Senior Data Architect- Snowflake

USEReady is a data and analytics firm that provides the strategies, tools, capability, and capacity that businesses need to turn their data into a competitive advantage. USEReady partners with cloud and data ecosystem leaders like Tableau, Salesforce, Snowflake and Amazon Web Services, and has been named Tableau partner of the year multiple times. We are seeking a distinguished Principal Snowflake Architect to act as a Trusted Advisor and Global Evangelist for our data practice, focusing specifically on the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector. This role requires a rare blend of deep, hands-on architectural expertise (15+ years of data experience, 6+ years on Snowflake) and proven thought leadership (Snowflake Data Superhero profile, speaker, multiple certifications). You will be responsible for defining our most complex customer data strategies and elevating our brand reputation through community engagement. Key Responsibilities Strategic Architecture & Advisory (BFSI Core) - Solution Articulation: Serve as the lead technical consultant, translating complex C-level banking business challenges (e.g., regulatory change, real-time risk modeling, customer 360) into clear, scalable, and secure Snowflake Data Cloud solutions. - Architecture Design: Define the target state architecture for large-scale data migrations from legacy systems (Teradata, Oracle) to Snowflake, ensuring performance, cost efficiency, and security best practices. - Security & Compliance: Design and enforce data governance frameworks within Snowflake to meet stringent BFSI regulatory requirements (e.g., AML, KYC, Basel III, CCPA/GDPR) using features like Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), Dynamic Data Masking, and External Tokenization. - Emerging Tech: Lead the adoption and application of Snowpark (Python, Scala, Java), Snowpipe Streaming, and the Native Application Framework for advanced financial analytics, AI/ML, and data monetization strategies. Community Leadership & Thought Evangelism - Public Speaker: Actively represent the company as a keynote or track speaker at global data events, including Snowflake Summit and local User Groups, focusing on innovative BFSI use cases. - Content Creation: Author high-impact technical white papers, blogs, and reference architectures that establish expertise in financial data modernization and advanced Snowflake features. - Mentorship: Mentor and train the next generation of internal architects and engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and contributing to the global Snowflake community (ideally holding or pursuing Snowflake Data Superhero status). - Pre-Sales Support: Lead technical discovery sessions and whiteboarding exercises with strategic clients, providing expert guidance and building trust. Key Competencies (Solution Articulation) - Executive Presence: Ability to communicate complex architectural concepts to both C-level executives and hands-on engineering teams with clarity and persuasion. - Advisory Acumen: Proven ability to listen to a customer's business problem and immediately map it to a feasible, cost-optimized, and compliant Snowflake solution. - Consultative Approach: Track record of guiding customers through organizational, process, and technology change related to cloud adoption. Requirements - Total Experience - 15+ years in Data Architecture, Data Warehousing, or Cloud Engineering. - Snowflake Expertise- 6+ years of expert, hands-on architecture experience with the Snowflake Data Cloud. - Domain Expertise (MANDATORY) 7+ years of direct experience in the Banking, Financial Services, or Insurance (BFSI) sector, demonstrating deep knowledge of regulatory reporting, core banking systems, and risk management. - Certifications (MULTIPLE) - Required: SnowPro Advanced Architect. Required: SnowPro Core. Preferred: At least one other advanced certification (e.g., Data Engineer, Data Scientist, Administrator). - Technical Skills - Expert in SQL and proficiency in Python (Snowpark). Deep experience with ETL/ELT tools (e.g., dbt, Informatica) and major cloud providers (AWS, Azure, or GCP).