Solutions Architect - Public Sector (DoW - 4th Estate)

Location: Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, D.C.; candidates in other locations will also be considered.

Salary: $180,000–$247,500 USD annually.

Company

Databricks is a Data and AI company providing a unified platform for data engineering, machine learning, analytics, lakehouse architecture, and AI applications.

What you will do

• Own end-to-end technical strategy for customer accounts from discovery through production deployment and consumption growth.
• Lead architecture discussions and design scalable, production-grade solutions across data engineering, ML/AI, and real-time analytics.
• Advise customer architects, engineering leads, and Directors on technical strategy and trade-offs.
• Demonstrate Databricks differentiation through custom-built solutions and drive competitive technical wins, platform adoption, and consumption growth.
• Develop a technical specialization in an area such as real-time and streaming systems, ML/AI, data governance, or migrations.
• Coordinate DSAs, SSAs, and partners while providing structured feedback on customer requirements and competitive gaps.

Requirements

• 7+ years of experience in solutions architecture, data engineering, technical pre-sales, or a senior hands-on technical role.
• Strong coding proficiency in Python and SQL, including live coding, debugging, and solution-building skills.
• Deep expertise in distributed data systems architecture, including scalable pipelines, streaming architectures, lakehouse patterns, and cloud-native data platforms.
• Proficiency with the Databricks Platform or the ability to achieve proficiency rapidly, with a developing specialization in one technical area.
• Experience leading architecture discussions with senior technical stakeholders, including whiteboarding, design reviews, and trade-off analysis.
• Experience with production deployments on AWS, Azure, or GCP, including infrastructure, security, and governance considerations.
• Track record of driving platform adoption and consumption growth within accounts.
• Excellent communication skills for translating complex architectures into business value for technical and executive audiences.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a quantitative discipline, or equivalent experience.

Nice to have

• Databricks certifications in Data Engineer, ML, or Platform.
• Experience with Snowflake, AWS native services, or Azure Synapse.
• Background in a data/AI company or cloud provider.
• Industry expertise in Financial Services, Healthcare, Retail, Media, or another relevant domain.

Culture & Benefits

• Comprehensive employee benefits and perks, with details varying by region.
• Inclusive hiring practices and a commitment to diversity and equal employment opportunity.
• Potential eligibility for an annual performance bonus and equity in addition to compensation.

Hiring process

• Recruiter screen followed by a hiring manager screen.
• Design and architecture interview, live coding assessment, and Build, Demo, Pitch! presentation.
• Reference check.