Data Architect
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Country: United States
Category: Data & Analytics
Workplace Location: Onsite
Employment Type: Contract To Hire
Posted Date: September 21, 2026
Job ID: 651935
Job Description
Data Architect
Location: Virginia or Columbus, OH
Rate: $70-100/hour
Contract to hire
The Planet Group has partnered with a Virginia based company to locate a Data Architect for a contract-to-hire position.
We are seeking an experienced Data Architect to design and guide the implementation of modern, scalable enterprise data solutions. This individual will assess current data environments, identify opportunities for improvement, and develop architectures that align technology capabilities with business objectives.
The ideal candidate can operate at both strategic and tactical levels--making significant architectural decisions, communicating recommendations to technical and business stakeholders, and helping delivery teams turn those recommendations into working solutions. This role requires someone who maintains strong technical depth and is comfortable contributing hands-on when needed.
Responsibilities
- Assess current-state data environments, including data sources, integration patterns, storage, processing, governance, and consumption.
- Design scalable data architectures across cloud and on-premises environments.
- Identify opportunities for modernization, optimization, improved performance, and cost savings.
- Develop future-state architectures and strategic roadmaps aligned with business priorities.
- Make and document major architectural decisions, including technical options, tradeoffs, risks, and expected business value.
- Translate business and technical requirements into practical data solutions.
- Provide technical leadership and architectural direction throughout solution implementation.
- Lead and collaborate with architects, data engineers, developers, and other delivery professionals.
- Establish and promote data architecture standards, patterns, and best practices.
- Ensure solutions address data governance, security, privacy, quality, and regulatory considerations.
- Communicate complex technical concepts clearly to business stakeholders and technology teams.
- Mentor and develop other technical professionals.
- Remain technically engaged and contribute hands-on when necessary.
Required Skills and Experience
- Five or more years of experience designing and delivering enterprise data architecture solutions.
- Experience working across complex cloud and on-premises data environments.
- Proven ability to assess current-state environments and develop actionable future-state architectures.
- Experience owning significant data architecture and design decisions.
- Ability to connect architectural recommendations to business value, including modernization, scalability, optimization, cost savings, and improved access to data.
- Experience guiding solutions through implementation rather than operating solely in an advisory capacity.
- Demonstrated ability to lead delivery teams and provide technical direction throughout the project lifecycle.
- Strong understanding of modern data architecture, including data ingestion, integration, storage, processing, modeling, and delivery.
- Experience with AWS, Microsoft Azure, and/or Google Cloud Platform.
- Experience with modern data platforms such as Snowflake and/or Databricks.
- Strong SQL and Python skills.
- Experience with modern data integration and real-time or event-driven technologies.
- Knowledge of data governance, data security, privacy, quality, and enterprise data management practices.
- Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills.
- Ability to navigate changing requirements and complex technical environments.
- Willingness to remain hands-on and contribute technically when needed.
Preferred Experience
- Experience across multiple cloud platforms or enterprise environments.
- Experience with both Snowflake and Databricks.
- Experience with Kafka, Kinesis, Airflow, Dataflow, or similar data integration and event-processing technologies.
- Experience with NoSQL technologies such as MongoDB, DynamoDB, HBase, or Cosmos DB.
- Experience with master data management, metadata management, data governance, security, or privacy initiatives.
- Experience modernizing legacy or on-premises data environments and transitioning them to cloud-based architectures.
- Experience identifying opportunities for technical optimization and cost savings.
- Experience developing strategic data roadmaps aligned with broader business initiatives.
- Experience mentoring architects, engineers, developers, or other technical professionals.
- Experience scoping solutions, estimating technical work, and presenting recommendations to senior stakeholders.
- Demonstrated career progression into architecture and technical leadership responsibilities.
- Experience working across multiple industries, organizations, or large-scale enterprise environments.
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The Planet Group and our companies are equal opportunity employers. It is our practice not to discriminate against any employee or applicant based on any criteria, condition or basis protected by laws or regulations in the locations where we do business. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply. We celebrate diversity and are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect. We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion enable us to better meet our mission and values while serving our clients across the globe. If you have a disability or handicap and would like us to accommodate you in any reasonable way, please inform your recruiter, or contact us, so that we can discuss the appropriate alternatives available.
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About The Planet Group
The Planet Group is a global professional services firm delivering strategic staffing and advisory solutions. We operate at the intersection of talent and transformation – connecting the right people with the right opportunities in the areas of technology, engineering, accounting & finance, digital marketing, and manufacturing.
As one of the largest staffing companies in the US, we operate with a global reach and a performance-first mindset. We partner with clients to move fast, stay agile, and drive measurable results – building high-impact teams that fuel transformation and growth.
