Principal Observability Architect (Splunk & Databricks)

Position SummaryWe are seeking a highly experienced Principal Observability Architect to lead the design, implementation, modernization, and optimization of enterprise-scale observability and analytics platforms. This role will serve as the technical authority for log management, observability engineering, telemetry pipelines, AIOps, security analytics, and data lakehouse architectures leveraging Splunk, Databricks, Cribl, OpenTelemetry, and cloud-native technologies.The ideal candidate possesses deep expertise in traditional observability platforms (Splunk, Dynatrace, AppDynamics, ServiceNow ITOM) and modern data lakehouse architectures utilizing Databricks, Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, and AI/ML-driven analytics. This individual will drive the strategic transformation from legacy SIEM and observability platforms toward scalable, cloud-native observability data lakes.Key ResponsibilitiesEnterprise Architecture & Strategy Define enterprise observability architecture standards, patterns, and roadmaps. Lead observability transformation initiatives involving Splunk modernization and Databricks adoption. Develop reference architectures for telemetry ingestion, storage, analytics, security, and AI-driven operations. Align observability strategies with business, security, compliance, and operational objectives. Create executive-level architecture presentations, business cases, and technology roadmaps. Splunk Platform Leadership Architect large-scale Splunk Enterprise and Splunk Cloud environments. Design and optimize: Indexer clusters Search head clusters Forwarder architectures Deployment servers Data models ITSI implementations Define ingestion, retention, indexing, and data lifecycle strategies. Lead migration initiatives involving: Splunk to Databricks Heavy Forwarders to Cribl SIEM modernization programs Optimize SPL searches, data models, summary indexing, and dashboard performance. Databricks & Lakehouse Architecture Architect enterprise observability data lake solutions using: Databricks Lakehouse Delta Lake Unity Catalog Delta Live Tables Structured Streaming Mosaic AI Genie Design Medallion Architectures: Bronze Silver Gold Develop governance strategies including: RBAC Data masking Data lineage Audit controls Create high-performance log analytics solutions capable of supporting petabyte-scale telemetry environments. Enable self-service analytics and AI-powered observability use cases. Telemetry & Data Engineering Design ingestion architectures supporting: OpenTelemetry OCSF Syslog Kafka Azure Event Hubs AWS Kinesis GCP Pub/Sub Cribl Define normalization and enrichment frameworks. Establish data quality and schema management processes. Design real-time and batch processing pipelines. AIOps & Advanced Analytics Lead implementation of: AIOps Predictive analytics Root cause analysis Anomaly detection Event correlation Integrate observability datasets with AI/ML platforms. Develop observability use cases leveraging: Mosaic AI Agentic AI LLMs Generative AI Build operational intelligence and executive KPI dashboards. Security & Compliance Architect observability solutions supporting: SOC operations Threat hunting Security analytics Compliance reporting Design frameworks aligned with: HIPAA PCI-DSS SOX NIST ISO 27001 Implement data governance and security controls across observability platforms. Leadership & Governance Provide technical leadership to engineering teams. Mentor architects, engineers, and developers. Conduct architecture reviews and design governance. Define platform standards, best practices, and operational procedures. Engage directly with executive stakeholders and business leaders. Required QualificationsExperience 10+ years of experience in Enterprise Observability, Monitoring, or Security Analytics. 5+ years architecting large-scale Splunk environments. 3+ years designing Databricks Lakehouse architectures. Experience managing environments exceeding: 50 TB/day preferred 100+ TB/day strongly preferred Experience leading enterprise transformation programs. Splunk ExpertiseDeep expertise in: Splunk Enterprise Splunk Cloud Splunk ITSI Enterprise Security SPL Development Data Models Indexer Clustering Search Head Clustering SmartStore Heavy Forwarders Universal Forwarders Databricks ExpertiseStrong experience with: Databricks Lakehouse Delta Lake Unity Catalog Delta Live Tables Structured Streaming Databricks SQL Genie Mosaic AI Lakehouse Federation Cloud PlatformsExperience with one or more: Microsoft Azure Amazon Web Services Google Cloud Data TechnologiesStrong knowledge of: Kafka OpenTelemetry OCSF Iceberg Spark SQL Python REST APIs Event Streaming Architectures Preferred Qualifications Experience with Cribl Stream and Cribl Edge Experience with Dynatrace, AppDynamics, Datadog, or New Relic Experience with ServiceNow ITOM/Event Management Experience designing AI/ML operational analytics solutions Experience with Security Data Lakes and SIEM modernization initiatives Experience with F