Lead Data Architect

ABOUT US:
Kestra Holdings offers industry-leading wealth management platforms for independent wealth management professionals nationwide. With an innovative culture that celebrates independence, the company seeks to redefine the future of the advisory industry through superior service, cutting-edge technology, and preeminent resources that every financial professional needs to succeed in the market now and in the years to come.
Kestra Holdings companies collectively oversee $123 billion in assets under administration (AUA) and support more than 2,400+ independent financial professionals across the country in delivering comprehensive securities, trust, and investment advisory services to their clients. Located in the “Silicon Hills” of Austin, Texas, Kestra Holdings offers an experience as unique as the city in which it operates.


We are seeking a Lead Data Architect to drive the design and implementation of our enterprise data architecture with a focus on Azure Data Lake, Databricks, and Lakehouse architecture. This role will serve as the data design authority, ensuring alignment with enterprise standards while enabling business value through scalable, high-quality data solutions.
The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in wealth management or financial services, deep expertise in data modeling, MDM (e.g., Profisee), and experience architecting cloud-native data platforms that support analytics, AI/ML, and regulatory and compliance requirements.


Key Responsibilities
• Define and own the enterprise data architecture strategy, standards, and patterns across Wealth Management initiatives.
• Lead the design and implementation of Azure-based Lakehouse architecture leveraging Azure Data Lake, Databricks, Delta Lake, and related services.
• Serve as the data design authority, governing data models, integration patterns, metadata management, and data quality standards.
• Architect and implement Master Data Management (MDM) solutions, preferably with Profisee, to ensure golden records, hierarchies, and reference data integrity.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders, data engineers, and analysts to translate business requirements into scalable data architecture and data models.
• Ensure alignment with data governance, security, and compliance frameworks (e.g., FINRA, SEC).
• Provide technical leadership in data design, ETL/ELT best practices, and performance optimization.
• Partner with enterprise architects, solution architects, and technology leaders to integrate data architecture with application and cloud strategies.
• Mentor and guide data engineers and modelers, building a culture of engineering and architecture excellence.


Required Qualifications
• 10+ years of experience in data architecture, data engineering, or related fields, with at least 5 years in a lead/architect capacity.
• Strong expertise in Azure Data Lake, Databricks, Delta Lake, and Lakehouse architecture.
• Hands-on experience architecting and implementing MDM solutions (Profisee strongly preferred).
• Deep knowledge of data modeling (conceptual, logical, physical) and metadata management.
• Experience as a data design authority, setting standards and ensuring architectural alignment across programs.
• Strong understanding of Wealth Management / Financial Services business processes, data domains (clients, accounts, portfolios, products, transactions), and regulatory data needs.
• Proficiency in SQL, Python, Spark, and modern ELT/ETL tools.
• Familiarity with data governance, lineage, cataloging, and data quality tools.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills to engage with senior business and technology stakeholders.


Preferred Qualifications
• Experience with real-time data streaming (Kafka, Event Hub).
• Exposure to BI/Analytics platforms (Power BI, Tableau) integrated with Lakehouse.
• Knowledge of data security and privacy frameworks in financial services.
• Cloud certification in Microsoft Azure Data Engineering/Architecture.


INTERNAL APPLICANT POLICY:
Internal applicants must be in good standing and have a minimum of 1 year of service with Kestra. Internal applicants must also have a minimum of 1 year service in current role unless approved by EVP.

BENEFITS:
Full health, vision, dental. 401(k) plans along with a host of voluntary plans such as car insurance, legal services and more.
DISCLOSURE
By applying to a job at Kestra Financial, Inc., you are agreeing to the following statements:
• You acknowledge that if hired, Kestra Financial, Inc. may, obtain and use background information concerning your credit, character, general reputation, personal characteristics, work habits, performance and experience for evaluation for your potential employment.
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