Snowflake Senior Architect

Description:

Fineta is seeking an experienced Snowflake Architect to join our growing data practice. You will lead the design and delivery of cloud data platform solutions for clients. This is a hands-on architectural role requiring deep Snowflake expertise, a strong data engineering background, and proven success delivering database migrations on AWS and Azure. Candidates must have a minimum of 10 years' IT experience and have completed at least two full lifecycle Snowflake implementations to be considered.

Key Responsibilities

Architecture & Design

Lead end-to-end Snowflake platform design including database, schema, and role hierarchy across complex organisational structures
Design and enforce medallion (bronze/silver/gold) or equivalent layered architecture patterns, with clear understanding of the trade-offs in a Snowflake context
Architect multi-cluster warehouse strategies with appropriate sizing, scaling policies, and cost controls baked in from the outset
Define and document data architecture decisions, driving consistency across dev, test, and production environments
Data Engineering & Pipelines

Design and implement data ingestion using Snowpipe, COPY INTO, and Streams+Tasks, selecting the right approach based on use case
Handle schema evolution in continuous ingestion pipelines without breaking downstream consumers
Implement strategies for late-arriving and out-of-order data in live production environments
Develop and maintain big data pipelines, data reconciliation processes, transformation rules, and data flow diagrams
Evaluate and adopt Dynamic Tables and Snowpark where they add measurable value over existing patterns
Performance & Optimisation

Diagnose and resolve query performance issues using Query Profile and QUERY_HISTORY views, proactively rather than reactively
Define and manage clustering key strategies; validate micro-partition pruning effectiveness and adjust accordingly
Apply query and cost optimisation techniques to ensure platform efficiency and long-term value
Lead and execute database migrations to Snowflake from legacy or on-premise systems on AWS and Azure
Security & Governance

Design and implement RBAC hierarchies across complex organisations, with a clear rationale for role structure
Apply column-level security and row access policies to sensitive datasets in financial services contexts
Manage secrets, credentials, and service account access across dev, test, and prod environments
Ensure compliance with data governance, security, and regulatory frameworks relevant to BFSI (e.g. GDPR, FCA)
Cost Management

Establish resource monitors, warehouse budgets, and cost allocation governance across teams and business units
Provide regular cost reporting to stakeholders and proactively identify optimisation opportunities
Demonstrate cost awareness embedded in every architectural decision, not as an afterthought
DevOps & Delivery

Own CI/CD pipelines for Snowflake DDL/DML deployments using tooling such as Schemachange, Flyway, dbt, or Terraform
Manage environment promotion across dev, test, and prod with clear configuration management and promotion controls
Handle breaking changes to shared objects such as views and stored procedures used by multiple downstream teams
Maintain source control discipline for all DDL changes as a non-negotiable practice
Leadership

Mentor and upskill junior and mid-level developers; establish code review processes and standards documentation
Collaborate with client stakeholders, project managers, and cross-functional teams to translate requirements into scalable solutions
Push back constructively on suboptimal technical decisions from stakeholders or architects, with evidence-based alternatives
Contribute to Fineta's internal data practice through knowledge sharing and capability building

Required Qualifications & Experience

Minimum 2 full end-to-end Snowflake lifecycle implementations, from design through to production — this is a hard requirement.
10+ years of IT experience with significant, demonstrable exposure to BFSI and/or Insurance sectors.
Deep proficiency across Snowflake utilities, including SnowSQL, Snowpark, Snowpipe, Tasks, Streams, Stored Procedures, Time Travel, Resource Monitors, Data Sharing, Zero-Copy Cloning, Data Masking, and Data Replication.
Proven experience designing RBAC hierarchies, column-level security, and row access policies in complex environments.
Demonstrable expertise in query performance tuning using Query Profile, QUERY_HISTORY, clustering keys, and micro-partition pruning.
Hands-on experience with Snowpipe, COPY INTO, and Streams + Tasks, with a clear understanding of when and why to use each.
Proven cost governance experience, including resource monitors, warehouse budgets, and stakeholder cost reporting.
Experience with CI/CD for Snowflake object deployments and source control for all DDL changes.
Experience handling schema evolution and late-arriving data in live ingestion pipelines.
Hands-on experience with AWS and/or Azure cloud platforms.
Experience with database migrations to Snowflake from legacy or on-premise systems.
Familiarity with Dynamic Tables and Snowpark in production environments.
Strong communication skills with the ability to engage both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Relevant Snowflake certifications are highly desirable, particularly SnowPro Core and advanced SnowPro certifications such as SnowPro Advanced: Architect or SnowPro Advanced: Data Engineer.