Data Architect Lead

Provides strategic leadership in designing the enterprise data architecture, ensuring the County’s data platforms, structures, and integrations are scalable, secure, interoperable, and aligned with business goals. Defines data modeling standards, governance frameworks, and architecture blueprints that enable analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and modern application development. Partners with technology, business, and governance teams to advance data modernization and digital equity initiatives.Education, Experience and Training: Education and experience equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field (Master’s preferred). Six (6) years of experience in data engineering, cloud platforms, or AI-driven data processing, with 2 years in a technical leadership role. Certifications (Preferred): • Certifications in cloud architecture (Azure, AWS, GCP), data modeling, and governance tools • TOGAF, DAMA, or equivalent architecture frameworks Special Requirements/Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: • Skill in SQL, Python, and/or Scala for data transformation • Skill in data frameworks (Hadoop, Spark, Databricks, or Flink) • Knowledge of cloud data platforms (Azure, AWS, Google Cloud) and hybrid data architectures • Skill in real-time data streaming (Kafka, Kinesis, Pub/Sub) • Skill in enterprise-wide data governance implementation • Knowledge of enterprise data architecture and governance • Knowledge of leadership and stakeholder engagement skills • Ability to architect scalable, high-performance data solutions • Skill in cloud computing, data security, and regulatory compliance • Ability to have analytical skills and the ability to drive strategic data initiatives • Knowledge of AI/ML-driven data solutions and automation • Knowledge of data architecture, governance, integration, and analytics enablement • Ability to drive strategic transformation through scalable and interoperable architecture • Skill in collaboration, communication, and leadership across business and technical domains Must possess a valid Texas Driver’s License and good driving record. Will be required to provide a copy of 10-year driving history. Must maintain a good driving record and remain in compliance with Article II, Subdivision II of Chapter 90 of the Dallas County Code. “Individuals holding or considered for a position which has, or may have, access to criminal justice databases including the FBI Criminal Justice Information Systems, NCIC/TCIC and similar databases, must pass a national fingerprint-based records check prior to placement in such position and may be denied placement in such positions and/or access to such systems. Individuals must also maintain the ability to pass the records check while in the position or until such time that the Commissioners Court and the County Civil Service Commission deem this position no longer has this requirement.” Physical/Environmental Requirements: Occasional travel to County sites, vendor meetings, conferences, and industry events. Ability to work in a fast-paced, evolving technology environment.Defines and manages enterprise data architecture frameworks, standards, and roadmaps. Ensures consistent design and delivery of data platforms supporting analytics, reporting, and AI. Oversees design and adoption of enterprise data models, taxonomies, and ontologies. Leads architecture planning for cloud data platforms, warehouses, lakes, and integrations. Ensures availability, reliability, and quality of data consumed by internal and public-facing systems. Guides the implementation of architecture solutions that enable seamless data access and reuse. Supports modernization of legacy platforms into modular and interoperable systems. Partners with business stakeholders to ensure architecture supports service delivery outcomes. Ensures data architecture aligns with County SLAs, uptime, and disaster recovery requirements. Leads design of reference architectures for citizen-facing dashboards, portals, and APIs. Guides data lifecycle management strategies including versioning, archiving, and retention. Ensures data systems support performance, security, compliance, and cost-efficiency. Partners with infrastructure and cybersecurity teams to align on secure, scalable architecture. Supports DevOps and data engineering teams in implementing CI/CD and IaC standards. Leads architecture reviews for data-intensive systems, integrations, and vendor platforms. Recommends tools and platforms that improve operational efficiency and performance. Supports automation of governance, metadata, and lineage tracking processes. Identifies and addresses architectural bottlenecks and areas of technical debt. Provides design oversight on integration architectures including APIs, events, and batch workflows. Promotes standardization of data services across departments and business units. Architects enterprise data platforms that support analytics, BI, AI, and digital applications. Defines models for master data, reference data, metadata, and domain-driven design. Establishes architectural patterns for data ingestion, transformation, and consumption. Guides the design of semantic layers and business views that enable self-service analytics. Ensures interoperability between systems through open standards and shared definitions. Contributes to vendor evaluations and solution architecture for COTS and SaaS platforms. Supports system architects and engineers in designing data-aware applications and APIs. Leads planning for data mesh, lakehouse, and real-time architecture transitions. Develops long-term architecture strategies aligned to business modernization goals. Represents data in the County’s enterprise architecture and technology governance bodies. Establishes standards for data modeling, naming, lineage, and quality across the enterprise. Defines architecture metrics for scalability, data quality, and platform health. Supports data governance initiatives with architectural policies and guidance. Guides implementation of frameworks for classification, tagging, and access control. Contributes to data catalog and knowledge graph design to promote data discovery. Leads evaluations of architecture decisions through post-implementation reviews. Ensures data architecture supports transparency, accessibility, and inclusion. Promotes reuse of data structures, pipelines, and semantic models. Stays current on emerging trends in data fabric, graph architecture, and AI infrastructure. Continuously improve architecture standards to support agility and innovation. Mentors data engineers, analysts, and architects on data design and modeling best practices. Leads architectural communities of practice and working groups. Provides technical direction and coaching to project teams and platform owners. Guides team members in applying architecture patterns and data stewardship principles. Supports cross-functional learning through architecture reviews and design charrettes. Collaborates on team capacity planning, skill gap analysis, and succession development. Contributes to onboarding programs and development of internal reference materials. Promotes an inclusive, mission-driven culture across data and analytics teams. Encourages curiosity, experimentation, and continuous learning. Represents architecture team in internal trainings, conferences, and outreach efforts. Partners with department leaders, product owners, and executives to align data architecture with County priorities. Translates business strategies into architectural plans and implementation roadmaps. Guides enterprise data governance, stewardship, and policy development. Collaborates with vendors, consultants, and external partners on platform integration. Provides architecture expertise in funding proposals, RFPs, and public initiatives. Supports cross-departmental and cross-agency collaborations through shared architecture. Facilitates communication between technical and non-technical audiences. Presents architecture updates and roadmaps to executive committees and boards. Helps embed data equity and digital inclusion into architecture decisions. Represents data architecture in County innovation and digital transformation programs. Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Salary: 9,853.88

Maximum Salary: 12,317.33