# Principal Enterprise Architect, Data and AI (FSI), Applied Field Engineering
**Company:** [Snowflake](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/snowflake)
Join Snowflake's Applied Field Engineering team as a Principal Enterprise Architect focusing on Financial Services Industry (FSI) in Australia. This high-impact role positions you as a strategic technical advisor to Australia's largest banks, insurers, and capital markets firms, translating enterprise business strategy into scalable data and AI architectures on the Snowflake platform. You'll drive architectural influence across the organization, shape industry outcomes through reference architectures and modernization roadmaps, and represent Snowflake as a thought leader in the FSI regulatory and technology landscape.
**Role:** Principal Enterprise Architect
**Seniority:** Principal
**Locations:** AU-Sydney
**Salary:** 250000–350000 AUD
[Apply](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/snowflake/80269fb2-9d00-493a-ab3a-e56722ba3cba)
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/jobs/snowflake/principal-enterprise-architect-data-and-ai-fsi-applied-field-engineering
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## Responsibilities

- Executive Technical Advisory: Serve as senior technical authority and trusted advisor to C-suite executives and chief architects at Australia's premier financial institutions, translating strategic business objectives into defensible, enterprise-grade data and AI architectures that align with organizational goals and regulatory compliance requirements.
- Reference Architecture Design: Define and codify reference architectures and comprehensive modernization roadmaps for FSI workloads including risk management, fraud detection, regulatory reporting, customer 360 analytics, and generative AI applications leveraging Snowflake platform capabilities including Cortex AI and Snowpark.
- High-Stakes Architectural Engagement Leadership: Lead complex, multi-phase architectural engagements from discovery through target-state design validation, ensuring solutions balance governance, data residency, regulatory compliance, and operational resilience requirements specific to Australian financial institutions.
- Product Roadmap Influence: Synthesize and channel field insights, customer pain points, and FSI regulatory requirements back to Snowflake product and engineering leadership to shape platform capabilities and ensure product-market fit for the financial services sector.
- Cross-Functional Enablement: Partner strategically with account management teams, solution engineers, system integrators (SI), and global systems integrators (GSI) to resolve technical blockers, accelerate platform adoption, and unlock complex architectural solutions for enterprise customers.
- Practice Leadership and Mentorship: Set the technical bar and establish best practices for the Field CTO organization across the Australia region, actively mentoring architects and solution engineers, and codifying reusable architectural patterns and design frameworks.
- Thought Leadership and Market Representation: Represent Snowflake as a recognized industry thought leader at executive briefings, industry conferences, regulatory working groups, and technology forums across the Australian FSI market to enhance brand authority and customer trust.

## Requirements

### education

- {"name":"Advanced Technical Degree","description":"Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or related technical discipline, or equivalent professional experience demonstrating advanced technical knowledge."}

### technical

- {"name":"FSI Regulatory and Compliance Framework","description":"Fluency in Australian financial services regulatory landscape including data governance, data residency requirements, privacy regulations (Privacy Act), operational resilience standards, and risk management frameworks relevant to APRA-regulated institutions."}
- {"name":"Enterprise Data Architecture","description":"Mastery of data warehouse design, data lake architecture, data mesh patterns, enterprise data governance, and metadata management across complex organizational structures."}
- {"name":"Cloud Data Platforms","description":"Expert-level knowledge of Snowflake platform architecture including its separation of compute and storage model, multi-cluster architecture, and native integration with cloud infrastructure."}
- {"name":"Modern AI and ML Architecture","description":"Advanced understanding of machine learning infrastructure, feature engineering platforms, model serving architectures, and specific expertise in generative AI application design within regulated environments."}
- {"name":"API Design and Integration Architecture","description":"Proficiency in enterprise integration patterns, API-driven architecture, event-driven design, and middleware solutions for connecting legacy banking systems with modern cloud platforms."}

### experience

- {"name":"Data Architecture and Enterprise Platforms","description":"10+ years of professional experience in data architecture, cloud data platform engineering, or enterprise architecture with demonstrated success designing and implementing systems for large-scale organizations."}
- {"name":"Financial Services Industry Expertise","description":"Deep, hands-on exposure to financial services sector architecture, operations, and technology challenges including banking, insurance, and capital markets firms with understanding of their unique technical and regulatory demands."}
- {"name":"Strategic Influence at Scale","description":"Proven track record of company-wide or industry-wide technical influence, demonstrating ability to shape critical architecture decisions at the C-level and among senior stakeholder groups with competing priorities."}
- {"name":"Data Platform and AI Architecture","description":"Deep technical understanding of modern data platform architecture, analytics infrastructure, AI and machine learning design patterns, including contemporary approaches to generative AI, prompt engineering, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and large language model applications."}
- {"name":"Personal Technical Leadership","description":"Demonstrated ability to personally lead technical discovery sessions, solutioning workshops, and detailed design work alongside specialists rather than solely orchestrating others, showing continued hands-on technical capability."}
- {"name":"Telecommunications Industry (Preferred)","description":"While focused on FSI, hands-on experience in the telecommunications sector is highly desirable given similar scale, regulatory complexity, and data management challenges."}

## Skills

### required

- {"name":"Enterprise Architecture","description":"Expert capability in designing enterprise-scale systems that balance business requirements, technical constraints, governance, and regulatory compliance."}
- {"name":"Cloud Data Platform Expertise","description":"Deep technical knowledge of modern cloud data warehousing, data lake architecture, and analytics platforms with hands-on experience deploying solutions."}
- {"name":"Executive Communication","description":"Advanced ability to translate complex technical concepts for executive audiences, articulate business value propositions, and influence decision-making at C-level without simplifying technical accuracy."}
- {"name":"Regulatory and Compliance Knowledge","description":"Comprehensive understanding of financial services compliance frameworks, data governance, and regulatory risk that shapes technical architecture decisions."}
- {"name":"Solution Design and Solutioning","description":"Demonstrated ability to conduct discovery workshops, synthesize requirements, and design target-state solutions that balance multiple competing objectives."}
- {"name":"Technical Influence and Thought Leadership","description":"Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders, shape technical direction, establish best practices, and mentor others through credibility and expertise."}

### preferred

- {"name":"Snowflake Platform Proficiency","description":"Hands-on experience with Snowflake architecture, SQL capabilities, data sharing, role-based access control (RBAC), and performance optimization techniques."}
- {"name":"Cortex AI and Generative AI Applications","description":"Practical experience building or architecting generative AI and large language model solutions within regulated environments with understanding of prompt engineering, fine-tuning, and RAG approaches."}
- {"name":"AWS, Azure, and GCP Data Services","description":"Comparative knowledge of major cloud providers' data services including AWS (S3, Redshift, Glue), Azure (Synapse, Data Factory), and Google Cloud (BigQuery, Dataflow)."}
- {"name":"Field CTO and Customer-Facing Architecture","description":"Prior experience in Field CTO offices, Office of the CTO, principal customer-facing architect roles, or customer advisory boards in enterprise software contexts."}
- {"name":"Australian FSI Ecosystem Knowledge","description":"Familiarity with Australian financial services partner ecosystem, system integrators (SI/GSI), and regional technology suppliers and service providers."}
- {"name":"Risk and Fraud Architecture","description":"Domain expertise in designing risk management systems, fraud detection platforms, regulatory reporting infrastructure, and anti-money laundering (AML) solutions."}

## Tech stack

### tools

- {"name":"Data Governance Platforms","description":"Tools such as Collibra, Alation, or Atlan for metadata management, data lineage, and enterprise data governance implementation."}
- {"name":"Enterprise Architecture Tools","description":"Platforms such as ArchiMate, Visio, Lucidchart, or specialized architecture tools for designing and documenting reference architectures."}
- {"name":"CI/CD and DevOps Platforms","description":"Experience with Git, GitHub, GitLab, Jenkins, or Azure DevOps for infrastructure as code, version control, and deployment automation."}
- {"name":"Analytics and Visualization","description":"Proficiency with tools such as Tableau, Looker, Power BI, or similar business intelligence platforms for analytics and insights delivery."}
- {"name":"API Management Platforms","description":"Experience with API gateways and management tools such as Apigee, MuleSoft, or AWS API Gateway for enterprise integration architecture."}

### others

- {"name":"Machine Learning Operations (MLOps)","description":"Understanding of model development lifecycle management, model governance, feature stores, and production ML infrastructure."}
- {"name":"Data Security and Privacy Architecture","description":"Expertise in encryption, key management, data masking, privacy by design, and compliance-driven security architecture patterns."}
- {"name":"Financial Regulatory Frameworks","description":"Knowledge of Basel III, GDPR, Australian Privacy Act, APRA standards, and operational resilience requirements shaping technical constraints."}

### databases

- {"name":"Snowflake","description":"Cloud-native data warehousing and analytics platform serving as the core technology platform for this role's focus on data and AI workloads."}
- {"name":"AWS S3 and Data Lake Storage","description":"Object storage and data lake foundations frequently used alongside cloud data warehouses for enterprise data architectures."}
- {"name":"Azure Synapse","description":"Microsoft's cloud analytics platform representing alternative enterprise data warehouse approaches and competitive landscape knowledge."}
- {"name":"Google BigQuery","description":"Google Cloud's data warehousing platform providing understanding of multi-cloud data architecture strategies."}

### languages

- {"name":"SQL","description":"Mastery of advanced SQL for complex data transformation, optimization, and analysis essential for data architecture work."}
- {"name":"Python","description":"Proficiency in Python for data engineering scripts, machine learning applications, and automation of architecture-related tasks."}

### frameworks

- {"name":"Snowpark","description":"Snowflake's native framework for building data applications using Python, enabling programmatic data transformation and ML integration."}
- {"name":"Cortex AI","description":"Snowflake's native AI/ML framework providing machine learning and large language model capabilities integrated directly within the data platform."}
- {"name":"Data Mesh Architecture","description":"Decentralized data platform architecture enabling domain-driven data ownership while maintaining enterprise governance and interoperability."}
- {"name":"Event-Driven Architecture","description":"Design patterns and frameworks for building responsive, loosely-coupled systems using asynchronous event processing."}

## Benefits

### benefits

- {"name":"Equity and Stock Options","description":"Competitive equity grants reflective of Principal-level seniority, enabling long-term wealth building and alignment with Snowflake's growth trajectory."}
- {"name":"Comprehensive Health Coverage","description":"Medical, dental, and vision insurance with coverage extending to family members, ensuring comprehensive preventive and treatment care."}
- {"name":"Retirement Planning Support","description":"Superannuation contributions above statutory minimums plus access to financial planning resources and retirement advisory services."}
- {"name":"Professional Development Investment","description":"Annual learning and development budget for certifications, conference attendance, executive education, and professional growth aligned with career progression."}
- {"name":"Flexible Work Arrangements","description":"Flexibility to balance remote and in-office work, enabling optimization of productivity for customer engagement and collaborative work."}
- {"name":"Executive Wellness Programs","description":"Mental health support, fitness benefits, and wellness initiatives designed for senior leaders managing complex, high-stakes responsibilities."}
- {"name":"Performance Bonus Structure","description":"Annual cash bonus program tied to individual and company performance metrics, recognizing achievement of strategic objectives."}
- {"name":"Generous Time Off","description":"Competitive annual leave allowance, paid parental leave, and sabbatical opportunities supporting work-life balance and personal wellbeing."}

## Compensation

- **max:** 350000
- **min:** 250000
- **currency:** AUD
- **stockOptions:** true

## Interview process

### steps

- {"name":"Initial Talent Screening","description":"30-minute conversation with Snowflake recruiting team to assess background, motivation, and alignment with the Principal Enterprise Architect role's unique demands in the Australian FSI market."}
- {"name":"Technical Architecture Screening","description":"60-minute technical discussion with a senior architect or principal engineer to evaluate cloud data platform expertise, enterprise architecture thinking, and ability to articulate complex solutions for executive audiences."}
- {"name":"FSI Domain Deep Dive","description":"60-minute conversation with experienced Snowflake field leadership focused on financial services regulatory knowledge, experience with FSI customers, and understanding of banking and capital markets technology challenges."}
- {"name":"Customer Engagement Simulation","description":"90-minute exercise simulating a customer discovery workshop or executive briefing where you present architectural recommendations, respond to challenging questions, and demonstrate executive communication capabilities."}
- {"name":"Leadership and Culture Fit Interview","description":"60-minute conversation with the hiring manager and potentially Field CTO leadership to explore mentorship philosophy, thought leadership aspirations, cross-functional collaboration style, and alignment with Snowflake's AI-native, experimental innovation culture."}
- {"name":"Executive Reference Validation","description":"Snowflake may conduct reference checks with former customers, peers, or mentees to validate track record of technical influence, thought leadership, and impact at the principal architect level."}

## Full description
At Snowflake, we are powering the era of the agentic enterprise. To usher in this new era, we seek AI-native thinkers across every function who are energized by the opportunity to reinvent how they work. You don’t just use tools; you possess an innate curiosity, treating AI as a high-trust collaborator that is core to how you solve problems and accelerate your impact. We look for low-ego individuals who thrive in dynamic and fast-moving environments and move with an experimental mindset — who rapidly test emerging capabilities to discover simpler, more powerful ways to deliver results. At Snowflake, your role isn't just to execute a function, but to help redefine the future of how work gets done.

We are hiring a Principal EnterpriseArchitect, Data and AI for our Applied Field Engineering (Field CTO) team, focused on the Financial Services Industry across Australia. This role sits at the intersection of Snowflake's most strategic FSI customers and our product and engineering organizations, shaping how banks, insurers, and capital markets firms adopt the AI Data Cloud. Success here is measured not by artifacts produced, but by the architecture decisions you influence and the industry outcomes you unlock.

### **AS A PRINCIPAL** ENTERPRISE **ARCHITECT AT SNOWFLAKE, YOU WILL:**

* Serve as the senior technical authority and trusted advisor to CxO and chief-architect stakeholders at Australia's largest financial institutions, translating business strategy into durable data and AI architecture.
* Define reference architectures and modernization roadmaps for FSI workloads such as risk, fraud, regulatory reporting, customer 360, and generative AI, grounded in the Snowflake platform including Cortex AI and Snowpark.
* Lead high-stakes architectural engagements end to end, from discovery through to a defensible target-state design that balances governance, data residency, and regulatory requirements.
* Influence the Snowflake product roadmap by channeling field insight and FSI regulatory needs back to product and engineering teams.
* Partner with account teams, solution engineers, and SI and GSI partners to unblock the most complex technical decisions and accelerate platform consumption.
* Set the technical bar for the Field CTO practice in the region, mentoring architects and solution engineers and codifying reusable patterns.
* Represent Snowflake as a thought leader at executive briefings, industry forums, and regulatory working groups across the Australian FSI market.

### **OUR IDEAL PRINCIPAL** ENTERPRISE **ARCHITECT WILL HAVE:**

* 10+ years of experience in data architecture, cloud data platforms, or enterprise architecture, with deep exposure to financial services.
* A track record of company-wide or industry-wide technical influence, shaping architecture decisions at the most senior stakeholder levels.
* Deep understanding of data platform, analytics, and AI and machine learning architecture, including modern approaches to generative AI and retrieval-augmented workflows.
* Fluency in the FSI regulatory and risk landscape, including data governance, residency, privacy, and operational resilience expectations relevant to Australian financial institutions.
* While the role primarily focuses on Financial Services Industry (FSI), experience in the Telecommunications sector is highly desirable.
* Proven ability to personally lead technical discovery and solutioning, not only to orchestrate specialists.
* Excellent communication and influencing skills with executive and technical audiences, or equivalent experience.

### **BONUS POINTS FOR THE FOLLOWING:**

* Hands-on experience with Snowflake, or comparable cloud data platforms across AWS, Azure, or GCP, as a supporting capability.
* Experience building or advising on generative AI and large language model applications in a regulated environment.
* Familiarity with the Australian FSI partner, SI, and GSI ecosystem.
* Prior experience in a Field CTO, office of the CTO, or principal customer-facing architect capacity.

## 

Snowflake is growing fast, and we’re scaling our team to help enable and accelerate our growth. We are looking for people who share our values, challenge ordinary thinking, and push the pace of innovation while building a future for themselves and Snowflake.

How do you want to make your impact?

For jobs located in the United States, please visit the job posting on the Snowflake Careers Site for salary and benefits information: [careers.snowflake.com](http://careers.snowflake.com)