Lead Data Engineer

Deloitte’s AI & Data team is seeking a Lead Data Engineer II to set direction for enterprise data architecture and to guide data engineering delivery and migration activities. The role partners with data scientists, analysts, and business stakeholders to ensure architectural decisions support both operational needs and analytical outcomes.

Role Overview

In this onsite position in Richmond, VA, you will define and govern enterprise data architecture, establish canonical data models and platform standards, and provide technical oversight across data engineering work. You will also lead planning and execution for data migration, including cutover readiness and validation activities.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and govern enterprise data architecture, including logical and physical data models, database schemas, and hierarchical and recursive data structures.
• Design and oversee canonical data models, ontology structures, and platform data standards to support consistency, scalability, and system performance.
• Provide technical oversight for data engineering delivery, including pipeline design, schema changes, code reviews, quality controls, and architectural approvals.
• Lead data migration planning and execution, covering sequencing, mapping, validation, reconciliation, rollback planning, and issue resolution during cutover.
• Collaborate with data scientists, analysts, and business stakeholders to align architecture decisions with operational requirements and future analytical needs.

Required Qualifications

• Ability to work independently while collaborating as part of a team.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Meticulous attention to detail and focus on quality of work product.
• Ability to build and sustain professional relationships.
• Ability to lead projects or workstreams.
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills and professional demeanor.
• Ability to meet deadlines.
• Ability to mentor and provide clear guidance to others.
• Bachelor’s degree.
• 5+ years of experience designing database architectures, including recursive and hierarchical data structures.
• 4+ years of experience with SQL and data modeling, including relational, dimensional, and graph-oriented models.
• 4+ years of experience with PySpark and ETL/ELT pipeline tools (extract, transform, load / extract, load, transform).
• Must be able to obtain and maintain the required clearance for this role.
• Ability to travel 25% average based on work, clients, and industries/sectors served.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship, now or in the future.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading enterprise data migration efforts from legacy systems to target-state platforms.
• Experience leading data engineering teams or technical workstreams.
• Experience translating business requirements into technical data architecture designs.

Technologies

• SQL
• PySpark
• ETL (extract, transform, load)
• ELT (extract, load, transform)
• Relational models
• Dimensional models
• Graph-oriented models

Compensation

The wage range for this role is estimated at USD 110,700 to 174,600 per year.