Xentity is at the forefront of innovative data initiatives, helping our clients transform their data strategies and architectures. We are seeking a Senior Data Architect to join our team and serve as the technical arm of our Chief Data Officer services, primarily for Government clients. In this role, you will shape data management strategies, modernize architectures, and drive impactful change across the data lifecycle, helping clients enhance data maturity, governance, and operations.
As a Senior Data Architect, your focus will be on transforming legacy data workflows into cutting-edge, interoperable solutions. You will work closely with both technical teams and senior leadership to guide the strategic direction and execution of data initiatives that align with business goals.
Key Responsibilities:
- Data Strategy Development: Establish data management strategies for the full data lifecycle, including supporting early-phase strategic planning, vendor prototypes, and efficiency studies.
- Data Governance & Quality: Improve data management approaches, focusing on governance models, metadata management, DIKW (Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom) analysis, and business glossaries.
- Maturity Models: Introduce and implement maturity models (ITIL, CMMI, DMM, Agile) to support rapid, quality-driven transitions to operations with minimal risk.
- Data Integration & Interoperability: Lead efforts to integrate and interoperate legacy systems with new-generation solutions in IoT, Big Data, Geospatial, AI, deep learning, and cloud technologies.
- Governance Reinvigoration: Drive efforts to revitalize data governance, focusing on data projects and standards development, moving away from “gate” models and toward more agile, integrated solutions.
- Prototype Support & Operations Coaching: Work with data operations teams on prototype support, coaching, and facilitating architecture design to ensure successful implementation and operational success.
- Community Engagement: Develop new models for community engagement within the program, such as user and supplier incentive models, workforce training, gamification, innovation bodies, and Centers of Excellence (CoEs).
- Performance Management: Establish performance management frameworks to track progress, measure impact, and hold teams accountable for quality improvements and tangible results.
You will collaborate directly with executives and work across strategy, governance, design, and operations. Most of your duties will involve client interaction, including gathering requirements, formulating concepts, and coaching teams through the transformation and modernization lifecycle. While specific technology architecture expertise is valuable, a stronger emphasis will be placed on guiding clients through the transformation process.
Technology Expectations:
- Understand both future architecture visions (e.g., Cloud, Data Lakes, Real-Time, Containers) and past data architecture patterns (e.g., ETL, client-server, warehousing).
- Expertise in next-generation solutions such as IoT, Big Data, Geospatial, AI, deep learning, and their integration with legacy systems.
- Knowledge of evolving data management trends and investment patterns.
Leadership & Mentoring: You will report to Xentity’s Chief Architect, a seasoned leader who has mentored and led over 100 engagements in Xentity’s 15-year history. His leadership style emphasizes establishing strong consulting relationships, accountability, and risk mitigation. He invests in leadership competency over technical expertise and enjoys mentoring and collaboration. Our goal is for you to grow your personal brand to that level of trusted advisorship.
Minimum Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree, with a Master’s in Business Administration, Information Technology, or a related field, or 10 years of experience in a lead architect role.
- Must be willing to travel up to 10-20% of the time (mostly domestic, with occasional international travel).
- Must pass basic NACI, background, drug, and reference checks.
- Flexible in terms of work location; can either work from a home office with frequent on-site presence or on-site 100% of the time.
- Location: U.S. Remote
Key Soft Skills:
- Ability to rapidly switch between subject matters, communication styles, and architectural products across different stakeholder audiences.
- Strong leadership competencies, particularly in collaboration, conflict resolution, trust-building, accountability, and delivering results.
Key Hard Skills:
- Experience working in Government Programs with a focus on data management.
- Expertise in Big Data, system integration, and data interoperability.
- Familiarity with data architectures such as MongoDB, GraphQL, iPaaS, Mule/Microservices, Data Pipelines, Serverless, ESRI/Geospatial, SAP/ERP, IoT, and GeoIoT platforms.
- Experience with MEAN stack and Cloud technologies, particularly AWS and Lambdas.
- Ability to prototype quickly and demonstrate fast, quality typing and visual representation skills.
- Proficiency in tools such as PowerPoint, Visio, Office Automation, and familiarity with newer Big Data, RDF, ETL, and SEO technologies.