Data Governance Architect – Databricks and Collibra

Responsibilities

• Design and implement enterprise data governance architecture across modern data platforms, including Databricks, Collibra, cloud storage, business intelligence, and analytics environments.
• Define governance patterns for a Databricks Lakehouse environment, including Bronze, Silver, and Gold data layers, metadata standards, ownership models, lineage, access controls, data quality, retention, and certification.
• Partner with data engineering teams to embed governance controls into Medallion Architecture pipelines, including ingestion standards, transformation rules, validation checkpoints, and governed data product practices.
• Lead architecture and configuration planning for Collibra, including data catalog, business glossary, stewardship workflows, policy management, lineage, and governed asset structures.
• Create metadata models that connect business terms, data products, datasets, reports, pipelines, ownership, stewardship, and regulatory classifications.
• Architect governance solutions using Unity Catalog, Collibra, cloud identity and access controls, privacy tooling, security controls, and data quality frameworks.
• Establish governance standards for regulated data across research, clinical, regulatory, manufacturing, quality, commercial, and enterprise domains.
• Produce reference architectures, implementation patterns, technical standards, and design documentation to support scalable governance adoption.
• Advise on integration patterns between Collibra and Databricks for metadata harvesting, catalog synchronization, lineage capture, stewardship workflows, and policy enforcement.
• Support enterprise data product strategy through governed datasets, domain ownership models, reusable data assets, and scalable governance operating practices.
• Collaborate with enterprise architecture, platform, security, privacy, compliance, quality, and business data teams to align governance capabilities with technical and regulatory needs.

Required experience and skills

• 8 or more years of experience in data architecture, data governance architecture, information architecture, data management, or enterprise data platform roles.
• Experience within pharmaceutical, biotech, life sciences, healthcare, or another regulated industry.
• Strong knowledge of Databricks Lakehouse, Unity Catalog, Delta Lake, platform access controls, lineage capabilities, workspace patterns, and governance design.
• Hands-on experience with Medallion Architecture, including Bronze, Silver, and Gold layer design and governance.
• Hands-on experience with Collibra, including data catalog, glossary, workflows, stewardship, lineage, policy configuration, and asset model design.
• Deep understanding of metadata management, lineage, data quality, master or reference data, access management, privacy classification, lifecycle controls, and policy management.
• Experience designing governance frameworks for regulated data, including industry compliance requirements related to clinical, patient, quality, and sensitive enterprise data.
• Ability to translate business, compliance, privacy, and regulatory requirements into scalable technical governance architecture.
• Experience with cloud data platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
• Strong documentation, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience integrating Collibra with Databricks, Unity Catalog, cloud platforms, business intelligence tools, extract transform load tools, or data quality platforms is highly valuable.
• Familiarity with data quality tools, governed data product models, domain-based ownership, semantic layers, ontology, master data, reference data, or knowledge graph concepts is beneficial.
• Certifications related to Databricks, Collibra, cloud architecture, enterprise architecture, or data management are a plus.

FAQ

1. What does a Data Governance Architect do in a Databricks and Collibra environment?
A Data Governance Architect develops and oversees frameworks that ensure enterprise data is managed consistently, securely, and effectively. In environments using Databricks and Collibra, the role focuses on connecting governance processes with modern data platforms to improve data quality, visibility, compliance, and business value.

2. How does this role support data-driven decision-making?
By establishing trusted data standards, governance policies, and metadata management practices, the architect helps ensure stakeholders can confidently access and use accurate information. Strong governance improves the reliability of analytics, reporting, and strategic decision-making.

3. What are the key responsibilities related to Databricks?
Responsibilities may include defining governance controls for data lakehouse environments, implementing access management strategies, supporting data lineage visibility, and collaborating with data engineering teams to ensure governed data operations. The role helps maximize the value of enterprise data assets stored within Databricks.

4. How is Collibra utilized in this position?
Collibra is often used to manage data catalogs, business glossaries, stewardship workflows, and metadata repositories. The architect leverages these capabilities to improve data discoverability, establish ownership, and support governance processes across the organization.

5. How does the role interact with business and technical stakeholders?
The architect works closely with data stewards, business leaders, compliance teams, data engineers, and analytics professionals. Collaboration is essential for defining governance standards, resolving data management challenges, and driving adoption of governance practices.

6. What is the significance of data lineage and metadata management?
Data lineage helps organizations understand how data moves across systems and transformations, while metadata management provides context about data assets. Together, these capabilities improve transparency, support compliance efforts, and enhance trust in enterprise data.

7. What challenges are commonly associated with this role?
Common challenges include governing large-scale data environments, aligning multiple departments around common standards, maintaining accurate metadata, and balancing regulatory requirements with business agility. Driving enterprise-wide governance adoption often requires strong communication and leadership skills.