Data Architect (Research Platform Architect)

Job Description

Company: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Location: St. Louis, MO
Workplace Type: Hybrid
Employment Type: Full-time
Pay / Compensation: $140,000 – $170,000

About the Role

The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis is seeking a Data Architect to lead the design and modernization of the data architecture that powers economic data platforms such as FRED. These platforms manage massive collections of economic time-series data, historical revisions, digitized archival documents, and research publications. This role focuses on designing scalable data platforms, data models, and data governance frameworks to support long-term growth, advanced analytics, and global access to economic data.

What You’ll Do / Key Responsibilities

• Target Architecture Evolution: Define and evolve the target data architecture supporting economic data systems.
• Storage Architecture Design: Design scalable storage architectures capable of supporting billions of time-series observations and historical revisions.
• Metadata Management: Develop metadata schemas supporting dataset discoverability, lineage, and governance, standardizing dataset structures across multiple platforms.
• Data Processing & Indexing: Implement scalable data processing frameworks and improve indexing/metadata strategies that support dataset search and discovery.
• Analytical Enablement: Enable advanced analytical capabilities for researchers and developers while partnering with Application Architects to optimize data access patterns for APIs and applications.

Requirements & Qualifications

• 7-10+ years of experience in data architecture, data engineering, or database design and large-scale enterprise cloud data implementations in complex environments.
• Deep understanding of modern data technology stacks, cloud data platforms (AWS preferred), and enterprise software solutions.
• Demonstrated experience designing, architecting, and supporting external/public-facing applications emphasizing scalability, security, availability, and performance.
• Expert knowledge of data modeling techniques, data lifecycle management, and integration patterns to ensure consistent, reliable, and reusable data flows.
• Strong recent hands-on experience with PostgreSQL, including schema design, advanced indexing strategies, partitioning, query optimization, and high-availability configurations for large-scale time-series data.
• Knowledge of data warehousing concepts, big data technologies, machine learning, and AI data requirements.
• Outstanding communication and collaboration skills with the ability to translate technical topics and risks for business teams and executive leadership.

Preferred / Bonus Qualifications (if applicable)

• Experience working with time-series data platforms or analytical datasets.
• Experience with distributed query engines and large-scale data processing systems.
• Experience with data catalog and metadata management platforms.
• Familiarity with economic datasets or research data environments.

Benefits & Perks (if applicable)

• Medical (4 options), Prescription, Dental (3 options), and Vision Insurance with no waiting period
• 401k/Thrift Plan with generous employer match
• Employer-funded Pension Plan
• Paid Vacation/Sick Time and Holidays
• Flexible Spending Accounts and Healthcare Spending Accounts
• Life Insurance and Long Term Disability Insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement (undergraduate and graduate)
• Parental Leave
• Free onsite 24/7 Fitness Center including training classes and locker room/shower facilities
• Onsite Cafeteria and Coffee Shop

The Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis is an Equal Opportunity Employer.