards, testing approaches, governance, and change management practices.
• Partner with practice and account leaders to identify opportunities to expand engagements, improve delivery patterns, and standardize successful solution approaches.

Practice & Firm Contribution

• Contribute to internal accelerators, reference architectures, templates, playbooks, and best practices for modern data stack implementations (e.g., Snowflake, AWS, Azure, GCP, Databricks, Fivetran, dbt).
• Build strong cross-practice relationships (e.g., with AI/ML, Analytics, Advisory, Elastic Operations) to drive customer success and integrated solutions.
• Support pre-sales and solutioning activities by shaping proposals, presenting solution options, and estimating delivery approaches when needed.
• Represent phData with professionalism in all interactions, communicating clearly with both technical and non-technical stakeholders and elevating our reputation with clients and partners.
• Share knowledge through mentoring, brown bags, documentation, and internal communities of practice.

Additional Responsibilities

• Act as a trusted advisor to senior client stakeholders, shaping data and AI roadmaps, influencing strategic technology decisions, and guiding long-term modernization and platform initiatives.
• Provide technical and architectural leadership across multiple concurrent engagements, ensuring consistency with phData standards and modern data stack best practices.
• Mentor and coach other architects and engineers, fostering a culture of learning, psychological safety, feedback, and continuous improvement.
• Help define, refine, and scale practice standards, reusable assets, and delivery frameworks that enable repeatable, high-quality solutions across regions and teams.

About You

You are a client-focused technical leader and problem solver who enjoys owning complex data challenges from idea to production. You are comfortable operating in a fast-paced consulting environment, collaborating with distributed global teams, context-switching across initiatives, and balancing architectural rigor with pragmatic, outcome-driven delivery.

Required Qualifications

Experience

• 8+ years of experience as a hands-on Solutions Architect designing and implementing data solutions.
• 2+ years of consulting or services leadership experience working with external customers, including managing multiple concurrent projects and priorities.

Technical / Functional Skills

• Programming expertise in Java, Python, and/or Scala.
• Deep experience with core cloud data platforms, including Snowflake as well as one or more of AWS, Azure, Databricks, or GCP.
• Strong SQL skills, including the ability to write, debug, and optimize complex queries.
• Proven ability to design and deliver end-to-end technical solutions into production, ensuring performance, security, scalability, observability, and robust data integration.
• Experience creating and delivering detailed technical presentations and solution documentation (e.g., POCs and roadmaps, sequence diagrams, class hierarchies, logical system views).
• Practical experience working with modern data architectures, data pipelines, and integration patterns across multiple data sources (e.g., queues, relational databases, files, search, APIs).

Consulting / Delivery Skills 

• Experience delivering projects for external or internal clients in a professional services or consulting environment.
• Ability to break down complex technical and business problems into structured, actionable steps and drive them through to completion.
• Proven track record of collaborating with client stakeholders, technology partners, and cross-functional sales and delivery team members across distributed global teams.
• Strong client-facing written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to clearly explain complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences.

Collaboration & Ownership

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with distributed, cross-functional teams across regions and time zones.
• Demonstrated expertise in leading and managing teams of Solution Architects and Data Engineers, including coaching, mentoring, and performance management.
• Exhibits a strong sense of ownership in resolving challenges and is committed to ensuring exceptional outcomes for all aspects of project execution.
• Proven track record of taking ownership, managing multiple priorities, and delivering high-quality work with minimal supervision.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred qualifications help candidates stand out but are not required for success in this role.

• Production experience with modern data platforms such as Snowflake, AWS, Azure, GCP, Hadoop, and/or Databricks.
• Experience with cloud and distributed data storage technologies such as S3, ADLS, HDFS, GCS, Kudu, Elasticsearch/Solr, Cassandra, or other NoSQL storage systems.
• Hands-on experience with data integration and streaming technologies such as Spark, Kafka, event/streaming platforms, Streamsets, Matillion, Fivetran, NiFi, AWS Data Migration Services, Azure Data Factory, Informatica IICS, Google Dataproc, or similar tools.
• Experience working with multiple data sources (e.g., queues, relational databases, files, search, APIs) and integrating them into a cohesive data platform.
• Full software development lifecycle experience, including design, documentation, implementation, testing, and deployment of data solutions.
• Experience with automated data transformation and curation using tools such as dbt, Spark, Spark Streaming, and automated data pipelines.
• Experience with workflow management and orchestration tools such as Airflow, AWS Managed Airflow, Luigi, NiFi, or similar.
• Familiarity with methodologies such as Agile project management and data modeling techniques (e.g., Kimball, Data Vault).
• Prior experience working in global or remote teams and partnering across US, LATAM, and/or India.
• Contributions to open source, technical communities, speaking, writing, or building internal accelerators and IP are a plus.

Location & Time Zone Expectations

This role is based in LATAM and operates primarily in Latin America time zones with overlap to support US-based teams and clients.

• We are a remote-first company, and you should be comfortable working with a distributed global team.
• Some flexibility may be required to collaborate across time zones with colleagues and clients.
• Client needs may occasionally require flexibility in working hours to support key milestones or workshops.

Why phData?

• Impactful Work: Partner with leading organizations on meaningful data & AI initiatives.
• Collaborative Culture: Work with a supportive, high-performing global team that values transparency, autonomy, and continuous improvement.
• Growth Opportunities: Access to challenging projects, mentorship, and structured development pathways.
• Values-Driven: We prioritize doing the right thing for our clients, our teams, and our community.

Benefits at phData

LATAM:

• Remote-First Work Environment
• Casual, award-winning small-business work environment
• Collaborative culture that prizes autonomy, creativity, and transparency
• Competitive comp, excellent benefits, generous PTO plan plus 10 Holidays (and other cool perks)
• Accelerated learning and professional development through advanced training and certifications