Data Architect, Lead Engineer

About Servant

At Servant, we specialize in empowering leaders and organizations within faith communities through innovative digital transformation and change management solutions. We are committed to providing tailored strategies that align with our clients' values and missions, focusing on service, integrity, and excellence. Our team is passionate about making a meaningful impact by equipping our partners with the tools and technologies they need to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Position Overview

We’re seeking a Data Architect to serve as the technical leader responsible for designing and implementing scalable, flexible, and efficient data architectures. This role requires a deep understanding of modern data platforms, best practices, and performance optimization, while also embracing flexibility and creative problem-solving to deliver solutions quickly and effectively.

The Data Architect will oversee end-to-end data architecture, ensuring governance, quality, security, and operational efficiency while collaborating with stakeholders across the organization. This role will also provide hands-on technical leadership, guiding engineering teams in best practices for data management, integration, and analytics enablement.

Key Responsibillities and Accountabilities

Data Architecture & Strategy

• Design and implement a scalable, high-performance, and secure data architecture that supports operational reporting, advanced analytics, and business intelligence.
• Integrate diverse data sources (e.g., Shopify, Funraise, Braze) into a unified architecture, ensuring seamless data flow across systems.
• Continuously assess and refine data models and infrastructure to align with evolving business needs and long-term objectives.
• Provide creative, efficient solutions for data challenges, balancing best practices with pragmatic decision-making.

Data Platform & Engineering Leadership

• Lead the migration and modernization of data platforms, ensuring minimal downtime and data integrity.
• Guide data modeling, performance tuning, and storage optimization, ensuring scalability and efficiency.
• Establish best practices for ETL/ELT workflows, balancing automation, monitoring, and fault tolerance.
• Work with cloud-based data platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) to design robust and cost-effective data solutions.
• Stay informed on emerging technologies and recommend improvements to the data ecosystem.

Data Quality & Security

• Implement frameworks for data validation, monitoring, and anomaly detection to ensure reliability and trustworthiness.
• Document data lineage, metadata, and governance policies to promote transparency and usability.
• Develop comprehensive technical documentation for data architecture, pipelines, and governance processes.

Cost Estimation & TCO

• Assess the cost implications of implementing and maintaining data solutions, considering factors such as infrastructure, licensing, operational expenses, and staffing requirements. Provide a holistic view of the total cost of ownership (TCO) for proposed architectures, ensuring solutions are scalable, efficient, and cost-effective. 
• Collaborate with stakeholders to balance performance, security, and budgetary constraints while optimizing the long-term value of data investments.

Collaboration & Leadership

• Act as a technical mentor and leader, guiding data engineers in architectural decisions and best practices.
• Work closely with business stakeholders to translate complex data requirements into practical, scalable solutions.
• Serve as a bridge between technical and non-technical teams, communicating ideas clearly and effectively.

• 8+ years of experience in data architecture, data engineering, or related fields, with a strong track record of designing and implementing scalable data solutions.
• Deep expertise in data modeling, performance tuning, and query optimization.
• Strong SQL and Python skills for developing and optimizing ETL/ELT workflows.
• Experience with modern data warehouses (e.g., Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift, Databricks), but with the ability to apply general best practices across platforms.
• Expertise in ETL/ELT tools such as Fivetran, Stitch, dbt, or Airflow.
• Strong understanding of data quality, lineage tracking, and governance best practices.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and related services (e.g., S3, Data Lakes, IAM security).
• Excellent problem-solving skills—able to balance best practices with real-world constraints and deliver solutions quickly.
• Collaborative mindset with the ability to work across teams and influence key decisions.
• Experience working remotely; prior consulting experience is a plus.

At Servant, we believe in the power of diversity and inclusion. We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply.