Principal Data Architect

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Define the enterprise data architecture: Take ownership of the conceptual, logical, and physical data models for MeridianLink's analytical and operational data platform, which includes source-aligned, integrated, and consumption-ready layers.

• Build the meta-model: Design and maintain a meta-model that encapsulates entities, relationships, business definitions, ownership, lineage, sensitivity classifications, and SLAs, ensuring it is integrated into our tooling rather than confined to a slide deck.

• Drive the lakehouse strategy: Architect our medallion (bronze/silver/gold) Delta Lake patterns on Databricks; establish standards for partitioning, clustering, schema evolution, slowly changing dimensions, and historical reproducibility.

• Be hands-on: Develop PySpark, SQL, and Delta Lake code. Create reference implementations, prototype patterns, review pull requests, and personally model critical domains instead of delegating every detail.

• Lead data integration design: Establish patterns for ingestion through Informatica Data Management Cloud (IDMC) and direct Databricks pipelines, incorporating CDC, batch, streaming, and API-based sourcing from our SaaS products and third-party systems.

• Champion data governance and lineage: Collaborate with data governance, security, and compliance leaders to operationalize cataloging, lineage, classification, masking, and access controls across the platform (Unity Catalog, IDMC, and related tools).

• Standardize data modeling practices: Develop the standards, naming conventions, and review processes utilized by the Data Engineering team. Mentor engineers on dimensional modeling, Data Vault, and other techniques where they are applicable.

• Partner across the business: Collaborate closely with Product, Engineering, Analytics, ML, Finance, Risk, and Customer-facing teams to translate business needs into durable data designs.

• Influence the roadmap: Identify gaps in tooling, capability, and skill; suggest investments; and lead multi-quarter initiatives that significantly enhance how MeridianLink utilizes its data.

⛳️ Requirements

• 12–15+ years of progressive experience in data engineering, data warehousing, and data architecture roles, with a minimum of the last several years at the architect level.

• Proven experience as a Data Architect within a SaaS company in the FinTech or financial services software sector (lending, banking, payments, capital markets, insurance, or a closely related field).

• Extensive, hands-on expertise with Databricks and PySpark on Azure, including Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, structured streaming, and performance tuning at scale.

• Production experience with Informatica Data Management Cloud (IDMC) or similar enterprise integration platforms for ingestion, transformation, and metadata-driven pipelines.

• A strong history of designing and implementing comprehensive meta-models and end-to-end data models (conceptual, logical, and physical) that have been deployed in production and maintained over time.

• Solid understanding of dimensional modeling (Kimball), Data Vault 2.0, and contemporary lakehouse patterns, including the ability to select the appropriate approach for each use case.

• Advanced SQL skills and strong proficiency in Python/PySpark; adept at writing the code, not just creating the diagrams.

• Demonstrated experience in implementing data governance, lineage, and metadata management programs (e.g., Unity Catalog, IDMC Data Governance, Collibra, Atlan, or similar tools).

• Working knowledge of FinTech-related regulatory and compliance considerations (e.g., GLBA, SOC 2, PCI, NIST, state lending regulations) and their impact on data design.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; capable of conveying complex data concepts to engineers, executives, customers, and auditors.

🏝️ Benefits

• Competitive salary and performance-based bonuses.

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.

• Flexible work arrangements and remote work options.

• Professional development and training opportunities.

• Dynamic and inclusive company culture.