Architect III – Azure Data Platform / Enterprise Data Architect
Strategic Staffing Solutions · Houston, TX
$85–$130/hrfrom the description
Jul 22, 2026
Houston, TX
Jul 24, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A senior data architect role focused on designing and guiding the build-out of large-scale cloud data platforms for a global energy company. Day-to-day work spans vendor evaluations, proof-of-concept work, end-to-end solution design on Azure and Databricks, and hands-on technical leadership for engineering teams. Suits an experienced enterprise architect with deep Azure data services knowledge and a background in data governance, lakehouse architecture, and cloud modernization programs.
Senior level · 10+ years · Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX · Contract
“or” means any one of them counts — you don't need all of them.
Posted 2 times — it's one opening, so apply once.
We read this from the posting text with AI. Skim the description below before ruling yourself out.
How this req sits in the market our data
Roughly 1 people in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX area plausibly meet what this posting asks for (database administrators). range 1–1
Applicant volume Light — Few people clear these requirements, so an application that does clear them gets looked at. Worth applying to even if you miss a nice-to-have.
Rare in this occupation — lead with these, and say what you built with them.
Most people in this occupation already list these. Still required — just not what gets you shortlisted.
What the occupation pays Median $118,582 (middle half $86,910–$144,182). This posting is about at that midpoint.
Estimated from BLS employment for this occupation and area, per-skill prevalence across our listing corpus, and published wage benchmarks — as of Jul 28, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (10)
The title 'Architect III' maps to a senior individual-contributor level; the role's scope (enterprise-wide design, PoC leadership, vendor evaluation) is consistent with Senior rather than Staff or Principal — 10+ years is standard for a Senior Architect at a large energy firm.
SOC code 15-1243 (Database Architects) was chosen because the primary day-to-day work is designing enterprise data platforms, pipelines, and governance architecture (Lakehouse, Medallion, data governance). 15-1252 (Software Developers) is a plausible runner-up given the hands-on coding requirements (Python, PowerShell, CI/CD, Spark).
Collibra, Monte Carlo, and ServiceNow are listed together as 'or similar' alternatives under Required Technical Skills; Collibra is used as the primary skill name with the others captured as alternatives.
TOGAF and DAMA-DMBOK are frameworks/methodologies rather than tools, but they are named explicitly in the Required Technical Skills section and function as concrete, named credentials/standards that gate the role — included as required skills.
Lakehouse Architecture and Medallion Architecture are named design patterns explicitly required; included as skills to reflect the JD's explicit gate on these architectural competencies.
IAM (Identity & Access Management) is listed in the Required Technical Skills section; included as a required skill representing the security/access management capability gate.
Microsoft Azure certifications (Solutions Architect Expert, Data Engineer Associate) and Databricks Certifications appear under Preferred Qualifications — marked as preferred accordingly.
This is a 5-month W2 contract (8/3/2026 – 1/1/2027), onsite in Houston, TX. Pay is quoted as $85–$130/hour (W2).
Ignored 5 non-technology phrase(s) as skills (responsibilities/concepts, not named tools): Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2, Lakehouse Architecture, Medallion Architecture, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Azure Data Engineer Associate.
Posting is for a contract engagement — the market benchmarks below price full-time roles, so read the comp comparison with that in mind.
Read the full posting
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