Databricks Platform Lead Engineer_W_Newport , CA​/Columbus, Ohio

Databricks Platform Lead Engineer

Location:

Onsite in Newport Beach, CA, or Columbus, Ohio, preferred 4 days/week

Contract:

Long‑term contract with potential to extend or convert

Department:
Data & Analytics

Reports To:

Director of Data Engineering / Platform Engineering Lead

Need Databricks Platform Lead Engineer to transform our current data science environment into a resilient, enterprise‑grade platform. This role will lead the modernization of platform operations by automating manual processes, integrating services, and establishing best practices for Databricks administration and platform engineering. You’ll work closely with Machine Learning Engineers, platform engineers, and data scientists to ensure seamless, scalable, and secure platform capabilities.

• Databricks Leadership & Enablement
  • Guide engineering and data science teams through Databricks best practices.
  • Deliver comprehensive knowledge transfer (KT) to internal platform engineers.
  • Enable self‑service capabilities for Data Science teams.
• Platform Engineering & Automation
  • Automate service principal management and security access workflows.
  • Establish alerting mechanisms for system failures and anomalies.
  • Optimize and clean up the existing Databricks environment for scalability and maintainability.
• Integration & Configuration
  • Connect Databricks with other tools (Azure, H2O, Snowflake) to ensure seamless interoperability.
  • Standardize configuration workflows and governance policies to improve reliability.
• Troubleshooting & Support
  • Troubleshoot and resolve failures in Databricks and Azure pipelines.
  • Implement updates across Data Science‑owned accounts and services.
• Collaboration & Coaching
  • Collaborate with MLEs and platform engineers.
  • Provide hands‑on support and mentorship to team members unfamiliar with Databricks.

• 5+ years of experience in platform engineering, cloud administration, or ML engineering.
• Deep expertise in Databricks administration, architecture, and optimization.
• Strong experience with Azure, Snowflake, and H2O.ai integrations.
• Proven ability to automate infrastructure and security workflows.
• Excellent communication and documentation skills.
• Self‑starter with a proactive mindset and strong problem‑solving abilities.

• Experience in enterprise data platform transformation.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and Dev Ops practices.
• Prior experience in coaching or mentoring technical teams.