Azure Platform Architect – Databricks
Whitehall Resources currently require an experienced Azure Platform Architect to work with a key client
**Please note this role falls inside IR35 and requires 2 days onsite in London weekly**
Job Description
We are seeking a highly experienced, hands-on Azure Databricks Platform Engineer / Architect to enhance and optimise an enterprise Data Platform.
This role combines architecture, engineering, operational support and platform optimisation.
The successful candidate must be capable of designing, configuring, developing, troubleshooting and improving Azure Databricks solutions, rather than operating solely at a strategic or governance level.
Enabling and optimising Databricks Serverless capabilities.
Strengthening FinOps practices, cost controls and platform governance.
Enhancing the Databricks Discovery Zone to support migration and consolidation of workloads currently delivered through POSIT/RStudio.
Key Responsibilities
Databricks Serverless Enablement and Optimisation
Assess existing workloads and determine the most appropriate compute model, including Serverless, Jobs Compute, Interactive Compute or Classic Clusters, based on workload characteristics, SLA requirements, performance, utilisation and cost.
Configure and implement Serverless capabilities for notebooks, jobs, SQL workloads, analytical processing and data pipelines.
Develop workload placement standards and guidance, identifying scenarios where Serverless may not be the most cost-effective solution for predictable, long-running or continuously utilised workloads.
Implement compute policies, autoscaling configurations, quotas, budget controls and operational guardrails.
Monitor performance and cost, identifying oversized, underutilised or idle resources and recommending optimisation opportunities.
FinOps and Enterprise Platform Controls
Define and implement a practical FinOps operating model covering ownership, accountability, environments, projects, applications, cost centres and teams.
Establish mandatory tagging standards and integrate automated validation into CI/CD pipelines to prevent deployment of non-compliant resources.
Deliver granular cost attribution and reporting across workspaces, projects, applications, workloads and business teams.
Configure budgets, spend thresholds, alerts and usage monitoring to proactively manage platform costs.
Analyse platform usage and billing data to identify cost anomalies, inefficient workloads, excessive storage consumption, unnecessary data movement and underutilised resources.
Support continuous improvement through cost optimisation recommendations and governance controls
Discovery Zone Enhancement and POSIT/RStudio Migration
Enhance the Databricks Discovery Zone to support the migration and modernisation of analytics and data science workloads currently running on POSIT/RStudio.
Enable capabilities including:
ecure API and external system integrations
Application deployment and operationalisation
External data ingestionBI and reporting connectivity
Scheduling and orchestration
Local IDE-based development
LLM and AI integration
Operational monitoring and reporting
Define reusable onboarding, migration and delivery patterns that reduce technology sprawl while improving platform security, supportability and delivery speed.
Collaborate with stakeholders to support migration planning, solution design and adoption.
Data Engineering and Integration
Design, build and optimise scalable data ingestion and transformation solutions using Python, PySpark, SQL and Delta Lake.
Implement batch and incremental processing patterns, including Change Data Capture (CDC), schema evolution, reconciliation processes, data quality controls and error handling.
Develop reusable integration frameworks for:
REST APIs
SaaS platforms
Databases
Files and object storage
Document repositories
Enterprise systems
External and public data sources
Implement secure authentication, secrets management and credential handling practices.
Deliver end-to-end data flows from source ingestion through governed and curated data layers, supporting analytics, BI, machine learning and application consumption.
Required Technical Skills
Azure & Databricks Platform
Deep hands-on Azure Databricks implementation, administration and troubleshooting experience.
Databricks Serverless architecture, workload placement and compute optimisation.
Azure networking, identity, security, monitoring, secrets management and private connectivity.
Databricks SQL, Delta Lake and query/workload performance optimisation.
Strong understanding of platform governance, operational support and best practices.
Engineering, Delivery & Operations
Python, PySpark and SQL development expertise.
Data engineering and pipeline delivery within enterprise-scale environments.
Jobs, workflows, orchestration, incremental processing and CDC implementation.
Data quality, reconciliation and operational monitoring.
REST API integration and external data connectivity patterns.
FinOps implementation, tagging strategies, cost attribution, monitoring and budget management.
Experience supporting production platforms and driving continual optimisation.
Experience and Candidate Profile
Proven experience delivering and supporting enterprise-scale Azure Databricks platforms in production environments.
Demonstrated ability to work across architecture, engineering, implementation, optimisation and operational support without dependence on specialist teams.
Strong understanding of security, governance, compliance and controlled delivery within complex or regulated organisations.
Experience collaborating with data engineers, data scientists, architects, security teams, platform teams and business stakeholders.
Excellent communication skills with the ability to document standards, patterns, operational procedures and architectural decisions.
Highly Desirable
Experience migrating workloads from POSIT/RStudio to Databricks.
Migration of analytical and data science solutions, including conversion of R-based workloads and libraries.
AI/ML experience, including LLM integration, RAG/vector retrieval, model serving and model lifecycle management.
Experience delivering large-scale platform transformation programmes.
Strong Azure and Databricks FinOps experience, including cost optimisation, governance and chargeback/showback models.
Experience operating within highly regulated or complex enterprise environments.
All of our opportunities require that applicants are eligible to work in the specified country/location, unless otherwise stated in the job description.
Whitehall Resources are an equal opportunities employer who value a diverse and inclusive working environment.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, pregnancy, disability, age, veteran status, or other characteristics.