Solution Architect (Relocation to Saudi Arabia is required)
aramco · Greater Houston
- On site
- Full-time
- SAR 150,000 / year
- Greater Houston
Job highlights
- Architect data solutions for pipelines, storage, and analytics.
- Define cloud or hybrid infrastructure for high-volume data.
- Develop ETL proof of concepts and framework components.
- Select appropriate data stores for specific use cases.
- Optimize existing systems for cost and performance.
About the role
Solution Architect
Company: Aramco
Location: Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Job Summary:
The Solution Architect role requires a highly technical professional with deep, hands-on expertise in Data Engineering and solution architecture. This position bridges the gap between high-level business requirements and technical execution, defining the architecture of scalable data pipelines, robust storage solutions, and high-performance analytics environments. The key responsibilities include prototyping complex integrations and ensuring that data infrastructure is robust, secure, resilient, and optimized for scale-up. As a practitioner in this role, you will be responsible for translating business needs into technical solutions, leveraging your expertise to drive the design and implementation of data-driven systems.
Key Responsibilities:
- Architectural Design: Lead the design of end-to-end solution and data architectures, including ingestion, processing, storage, and visualization layers.
- Infrastructure Strategy: Define cloud-native or hybrid infrastructure strategies that support high-volume data processing and real-time analytics.
- Hands-on Development: Develop Proof of Concepts (PoCs) and core framework components for data pipelines (e.g. ETL) to ensure architectural feasibility.
- Database Governance: Evaluate and select appropriate data stores (Relational, NoSQL, Graph, Vector) based on specific use-case requirements like latency, throughput, and consistency.
- Performance Optimization: Audit existing data systems to identify bottlenecks and implement strategies for cost-optimization and query performance tuning.
- Technical Leadership: Provide technical leadership in ensuring best practices in various areas including CI/CD and documentation.
- Solution Architecture: Develop and maintain a deep understanding of the corporate’s technology landscape, including applications, data flows, and infrastructure, to identify opportunities for improvement and optimization.
- Legacy Modernization: Experience migrating on-premise infrastructure to cloud-native architectures.
- Containerization: Experience with Docker and Kubernetes for deploying data services.
Technical Expertise:
- Cloud Infrastructure: Expert-level experience with at least one major cloud provider (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and their native data services.
- Data Processing: Strong proficiency in batch and stream processing.
- Programming: Advanced coding skills in Python, or Java, along with expert-level SQL.
- Database Systems: Extensive experience managing and querying various systems: Relational: PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server. NoSQL/NewSQL: MongoDB, Cassandra. Warehousing/Lakehouses: Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery.
- Enterprise Architecture: Knowledge of enterprise architecture principles, including business architecture, information architecture, and technology architecture.
Professional Experience & Education:
- Minimum of 8–10 years in IT, with at least 4 years in a Solution Architect or Lead Data Engineer role.
- Proven track record of delivering at least two large-scale enterprise data platform migrations or greenfield builds.
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field.
- Must have Oil & Gas experience.
Certifications (Preferred):
- Professional certification in relevant areas such as TOGAF, ITIL, or similar.
Nice to Have:
- AI/ML Integration: Experience architecting Feature Stores and MLOps pipelines to support machine learning workflows.
- Governance Tools: Familiarity with data cataloging and governance tools.
Company Profile:
Aramco Energizes the World Economy. Aramco occupies a special position in the global energy industry. We are one of the world’s largest producers of hydrocarbon energy and chemicals, with among the lowest Upstream carbon intensities of any major producer. With our significant investment in technology and infrastructure, we strive to maximize the value of the energy we produce for the world along with a commitment to enhance Aramco’s value to society. Headquartered in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and with offices around the world, we combine market discipline with a generations’ spanning view of the future, born of our nine decades experience as responsible stewards of the Kingdom’s vast hydrocarbon resources. This responsibility has driven us to deliver significant societal and economic benefits to not just the Kingdom, but also to a vast number of communities, economies, and countries that rely on the vital and reliable energy that we supply. We are one of the most profitable companies in the world, as well as amongst the top five global companies by market capitalization.
Working Environment:
Our high-performing employees are drawn by the challenging and rewarding professional, technical, and industrial opportunities we offer, and are remunerated accordingly. At Aramco, our people work on truly world-scale projects, supported by investment in capital and technology that is second to none. And because, as a global energy company, we are faced with addressing some of the world’s biggest technical, logistical, and environmental challenges, we invest heavily in talent development. We have a proud history of educating and training our workforce over many decades. Employees at all levels are encouraged to improve their sector-specific knowledge and competencies through our workforce development programs – one of the largest in the world.
Key skills/competency:
- Solution Architecture
- Data Engineering
- Cloud Infrastructure (AWS, Azure, GCP)
- Data Pipelines (ETL)
- Database Systems (SQL, NoSQL, Warehousing)
- Python
- Java
- SQL
- Enterprise Architecture
- Oil & Gas
Skills & topics
- Solution Architect
- Data Engineering
- Cloud Architecture
- Data Pipelines
- ETL
- Python
- Java
- SQL
- AWS
- Azure
- GCP
- NoSQL
- Data Warehousing
- Big Data
- Enterprise Architecture
- Oil & Gas
- Saudi Arabia
- Dhahran
- Relocation
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight Solution Architecture, Data Engineering, and Oil & Gas experience.
- Showcase technical skills: Emphasize cloud expertise (AWS, Azure, GCP), Python, Java, and SQL proficiency.
- Quantify achievements: Detail large-scale data platform migrations or builds with metrics.
- Address relocation: Clearly state willingness and ability to relocate to Saudi Arabia.
- Prepare for technical interviews: Be ready to discuss architectural designs and problem-solving scenarios.
Technical preparation
Behavioral questions
Frequently asked questions
- What is the primary focus of the Solution Architect role at Aramco?
- The Solution Architect role at Aramco focuses on designing and implementing robust, scalable data architectures and pipelines, bridging business requirements with technical solutions, particularly within the Oil & Gas industry. Expertise in data engineering and cloud platforms is crucial.
- Is relocation to Saudi Arabia mandatory for this Solution Architect position?
- Yes, relocation to Saudi Arabia is a mandatory requirement for this Solution Architect position at Aramco. Candidates must be prepared to move to Dhahran.
- What are the key technical skills required for the Solution Architect role at Aramco?
- Key technical skills include expert-level experience with major cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP), strong proficiency in batch and stream data processing, advanced coding in Python or Java, expert SQL, and extensive experience with various database systems (Relational, NoSQL, Warehousing/Lakehouses).
- Does Aramco require specific experience in the Oil & Gas industry for this role?
- Yes, proven experience in the Oil & Gas industry is a mandatory requirement for this Solution Architect position at Aramco.
- What level of experience is expected for the Solution Architect at Aramco?
- A minimum of 8-10 years in IT is expected, with at least 4 years specifically in a Solution Architect or Lead Data Engineer role. A proven track record of delivering large-scale data platform projects is also required.
- What kind of infrastructure strategies will this Solution Architect define?
- This Solution Architect will define cloud-native or hybrid infrastructure strategies designed to support high-volume data processing and real-time analytics, ensuring robustness, security, and scalability.
- Are certifications like TOGAF or ITIL important for this Aramco Solution Architect job?
- While professional certifications such as TOGAF or ITIL are preferred and considered a plus, they are not strictly mandatory. Extensive professional experience and technical expertise are prioritized.
- What is the expected educational background for an Aramco Solution Architect?
- A Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, or a closely related technical field is required for this Solution Architect position at Aramco.