System / Database Architect

Job Description

Position: Systems/Database Architect

Type: Contract-to-Hire

Location: Onsite

Industry: Financial Services / FinTech

About the Role

Our client is seeking a seasoned Systems/Database Architect to design, implement, and optimize our growing data infrastructure. This role plays a critical part in supporting our platform modernization initiatives and ensuring high performance, security, and scalability of our core systems. The ideal candidate brings deep database expertise, system architecture design experience, and a hands-on approach to driving platform improvements.

Key Responsibilities

Design and maintain scalable and secure database architectures supporting transactional and analytical workloads

Lead database optimization, ETL processes, indexing strategies, and performance tuning

Collaborate with developers, DevOps, and stakeholders to define system/data requirements and architecture best practices

Evaluate and implement solutions for high availability, disaster recovery, and backup strategies

Ensure data integrity, compliance, and security across systems

Support application modernization efforts, including migration from legacy systems to cloud-native architecture

Contribute to data modeling, schema design, and documentation

Assist in planning and execution of infrastructure projects, including vendor integration and automation initiatives

Required Skills & Experience

8+ years of experience in database/system architecture, ideally within fintech or high-security environments

Expertise with Microsoft SQL Server (2016 and newer), T-SQL, indexing, and performance optimization

Experience with SSIS, ETL pipelines, and data warehouse concepts

Familiarity with cloud platforms (Azure or AWS) and infrastructure-as-code principles

Strong knowledge of database security best practices and regulatory compliance (e.g., PCI, SOC2)

Solid grasp of system integration and API design

Ability to collaborate across teams and translate business needs into scalable technical solutions

Preferred Qualifications

Experience working in financial services, lending, or collections

Exposure to NoSQL systems and hybrid data platforms

Knowledge of CI/CD pipelines, DevOps practices, and containerized environments (Docker, Kubernetes)

Familiarity with reporting tools like Power BI or SSRS

Prior experience in a contract-to-hire or dynamic startup-style environment

Contract Terms

Initial 3-6 month contract with strong potential for full-time hire

Competitive hourly rate based on experience

Full-time hours

Full-time