OA-Data Platform Architect

Working under the direction of the Chief Data and AI Officer, this position designs, engineers, and delivers reusable cloud-based data products and shared services that enable agencies to securely develop digital services. This role will balance tech strategy with practical execution, partner with solution architects, data teams in delivery centers and enterprise tech teams such as security, governance.

AM-Brian Gross

Hybrid - one day weekly (Tue, Wed or Thursday) in office--607 South Drive, Forum Building 5th floor, Harrisburg

Interview type: Screening with hiring manager, virtual interview with 2more people, final in person at Harrisburg

COPA is establishing a new CDAI Office to build enterprise data capabilities that will enable every agency to deliver improved digital services, data analytics and AI solutions. This is a technical leadership position for the implementation and continual evolution of the Commonwealth s enterprise data platforms. Working under the direction of the Chief Data and AI Officer, this position designs, engineers, and delivers reusable cloud-based data products and shared services that enable agencies to securely develop digital services. The position establishes engineering practices, implementation standards, automation, and shared platform services that support enterprise modernization while enabling agencies to consume standardized capabilities rather than developing agency-specific solutions.
This role will balance tech strategy with practical execution, partner with solution architects, data teams in delivery centers and enterprise tech teams such as security, governance.


Key Responsibilities
1.Enterprise Platform Architecture
Define target architecture for an enterprise data platform
Multi-year roadmap aligned to enterprise modernization initiatives
Evaluate emerging tech while maintaining architectural consistency
2.Platform Engineering
Build MVP and mature cloud data platform over time
Set engineering standards and operational guardrails
Design secure multi-tenant environments capable of serving multiple agencies with data co-mingling considerations
Partner with CISO teams to implement IAM, encryption and audit capabilities
3.Enterprise enablement
Design and build platform services instead of agency-specific implementations
Develop onboarding patterns for agencies adopting enterprise products and services
Ensure alignment across modernization initiatives
Develop data products identified by Product team and AI-ready infrastructure
4.Leadership
Develop engineering best practices
Collaborate with tech leaders across agencies and enterprise
Partner with cloud, integration and data teams to implement enterprise data products.
Promote API-first and product-based approaches to information sharing.
Desired Background and Experience


Bachelor of Computer Science, Information Systems, Systems Programming or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience
10+ years of experience building large scale cloud data platforms
At least 7 years of hands-on experience in modern data architecture, platform engineering, cloud infrastructure
Experience designing and implementing enterprise security controls for cloud data platforms, including IAM, RBAC etc.
Proven experience building and operating cloud infrastructure as Code (Terraform or equivalent)
Hands-on experience implementing modern DevSecOps practices and champion shift-left approach to security
Partner with Cloud Engineering, CISO and GRC teams to integrate security controls into the data platforms while maintaining clear ownership boundaries.
Data Platform & Services experience including platforms Snowflake, Databricks, AWS, Azure, containerized applications
Soft skills important to this role
oEffective communication of technology concept to non-tech audience
oCan start from ground up
oThink patterns and reusable capabilities
oWorked at enterprise level for data platforms supporting multiple teams across the company
oLead through influence[SK1.1][NN1.2] not direct reports