BIG DATA CONSULTANT JOB DESCRIPTION

A Big Data Consultant spends a typical week moving between two distinct demands: designing distributed data platform architecture for a client's analytics roadmap, then presenting that architecture to a senior leadership audience that has no tolerance for technical jargon. That gap between engineering depth and executive communication is what makes this role genuinely hard. Consultants here work across a customer-facing delivery model, often holding AWS Big Data Specialty Certification as a condition of continued practice standing. The work sits upstream of both the engineering team that builds and the business stakeholders who consume.

As the Big Data Consultant, you own the technical design and delivery of large-scale data platform engagements for enterprise clients, translating complex requirements into architectures that span ingestion, storage, transformation, and analytics. You operate within a consulting practice alongside sales, pre-sales, and engineering teams, with scope that frequently spans multiple simultaneous client programs.

Career Impact: Holding AWS Big Data Specialty Certification while delivering enterprise-scale data platform programs positions a consultant among a narrow pool of practitioners who can credibly lead both the architectural and client-advisory dimensions of complex cloud engagements.

Business Impact: The data pipelines and platform designs produced in this role determine whether client organizations can actually act on their analytics investments, making the consultant's output a direct input to enterprise decision-making.

Growth Opportunity: Repeated exposure to pre-sales, roadmap development, and C-level presentation builds the combination of technical and commercial credibility that typically precedes a move into Principal Consultant or Solutions Architect Director roles.

• Design distributed data platform architectures spanning ingestion, storage, modeling, and analytics pipelines to meet client business requirements.
• Deliver on-site technical engagements including pre-sales visits, requirements discovery, and packaged service offering proposals.
• Develop and present strategic roadmaps to senior client leadership, translating technical concepts into non-technical recommendations.
• Mentor Big Data Engineers and junior consultants on platform design, code quality, and delivery standards.
• Gather and analyze functional requirements, converting them into technical tasks with documented effort estimates.
• Architect solutions for data privacy, security, access management, and compliance across client environments.
• Collaborate with sales and engineering teams to validate new service capabilities and support proposal design.
• Conduct code reviews and validate that delivered solutions meet agreed requirements and quality standards.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
• 5 or more years of hands-on data platform consulting or engineering experience, with demonstrated delivery of enterprise-scale engagements.
• Experience architecting solutions for extraction, transformation, and loading of data from structured, unstructured, and semi-structured sources.
• Proficiency in distributed data processing concepts including batch and stream processing, with experience across both relational and NoSQL database paradigms.
• Experience with cloud-based data platform services across compute, storage, analytics, and database categories.
• Strong customer-facing communication skills, including the ability to present technical trade-offs to senior and executive-level stakeholders.
• Experience leading or mentoring technical team members within a project delivery context.
• Familiarity with data security principles including encryption, PII handling, and identity and access management.

• AWS Big Data Specialty Certification or equivalent cloud data certification, or ability to obtain within 6 months of hire.
• Experience with analytics strategy formulation, architectural blueprinting, and business case development in a consulting engagement model.
• 12 or more years of IT platform implementation experience across globally distributed or multi-region programs.
• Graduate degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Physics, or a related quantitative field.

• Client engagement delivery rate, measuring the percentage of projects completed on schedule and within agreed scope.
• Architecture acceptance rate, reflecting how often proposed platform designs are approved by client senior leadership without major revision.
• Proof of Concept conversion rate, tracking the share of POCs that progress to full implementation.
• Mentee progression rate, measuring advancement of junior consultants under direct guidance within the practice.
• Proposal win rate contribution, tracking pre-sales engagements where this consultant's technical input supported a successful outcome.
• Typical tools: Distributed processing frameworks (commonly Spark and Flink); cloud data platform services (commonly AWS EMR, Glue, Redshift, and S3); pipeline orchestration (commonly Airflow).

• Base Salary Range: $140,000 to $185,000 depending on seniority and client portfolio scope.
• Bonus: Performance-based, typically 10 to 20 percent of base salary.
• Equity: Varies by employer; common at growth-stage consulting firms and cloud vendors.
• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage standard across most employers in this segment.
• PTO: 15 to 25 days annually, varying by employer policy and seniority level.
• Common Perks: Certification reimbursement, travel expense coverage, professional development budget, and remote or hybrid work arrangements.

Figures are estimates based on general US market benchmarks and may be outdated. Adjust based on location, company size, and seniority level.

Background checks, including employment history verification, are a standard condition of hire for this role. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities are available upon request throughout the hiring process. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.

The Big Data Consultant builds and delivers data pipelines that process, transform, integrate, and enrich large volumes of data across batch and streaming platforms, driving consumer-centric system performance. Working alongside engineers and cross-functional team members, this role shapes the reliability of real-time data infrastructure through CI/CD practices, automation, and Agile delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and deliver data pipelines that process, transform, integrate and enrich data to meet business demands.
• Design, build, test and deploy streaming pipelines for data processing in real time and at scale.
• Develop software systems using test driven development employing CI/CD practices.
• Mentor team on infrastructural, networking, data migration, monitoring and troubleshooting aspects.
• Focus on automation using Infrastructure as a Code, Jenkins and DevOps.
• Partner with engineers and team members to develop software that meets business needs.
• Follow Agile methodology for software development and technical documentation.

Required Qualifications

• 8-10 years of hands-on coding experience in big data tools like Spark, Kafka and Hadoop.
• Proficient in Scala and Java with solid understanding of object-oriented programming and HDFS concepts.
• Experience writing Spark code using Scala and with BigData tools like Sqoop, Hive, Pig and Hue.
• Experience with relational SQL and NoSQL databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB and Cassandra.
• Experience with stream-processing systems such as Storm, Spark-Streaming and Flink.
• Experience with AWS cloud services including EC2, S3, EMR, RDS, Redshift and BigQuery.
• Experience with data pipeline tools like Airflow and expertise in design of platform components like caching, messaging and event processing.
• Strong written and oral communication, presentation and interpersonal skills.
• Exceptional analytical, conceptual and problem-solving abilities with ability to prioritize tasks in a high-pressure environment.

Embedded within a customer-facing consulting practice, the Big Data Consultant designs enterprise scale, globally distributed, highly available solutions using Compute, Container, Serverless, Storage, Analytics, Database, and Network Services. Working closely with Sales, AWS Service Teams, partners, and customers, this role advances the delivery of technical engagements and Proof of Concepts that guide organizations through large-scale cloud transformation.

Core Functions

• Design enterprise scale, globally distributed, highly available solutions using Compute, Container, Serverless, Storage, Analytics, Database and Network Services.
• Work hands-on with AI/Machine Learning, Serverless/Lambda IoT, Analytics, Data Warehouse, BI and Security Services to build products and solutions with customers.
• Deliver on-site technical engagements with partners and customers including pre-sales visits, understanding requirements and creating consulting proposals.
• Structure and guide customers through their journey and transformation.
• Advise customers on implementing solutions and assist with building Proof of Concepts.
• Collaborate with Sales and AWS Service Teams and present workshops one to one or one to many.
• Research, validate and beta test new AWS Services.

Qualifications and Experience

• Eligibility for UK Government Security Check (SC) is required for this role.
• Hands-on experience in IT implementation or leading IT projects in Architecture, Data Engineering or Development.
• Deep understanding and implementation experience of database and analytical technologies including Data Lakes, stream-based analytics, MPP databases, NoSQL storage and Data Warehouse design.
• Worked in a customer-facing consulting role for UK large-scale customers and large-scale data-driven projects.
• Hands-on experience with AWS or another cloud provider.
• Strong understanding of BI reporting and dashboard development.
• An AWS Certification - Solutions Architect Associate or a Specialty Certification.

Reporting to AWS engineering and field leadership, the Big Data Consultant collaborates with sales, pre-sales, training, and support teams to help partners and customers learn and use AWS services across large-scale data and analytics engagements. Partnering with customer business and technology stakeholders, this role produces compelling visions of data-driven enterprises by delivering on-site technical engagements and recommending new capabilities that drive greater adoption value.

Primary Duties

• Collaborate with AWS field sales, pre-sales, training and support teams to help partners and customers learn and use AWS services.
• Deliver on-site technical engagements including pre-sales visits, understanding customer requirements and creating packaged Data and Analytics service offerings.
• Migrate existing applications and develop new applications using AWS cloud services.
• Work with AWS engineering and support teams to convey partner and customer needs as input to technology roadmaps.
• Engage with customer business and technology stakeholders to create a compelling vision of a data-driven enterprise.
• Share real-world implementations and recommend new capabilities to simplify adoption and drive greater value from AWS cloud services.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Masters or PhD in Computer Science, Physics, Engineering or Math preferred.
• 12+ years of IT platform implementation experience in a technical and analytical role.
• 5+ years of Data Lake and Hadoop platform implementation experience.
• Hands-on experience implementing and performance tuning Hadoop and Spark, including Apache Hadoop ecosystem tools such as Sqoop, Flume, Kafka, Oozie, Hue, Zookeeper and Avro.
• Experience with SQL-on-Hadoop technologies like Hive, Impala, Spark SQL and Presto, and with programming languages such as Java and Python.
• Hands-on experience leading large-scale global data warehousing and analytics projects across distributed and enterprise environments.
• Customer-facing skills to drive discussions with senior personnel on trade-offs, best practices, project management and risk mitigation.

Sitting at the intersection of data engineering and client strategy, the Big Data Consultant designs end-to-end modern data platforms for analytics and AI use cases while serving as technical liaison between customers and engineering teams. Operating across pre-sales support, mentoring, and roadmap delivery, this role shapes outcomes for multiple clients simultaneously by translating complex technical concepts into clear, actionable direction for senior leadership.

Duties

• Design end-to-end modern data platforms for analytics and AI use cases for multiple clients simultaneously.
• Design data ingestion, storage, modeling, virtualization, self-service data preparation and analytics pipelines.
• Develop customer solutions for data privacy and security.
• Create workload orchestration using tools like Jenkins, Airflow and MLFlow.
• Develop strategic roadmaps and project plans based on customer goals and present recommendations to senior leadership.
• Serve as technical liaison between customers and engineering teams, communicating complex technical concepts in non-technical language.
• Mentor Big Data Engineers and junior consultants, and support pre-sales engineers in proposal design and positioning.

Minimum Qualifications

• AWS Big Data Specialty Certification required within 6 months of hire.
• 5+ years of experience designing and implementing data solutions leveraging Big Data frameworks, especially from AWS.
• 5+ years of experience architecting solutions for extraction, transformation and loading of data from structured, unstructured and semi-structured sources using SQL, NoSQL and data pipelines.
• 3+ years of experience with analytics and data management strategy formulation, architectural blueprinting and business case development.
• Experience with AWS services like S3, Redshift, Athena, EMR, Glue and Quicksight, and with dashboarding tools such as Tableau and Qlik.
• SQL, database, data modeling, data warehousing and development skills.
• Experience with data security, encryption, PII/PSI legislation and identity and access management across sources and environments.
• Experience leading teams, training and mentoring junior team members.

A key member of the Big Data and Machine Learning practice, the Big Data Consultant builds, leads, and grows a team aligned to overall company strategic goals and technical vision. Collaborating across business segments and technology platform product management, this role delivers cloud practice adoption blueprints and technology roadmaps that ensure proper positioning of cloud infrastructure products and services.

Functions

• Build, lead and grow a Big Data and Machine Learning team.
• Provide cloud practice adoption, technology expertise and process optimization blueprints for enterprise initiatives.
• Align the Big Data and Machine Learning product and service roadmap with overall company strategic goals and technical vision.
• Act as a strategic technology partner for Big Data and Machine Learning business segments by developing and delivering on the technology roadmap.
• Partner with business segment and technology platform product management to ensure proper positioning and adoption of cloud infrastructure products and services.

Skills and Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in Big Data or Machine Learning.
• Good understanding of RDBMS and NoSQL databases and of ETL/ELT processes.
• Experience with data and business analytics.
• Experience building stream-processing systems using Storm or Spark-Streaming.
• Good knowledge of Big Data querying tools such as Pig, Hive and Impala.
• Experience with Spark, NoSQL databases such as HBase, Cassandra and MongoDB, and integration of data from multiple sources.
• Knowledge of ETL techniques and frameworks such as Flume.

Scalable data governance and analytics delivery depends on the Big Data Consultant, who manages metadata across AWS data structures and builds repositories that make data findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable for client stakeholders. Based within an AWS-focused delivery team, this role supports data onboarding, application migration, and the maintenance of Data Lake, Redshift, S3, and Glue environments in healthcare and related domains.

Accountabilities

• Provide extensive Big Data tools solutions for the client.
• Manage metadata of various data structures in AWS and build a repository to govern data so it is findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable.
• Support implementation where data onboarding and application migration has been executed.
• Build and maintain Data Lake, Redshift, S3 and AWS Glue environments.
• Deliver data analytics and visualization outputs to client stakeholders.

Experience and Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in Big Data management and AWS cloud services.
• Data Analytics Certification preferred.
• Experience with AWS services including Glue, S3, Redshift, DataBrew and SageMaker, and with tools such as Airflow and visualization platforms.
• Experience with Python scripting, metadata catalog management and data lake architecture.
• Healthcare domain experience preferred, along with knowledge of 3NF data modeling and PL/SQL.
• Strong communication skills with competency to drive business alignment across multiple partner teams.

As the Big Data Consultant, this role leads end-to-end project delivery of Big Data programs on the Cloudera Platform, encompassing systems analysis, architecture, coding, and stakeholder reporting across banking, capital markets, and finance environments. The delivery practice relies on this work to maintain schedule, quality standards, and cross-functional alignment while managing high-performance teams through complex, enterprise scale multi-region initiatives.

Strategic Responsibilities

• Deliver solutions using Impala, Hive, Parquet, Kafka and related Big Data technologies.
• Gather and analyze functional requirements and convert them into concrete technical tasks with effort estimates.
• Manage end-to-end project delivery within schedule and required quality standards.
• Report on all projects to senior management and cross-functional key stakeholders.
• Coordinate cross-function interdependencies and lead execution of communication plans to key stakeholders.
• Conduct code reviews and test case reviews to ensure code meets requirements.
• Perform systems analysis, architecture, design, coding, unit testing and other SDLC activities.

Background and Experience

• Graduate degree in Computer Science, Information Systems or equivalent quantitative field.
• 10-15 years of relevant experience in technology development and project delivery, including enterprise scale multi-region initiatives.
• Experience in banking, capital markets, risk or finance is required.
• Experience leading large Big Data development programs on Cloudera Platform using Spark on Scala and Java, Hive and Impala.
• Strong experience in relational and NoSQL databases and in development methodologies such as SDLC and Agile, including BRD/FRD preparation and test methodologies.
• Experience in systems analysis, programming, enterprise level platform development and complete project lifecycle exposure.
• Ability to manage high-performance teams in high-pressure delivery environments.

Big Data Consultant develops POCs and supports implementation projects on very large data sets, working closely with customers to identify key objectives and deliver solutions that result in high customer satisfaction. The work directly supports database migration integrity, optimal database projection design, and the adoption of current NoSQL technologies across client environments.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• Work closely with customers to identify key objectives and develop solutions.
• Write and produce technical documentation and knowledgebase articles.
• Collaborate with teams at all levels to deliver successful projects resulting in high customer satisfaction.
• Develop innovative solutions to complex problems and identify issues arising from migrations to new warehousing systems.
• Consult to ensure optimal design of database projections and keep up to date with latest trends in NoSQL technologies.

Professional Experience

• 5+ years of experience working on large-scale databases.
• Good understanding of server parameters, resources and contention, and of backup and recovery work.
• Good experience with data warehousing concepts, column store databases and OLTP vs OLAP administration needs.
• Proficient in SQL writing and editing, and experienced in a scripting language such as bash, Perl or Python.
• High travel availability required.