SMX is hiring a Senior Data Architect to lead the design and stand-up of a modern, governed enterprise data platform from the ground up. This role owns the architecture that turns fragmented, siloed source data into standardized, reusable data products - defining the platform patterns, governance model, and integration approach that every downstream consumer depends on. Working across engineering, governance, and mission teams, the Senior Data Architect sets the technical direction for how data is ingested, mastered, secured, and exposed at enterprise scale. This role is essential for building the foundation right the first time and ensuring it scales.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end architecture of a Databricks-based enterprise data platform - environment design, medallion (bronze/silver/gold) architecture, storage layers, and data flow across cloud and integrated systems.
• Lead zero-to-one platform builds, translating an ambiguous target state into a concrete, phased technical architecture and delivery plan.
• Design data-product and domain-driven architecture, defining canonical/domain data models, golden-record and Master Data Management (MDM) patterns, and reusable data-product standards.
• Establish governance-as-code practices - access controls, data classification, lineage, metadata, and data-quality rules implemented as enforceable pipeline and platform logic rather than manual process.
• Architect platform integrations and data exchange between systems - APIs, storage-layer delivery, event-driven patterns, and secure connectivity across internal and external consumers.
• Define data standardization and quality frameworks that bring raw source data to trusted, consumable tiers.
• Partner with data engineers, analysts, product managers, and client stakeholders to translate requirements into architecture, and communicate technical direction and trade-offs to both technical and executive audiences.
• Guide implementation teams, review designs, and ensure delivery aligns to the target architecture, security boundary, and compliance requirements.

Required Skills & Experience

• Bacheor's degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field; equivalent experience considered.
• 8+ years of progressive experience in data architecture, data engineering, or platform engineering, including senior/lead technical ownership.
• Security clearance required (Secret or higher).
• Deep, hands-on **Databricks** experience - platform architecture, Unity Catalog, medallion pipelines, and workspace/access design.
• Proven experience architecting and delivering a data platform from the ground up (zero-to-one), not just operating an existing one.
• Strong expertise in data modeling, canonical/domain models, MDM, and golden-record design.
• Experience implementing data governance - access control, lineage, metadata management, classification, and data quality - ideally as governance-as-code.
• Strong proficiency in SQL and Python; solid understanding of cloud data architecture (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
• Experience designing APIs, data-product delivery patterns, and integrations across multiple systems.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to align engineering teams and communicate architecture to executive and client stakeholders.

Desired Skills & Experience

• Experience in a regulated or federal environment, including security boundaries, RMF/ATO, and CUI data handling.
• Familiarity with MuleSoft or similar API/integration platforms.
• Experience with event-driven architectures and real-time data delivery.
• Exposure to AI/ML data enablement - preparing governed data for analytical and AI consumption.
• Experience with distributed processing (Spark) and modern data catalog tooling.
• Background supporting data-as-a-product operating models and domain-driven data organizations.