Data Platform Architect

Title: Data Platform Architect
Location: Harrisburg, PA - Hybrid - one day weekly (Tue, Wed or Thursday) in office
Duration: 4+ Months
Interview type: Screening with hiring manager, virtual interview with 2more people, final in person at Harrisburg

Job Description:
Role Summary
Client is establishing a new CDAI Office to build enterprise data capabilities that will enable every agency to deliver improved digital services, data analytics and AI solutions. This is a technical leadership position for the implementation and continual evolution of the Commonwealth's enterprise data platforms. Working under the direction of the Chief Data and AI Officer, this position designs, engineers, and delivers reusable cloud-based data products and shared services that enable agencies to securely develop digital services. The position establishes engineering practices, implementation standards, automation, and shared platform services that support enterprise modernization while enabling agencies to consume standardized capabilities rather than developing agency-specific solutions.
This role will balance tech strategy with practical execution, partner with solution architects, data teams in delivery centers and enterprise tech teams such as security, governance.

Key Responsibilities
Enterprise Platform Architecture

• Define target architecture for an enterprise data platform
• Multi-year roadmap aligned to enterprise modernization initiatives
• Evaluate emerging tech while maintaining architectural consistency

Platform Engineering

• Build MVP and mature cloud data platform over time
• Set engineering standards and operational guardrails
• Design secure multi-tenant environments capable of serving multiple agencies with data co-mingling considerations
• Partner with CISO teams to implement IAM, encryption and audit capabilities

Enterprise enablement

• Design and build platform services instead of agency-specific implementations
• Develop onboarding patterns for agencies adopting enterprise products and services
• Ensure alignment across modernization initiatives
• Develop data products identified by Product team and AI-ready infrastructure

Leadership

• Develop engineering best practices
• Collaborate with tech leaders across agencies and enterprise
• Partner with cloud, integration and data teams to implement enterprise data products.
• Promote API-first and product-based approaches to information sharing.

Desired Background and Experience

• Bachelor of Computer Science, Information Systems, Systems Programming or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience
• 10+ years of experience building large scale cloud data platforms
• At least 7 years of hands-on experience in modern data architecture, platform engineering, cloud infrastructure
• Experience designing and implementing enterprise security controls for cloud data platforms, including IAM, RBAC etc.
• Proven experience building and operating cloud infrastructure as Code (Terraform or equivalent)
• Hands-on experience implementing modern DevSecOps practices and champion shift-left approach to security
• Partner with Cloud Engineering, CISO and GRC teams to integrate security controls into the data platforms while maintaining clear ownership boundaries.
• Data Platform & Services experience including platforms Snowflake, Databricks, AWS, Azure, containerized applications
• Soft skills important to this role
• Effective communication of technology concept to non-tech audience
• Can start from ground up
• Think patterns and reusable capabilities
• Worked at enterprise level for data platforms supporting multiple teams across the company
• Lead through influence[SK1.1][NN1.2] not direct reports

Required Skills:

• Experience building large scale cloud data platforms
• hands-on experience in modern data architecture, platform engineering, cloud infrastructure
• experience designing and implementing enterprise security controls for cloud data platforms, including IAM, RBAC etc
• proven experience building and operating cloud infrastructure as Code (Terraform or equivalent)
• partner with Cloud Engineering, CISO and GRC teams to integrate security controls into the data platforms while maintaining clear ownership boundary
• data Platform & Services experience including platforms Snowflake, Databricks, AWS, Azure, containerized applications