Resident Solution Architect (Databricks)

ABOUT THE ROLE We are a privately held IT and MarTech consultancy working with enterprise clients across regulated industries. We are looking for a senior, hands-on Resident Solution Architect with deep expertise in the Databricks Lakehouse Platform to join our team on a W2 contract basis. In this role, you will lead and deliver large-scale Databricks implementations, advise clients on platform best practices, and serve as a trusted technical authority across data engineering and analytics engagements. WHAT YOU'LL DO - Architect, design, and deliver end-to-end Databricks implementations for enterprise clients. - Serve as a hands-on solution architect, guiding technical teams through complex data platform builds. - Apply deep knowledge of the Databricks Lakehouse Platform — including current capabilities, Delta Lake, and best practices — to drive client outcomes. - Leverage Apache Spark expertise (including runtime internals) for performance tuning, optimization, and scalability of large-scale data platforms. - Design and support CI/CD pipelines for production data platform deployments. - Advise on and implement MLOps workflows in collaboration with data science teams. - Work across one or more major cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) to deliver scalable, cloud-native solutions. - Translate complex technical requirements into actionable architectural recommendations for both technical and non-technical stakeholders. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR Required: - Must be authorized to work in the United States without visa sponsorship (W2 contract — no C2C or 1099). - 10+ years of consulting experience, with 7+ years focused on Data Engineering, Data Platforms, and Analytics. - Hands-on delivery of 6–8+ Databricks implementation projects at enterprise scale. - Strong understanding of the Databricks Lakehouse Platform, including platform capabilities and best practices. - Deep expertise in Apache Spark and distributed computing, including Spark runtime internals. - Completed Databricks Data Engineering Professional Certification. - Hands-on experience with at least one major cloud platform: AWS, Azure, or GCP. - Proven experience with performance tuning, optimization, and scalability of large-scale data platforms. - Solid understanding of CI/CD pipelines for production deployments. - Working knowledge of MLOps principles and tooling. Nice to Have: - Multi-cloud experience spanning two or more of AWS, Azure, and GCP. COMPENSATION & BENEFITS - Pay Rate: Up to $80/hr on W2 - W2 contract engagement LOCATION - Based in San Ramon, CA - Visa sponsorship is not available for this role — candidates must be authorized to work in the US without sponsorship.