Data Architect

Ignite Digital is seeking an experienced Data Architect to support the design and implementation of secure, governed data architectures for a U.S. Navy program in the Norfolk, VA region. This role is responsible for developing Navyaligned data models, designing integration patterns, selecting compliant datamanagement technologies, and ensuring that mission data is stored and governed securely, consistently, and in alignment with enterprise policies.

The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise with strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate with business stakeholders, program leadership, and data governance teams.

Key Responsibilities:

Data Architecture & Modeling

• Assist in the design and implementation of enterprise data architectures that meet Navy governance, security, compliance, and operational requirements.
• Develop scalable and governed data models that support datagovernance policies, metadata standards, and business rules.
• Ensure data architecture aligns with mission needs, enterprise data strategies, and operational workflows.

Data Integration & Quality

• Design and implement data integration solutions that ensure quality, consistency, lineage tracking, and traceability across systems.
• Leverage bestpractice patterns for ingestion, validation, transformation, schema enforcement, and secure consumption layers.
• Ensure integrations comply with Navy security requirements and follow IL5/IL6 authorized environment procedures.

Technology Selection & Implementation

• Evaluate, recommend, and implement data management technologies that support governance, interoperability, and modernization goals.
• Apply DoDaligned design principles including decoupled storage/compute, curated data layers, resilience, and semanticmodel alignment.

Governance Alignment

• Ensure all data architecture decisions directly support data governance requirements including ownership, stewardship, quality checks, taxonomy alignment, and auditability.
• Partner with governance teams to reinforce policy adherence, metadata completeness, lineage tracking, and standardized data definitions.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Work closely with Navy mission stakeholders, program managers, and technical teams to ensure architectural fit with operational needs.
• Translate business requirements into data models, interfaces, governance rules, and integration patterns.

Required Skills & Experience:

• 7+ years of experience in data architecture, including data modeling, data warehousing, integration design, and enterprise data governance.
• Strong expertise in dataarchitecture principles, secure design, metadata standards, and modern cloudnative data platforms.
• Experience designing governed ingestion, transformation, and consumption layers aligned with DoD data practices.
• Strong communication skills and ability to convey technical decisions to business and mission audiences.
• Ability to work independently and cross-functionally in fastmoving Navy environments.

Education & Certifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Business Administration, Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Relevant certifications in cloud platforms, data architecture, data modeling, or governance tools are preferred.

Security Clearance

• Active DoW SECRET clearance required.

Salary: $130k+ to align with education and experience.