Principal Data Architect - Fulltime - Remote - NY

Job Description

The Principal Data Architect will be responsible for defining and implementing data architecture strategies that align with business objectives, regulatory requirements, and modern technology trends. Reporting to the Enterprise Architect or Chief Architect, this role will work closely with stakeholders, SMEs, and data owners to evolve data architecture and analytics, optimize data management, and enable AI/ML capabilities across the organization.

Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and implement future-state data architectures that support digital transformation, automation, reporting, and security compliance in account opening and KYC processes, delivering required data architecture artifacts.
• Ensure data architecture, analytics, and governance frameworks are integrated into IT projects, enhancing scalability, performance, and regulatory compliance while providing architecture documentation and data models.
• Develop an integrated data architecture for Affluent Banking, ensuring seamless domestic and international services and modernizing legacy data platforms with well-defined data models and integration blueprints.
• Identify and execute cost-reduction opportunities by consolidating data and analytics platforms, optimizing infrastructure and cloud resources, and modernizing legacy data and reporting systems while delivering optimized architecture artifacts.
• Align enterprise data strategy with business goals, defining governance, security, and integration frameworks while driving architectural transformation and producing enterprise data models.
• Design scalable data architectures to support RPA, workflow automation, and real-time data processing, ensuring seamless system integration with well-structured data artifacts.
• Define data security and compliance architecture, addressing regulatory requirements in association to implementing proactive risk mitigation and remediation plans with clear architecture documentation.
• Ensure data management comply with regulatory mandates, including BSA and MRBAs, during modernization and advancement of legacy data environments to enhance agility and compliance through data architecture.
• Establish data quality assurance frameworks, ensuring data architecture governance, continuous data monitoring, and resolution of data-related risks, documented through data architecture blueprints and data models.
• Promote collaboration between IT, business, and data teams to strengthen data architecture and governance practices and enhance data literacy through workshops and training, while documenting best practices and data architecture artifacts.
• Identify and develop training programs to upskill internal teams in data architecture governance and knowledge transfer for new hires through structured data architecture frameworks and models.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years in data architecture, data modeling, enterprise data warehouses (EDW), BI and analytics platform, and AI/ML-driven data solutions.
• Strong expertise in banking data architecture, governance standards, and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Extensive experience in enterprise and data architecture frameworks, best practices, and IT and business transformation strategies.
• Proven experience in designing and implementing enterprise data models, dimensional modeling, data warehouse, and data lake solutions.
• Strong understanding of AI/ML-driven data strategies and decision-making, with experience in embedding AI models into data architecture solutions.
• Working knowledge of SQL, Python, data engineering and quality tools, data classification, data integration, and data privacy and security frameworks.
• Strong collaboration, networking, and influencing skills to build trust and drive consensus across teams.
• Ability to effectively communicate data architectural principles, patterns, and standards to stakeholders and drive adoption.
• Proven ability to participate or manage multiple complex projects, ensuring successful outcomes within budget and timeline constraints.
• Experience in achieving business-aligned goals through data-driven tracking and reporting.
• Comfortable driving change, navigating ambiguity, and leading initiatives in a dynamic environment.
• Commitment to staying updated on emerging data technologies, industry trends, and strategic investments in data architecture.

Preferred Experience

• Experience in the banking, financial services, and embedded finance sector.
• Strong knowledge of on-premise and cloud-based data architectures (Oracle, AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud).
• Hands-on experience with modern data platforms, data governance tools and MDM, and AI/ML frameworks.
• Familiarity with data privacy and regulatory compliance (GDPR, CCPA, BCBS 239, etc.).
• Expertise in data modeling, ETL/ELT processes and data pipeline optimization.
• Experience with the BIAN (Banking Industry Architecture Network) framework for banking data architecture standardization.

This position offers an opportunity to lead and shape the future of data architecture within a forward-thinking banking institution. If you are a strategic thinker with a passion for data innovation, architecture governance, and technology transformation, we encourage you to apply.