Big Data Architect IV

About the position GAMA-1 is seeking an experienced and highly skilled Big Data Architect IV to join our growing cloud engineering team in a telework environment. The ideal candidate will possess deep expertise in various cloud storage solutions, with a strong focus on Amazon Web Services (AWS) technologies such as S3, Amazon FSx, and Glacier. A deep understanding and experience with the principles of Data Lake/Mesh architecture is essential for success in this role. The SME will be responsible for designing, implementing, and optimizing our cloud storage infrastructure to ensure scalability, security, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with modern data architecture patterns. Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Responsibilities • Act as a subject matter expert for big data and enterprise storage solutions, including structured and unstructured data. • Develop and maintain the cloud storage architecture roadmap, focusing on scalability, security, and cost-efficiency using AWS storage services (e.g., S3, EBS, EFS, Glacier, FSx). • Design, implement, and optimize AWS storage services (e.g., Amazon S3, EBS, EFS, FSx, Glacier) for scalability, performance, and cost efficiency. • Support architecture and operations of data lakes, data warehouses, data mesh and hybrid cloud storage environments. • Lead the design and implementation of Data Lake and Data Mesh architectures, ensuring optimal data ingestion, storage, and access patterns. • Drive and execute the migration of large-scale on-premises storage solutions (e.g., SAN, NAS, tape libraries) to cloud-native storage services. • Provide guidance on data lifecycle management, backup, recovery, retention, and archiving strategies. • Evaluate new cloud storage technologies and features, making recommendations for adoption to enhance business capabilities. • Provide subject matter expertise and technical guidance to infrastructure, DevOps, and data engineering teams on best practices for cloud storage optimization, governance, and disaster recovery. • Collaborate with data engineering, analytics, infrastructure, and cybersecurity teams to support mission objectives. • Troubleshoot complex storage, performance, and availability issues. • Develop and maintain technical documentation, diagrams, and standard operating procedures. • Provide technical mentoring and knowledge sharing to team members. Requirements • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience). • 8+ years of experience in big data storage, data infrastructure, or enterprise storage environments. • Hands-on experience with AWS, including designing and managing cloud-based storage solutions. • Extensive experience with modern data architectures, including designing, implementing, and optimizing Data Lake and Data Mesh environments. • Proven track record of successfully planning and executing complex migration projects from on-premises storage to cloud storage services. • Deep understanding of storage architecture principles, including block, file, and object storage, and experience designing solutions for high-performance and high-availability. • Knowledge of storage performance tuning, capacity planning, and high availability. • Experience working in federal government or regulated environments. • Strong communication skills and the ability to support technical and non-technical stakeholders. • Ability to obtain a security clearance Nice-to-haves • AWS certifications (e.g., AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate or Professional) - AWS Certified Storage - Specialty certification or equivalent. • Experience with container storage solutions (e.g., Kubernetes Persistent Volumes, CSI drivers). • Experience with hybrid cloud or cloud migration initiatives. • Familiarity with DevSecOps and Infrastructure as Code tools (e.g., Terraform, CloudFormation). • Prior experience supporting federal contracts. • Experience with other public cloud providers' storage solutions (Azure Blob Storage, Google Cloud Storage). • Familiarity with serverless technologies (AWS Lambda) for data processing and storage events. Benefits • health insurance coverage • life and disability insurance • 401(k) savings plan • training and career development opportunities • paid holidays • paid time off (PTO - to cover vacation, illness or disability, appointments, emergencies or other situations that require time off from work)