Principal Consulting Snowflake Architect

Description
The Principal Consultant serves as the senior technical authority for complex, strategic, ambiguous, or high-risk Snowflake engagements. In addition to demonstrating the capabilities expected of the Architect, this role sets enterprise-level technical direction, shapes strategic opportunities, advises executive stakeholders, governs architecture quality across engagements, mentors architects, and advances the organization's Snowflake offerings, intellectual property, delivery standards, and market credibility. The Principal remains directly involved in delivery when needed to validate architecture decisions, develop critical solution components, resolve complex technical issues, and establish credible implementation patterns for delivery teams.
What You Will Do
* Own delivery and technical outcomes for strategic engagements, including scope, schedule, effort, dependencies, quality, budget, architecture risk, customer satisfaction, corrective action, and executive escalation.
* Define, govern, and deliver end-to-end Snowflake architectures spanning ingestion, transformation, modeling, analytics, AI, data sharing, governance, security, and platform operations.
* Maintain hands-on Snowflake leadership across SQL, pipelines, transformation, testing, troubleshooting, performance tuning, cost optimization, deployment, documentation, and knowledge transfer.
* Lead architects, engineers, consultants, customer teams, project managers, presales resources, account teams, and partners through discovery, design, implementation, deployment, and operational transition.
* Ensure solutions and teams adhere to enterprise architecture, security, privacy, governance, data quality, DevOps, testing, documentation, and operational standards.
* Serve as the final technical authority and architecture escalation point for critical design decisions, delivery risks, and complex customer environments.
* Review and approve key designs and deliverables for technical accuracy, scalability, maintainability, performance, cost, risk, and alignment to customer outcomes and Statements of Work.
* Lead architecture utilizing Snowflake capabilities including virtual warehouses, Snowpipe, Streams and Tasks, Dynamic Tables, Snowpark, Iceberg Tables, Marketplace, Native Apps, Horizon Catalog, Cortex AI, and secure data sharing.
* Work directly with executive and senior technical stakeholders to align Snowflake and AI capabilities with measurable business outcomes, modernization strategies, operating models, and innovation roadmaps.
* Shape strategic opportunities through discovery, solution strategy, estimates, assumptions, timelines, delivery models, proposals, SOWs, business cases, executive messaging, risk treatment, and implementation roadmaps.
* Provide billable consulting leadership for cloud modernization, cloud-native architecture, data governance, data quality, analytics, AI-enabled solutions, platform engineering, performance, and cost optimization.
* Guide multiple project teams and strategic engagements while balancing customer outcomes, scalability, delivery risk, cost, profitability, and implementation success.
* Establish architecture standards, decision frameworks, reference patterns, quality expectations, technical review practices, reusable offerings, accelerators, intellectual property, enablement content, demos, and thought leadership.
* Mentor architects, technical leaders, and delivery leaders through coaching, succession planning, capability development, knowledge transfer, and continuous improvement of delivery assets and standards.
* Represent the practice with customers, Snowflake, cloud partners, internal leadership, and account teams while identifying follow-on opportunities and promoting technical excellence.
What We Expect of You
* Bachelor's degree and 10+ years of professional experience with relational data models, databases, data engineering, ingestion, transformation, analytics delivery, and solution architecture OR 14+ years of professional experience with relational data models, databases, data engineering, ingestion, transformation, analytics delivery, and solution architecture.
* 5+ years of consulting experience with data technologies is required.
* SnowPro Core and at least one advanced Snowflake certification required.
* Deep expertise in Snowflake architecture, including storage and compute separation, virtual warehouses, scaling, micro-partitions, pruning, caching, clustering, workload isolation, performance, and cost optimization.
* Advanced SQL skills required; Python experience strongly preferred.
* Deep experience with Snowpipe, Streams and Tasks, Dynamic Tables, Snowpark, stored procedures, user-defined functions, enterprise orchestration, and modern transformation tools.
* Advanced experience with enterprise data modeling, dimensional modeling, Data Vault or comparable patterns, semantic layers, data products, and modern ELT practices.
* Experience integrating Snowflake with cloud storage, SaaS platforms, APIs, BI tools, integration tools, identity providers, DevOps pipelines, catalogs, and observability solutions.
* Deep experience with data governance, cataloging, master data management, data quality, RBAC, security, compliance, and lineage using Snowflake Horizon Catalog and related enterprise governance technologies.
* Strong data architecture experience, including modernization, cloud-native patterns, advanced analytics, and AI/ML enablement.
* Proven ability to own end-to-end technical accountability, influence executive decisions, lead through ambiguity, resolve escalations, and guide high-risk programs.
* Proven ability to mentor architects, establish standards, create reusable intellectual property, and influence technical strategy across a consulting practice.
* Executive-level communication, facilitation, and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate complex technical decisions as business outcomes and risks.
* Ability and willingness to travel to customer or company locations as needed; a valid U.S. driver's license is required when travel responsibilities require driving.
* Large project experience, a plus. Pay range: $156,000 - $240,800 depending on experience and skill set Annual bonus target of 10% subject to terms and conditions of plan Benefits overview: https://cdw.benefit-info.com/ Salary ranges may be subject to geographic differentials
* CDW is committed to being an AI-fluent organization
* We're looking for people who bring curiosity, a learner's mindset, and a willingness to engage with ever-evolving technology and tools. We value adopting AI as a partner, openness to experimentation, and a shared interest in learning together on AI. Our goal is to create a culture where AI enhances- not replaces- human creativity and decision-making. You don't need to be an expert today; what matters is your readiness to explore, adapt, and grow with us as we integrate AI responsibly and effectively into our work.Additionally, CDW is committed to fostering an equitable, transparent, and respectful hiring process for all applicants. During our application process, our goal is to understand your experience, strengths, skills, and qualifications. As an AI forward company, we see AI not just as a tool, but as a catalyst for new ways of thinking, creating, and communicating. We encourage candidates to embrace an AI mindset, one that's curious, adaptive, and ready to explore what's possible. We welcome thoughtful use of AI to expand your perspective and elevate how you share your story, while ensuring your application remains rooted in your own background, judgment, and voice.
* About Us
* CDW is a Fortune 500 technology solutions provider that helps businesses, government, education, and healthcare organizations achieve what's possible through technology. What makes CDW different isn't just what we do- it's how we do it. At CDW we act as one- building trust, speaking candidly, and working together to achieve more. We play to win- focusing on what matters most and delivering for our customers. And we think forward- staying curious, moving fast, and continuously learning. We believe meaningful work happens when people feel supported, heard, and empowered to contribute. That's why we think of ourselves as coworkers, not just employees- working together to solve complex challenges and deliver real impact for our customers and communities. As a full-stack, full-lifecycle technology partner, CDW brings deep expertise, strong relationships, and broad industry knowledge to help turn ideas into outcomes. When you join CDW, you become part of a collaborative environment where your work matters, your growth is supported, and your contributions help shape what's next. Together, we deliver the full promise of what technology can do.
* Together, we Make Amazing Happen.
* CDW is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by state and local law.