Data and AI Architect Manager
Avanade · Seattle, 1191 2nd Avenue, Corp, United States
The Data and AI Architect - Manager is a pivotal leadership role shaping and scaling enterprise data, analytics, and AI solutions that advance business strategy and deliver measurable results. As a trusted advisor and recognized subject matter expert, this leader helps clients modernize complex data estates and accelerate digital transformation across the Microsoft ecosystem, with a heavy focus on AI-native data platform solutions.
This leader drives end-to-end architecture and solution design—connecting business priorities, operating models, data and AI platforms, and application landscapes to create secure, scalable, and high-performing solutions tailored to each client environment. By turning complex challenges into clear, actionable data and AI architectures, this role establishes the technical foundation for sustained business value.
Come Join Us
The Data and AI Architect - Manager will lead the architecture and technical delivery of high-value data and AI solutions—turning bold designs into scalable, secure, and measurable client outcomes. This role provides hands-on technical oversight from architecture through implementation, drives critical decisions with delivery teams, and partners directly with senior client leaders to navigate complexity, accelerate execution, and ensure solutions deliver lasting business impact.
What you'll do
- Lead enterprise data, analytics and AI architecture, aligning technical decisions with client strategy, delivery priorities, and industry-leading practices.
- Turn complex business needs into clear, actionable platform architectures, modernization roadmaps, analytics capabilities, and AI-enabled solutions.
- Architect and oversee secure, scalable enterprise data platforms using Microsoft Fabric, Azure Data Services, Databricks, Snowflake, SQL, Python, Foundry and modern cloud-native technologies.
- Lead client workshops, architecture reviews, and stakeholder forums that align technical direction, accelerate decisions, and remove delivery roadblocks.
- Create and champion reusable assets, accelerators, and delivery methods that improve quality, speed, and consistency across engagements.
- Set architecture governance, quality standards, and technical guardrails for complex data migration, analytics modernization, reporting, and AI programs.
- Shape delivery plans through pragmatic estimation, technical design, architecture governance, and clear implementation roadmaps.
- Partner with senior client leaders and account teams to connect data and AI investments to measurable business outcomes and long-term value.
- Provide hands-on technical oversight from architecture through implementation, validating critical design choices and ensuring solutions are built to perform at enterprise scale.
- Anticipate and resolve technical risks, dependencies, and delivery challenges before they affect scope, quality, or outcomes.
- Guide and mentor architects, engineers, and cross-functional delivery teams, raising technical standards and building confidence in execution.
- Coordinate with global teams and technology partners to bring the right expertise to each engagement, share knowledge, and scale proven Data & AI capabilities.
- Apply emerging advances in data engineering, generative AI, agentic AI, real-time intelligence, IoT, and cloud platforms to continuously elevate client solutions.
Priority Skill
- Enterprise Data Platform Architecture
- Deep expertise in the Microsoft Data & AI platform and ecosystem
- Expertise in Knowledge Engineering and building Knowledge Graphs
- Expertise in data modeling, semantic modeling and ontologies
- Technical skills: Microsoft Fabric, Databricks (Data Platform and Genie), Python, Neo4J, SQL, Power BI, Foundry, Copilot Studio
Job Requirements:
- Ability to work a flexible schedule as business needs require, with reasonable accommodation provided where required by applicable law.
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally, as business needs require.
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Skills & Experience
- Minimum of 7+ years of experience in Data Engineering, Knowledge Engineering Data Architecture, Analytics, AI, or consulting roles, including 2+ years operating in a client-facing leadership capacity
- Minimum of 2+ years of experience leading enterprise-scale Data & AI platform modernization initiatives, including platform transformations, analytics modernization, or AI-enabled data platform programs
- Demonstrated experience supporting or leading deals valued at $2M+ or equivalent enterprise-scale opportunities
- Minimum of 5+ years of hands-on experience designing and implementing enterprise data platforms using Microsoft Azure Data Services, Databricks, Snowflake, Microsoft Fabric, or comparable technologies
- Minimum of 2+ years of experience architecting cloud-based data solutions, including data lakes, lakehouses, cloud analytics platforms, or modern data warehouse architectures
- At least 5+ years of experience utilizing Python and SQL for data engineering, analytics, integration, and platform development
- Minimum of 3+ years of experience delivering large-scale data migration, integration, governance, or modernization programs
- At least 2+ years of experience leading client workshops, executive stakeholder engagements, architecture reviews, and technical strategy discussions
- Minimum of 3+ years of experience working with DevOps, DataOps, MLOps, SDLC, and Agile delivery methodologies
- Minimum of 2+ years of experience applying Generative AI, machine learning, advanced analytics, or Agentic AI solutions within enterprise environments
- Education level: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, Data Science, Mathematics, or a related quantitative field OR equivalent experience (Minimum 10 years of experience with no degree or 8 years with an Associate’s Degree)
About you
Preferred Qualifications
- Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Azure Data Engineer Professional, Fabric Analytics Engineer, AI Engineer, or equivalent certification
- Experience in management consulting and/or systems integration environments
- Advanced degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, Machine Learning, or related quantitative discipline
- Strong experience with Microsoft Fabric, Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Data Factory, Azure Databricks, Foundry, Copilot Studio, and Snowflake
- Experience designing and implementing Lakehouse, Data Mesh, Cloud Scale Analytics, Modern Data Warehouse, or Fabric-based architectures
- Ability to architect integrations between AI agents and enterprise applications, APIs, MCP servers, data platforms, Microsoft 365 services, and business processes.
- Knowledge of streaming analytics, real-time intelligence, IoT, Digital Twins, and event-driven architectures
- Experience developing enterprise data and AI governance, data quality, metadata management, master data management strategies, and responsible AI
- Ability to articulate Data & AI use cases across multiple industries including Manufacturing, Health & Life Sciences, Retail, Financial Services, and Resources
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence senior technology and business leaders
- Experience presenting architectural designs and investment strategies to senior client stakeholders
Professional Skills
- Strong delivery acumen with the ability to translate complex requirements into clear priorities, decisive action, and measurable client outcomes
- Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams through complex delivery challenges while maintaining momentum, quality, and accountability
- Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build trusted advisor relationships with senior client stakeholders
- Ability to drive consensus and architectural decision-making across business and technology stakeholders
- Demonstrated ability to op