Data Architecture & Strategy Lead

  • Full-time

Company Description

WHO IS LUMI?

We’re a leading Fintech small business lender fuelling growth by making finance more accessible.

We deliver fast & flexible funding designed to meet the unique needs of Australian businesses. With over $1.5 billion funded since 2018 and backing for 15,000+ small businesses, we're trusted for our speed, high quality service, and tailored approach.

 

WORKING AT LUMI

We are building a culture where you can grow and make a difference for customers. We are looking for people to join us on this journey who are passionate, curious and great problem-solvers.

We are incredibly proud of our awards, including most recently our Deputy CEO, Anna Hawter, receiving the Finnies’ 2025 Outstanding FinTech Leader of the Year award. We also ranked in the top #3 on the 2024 Australian Financial Review BOSS Best Places to Work Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services list, 2023 Best Workplace Diversity Award by FinTech Australia and the 2022 Empowering Innovation Affie Award. We also ranked #36 among the fastest-growing technology companies in Australia in the 2022 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Australia.

We foster a workplace where everyone feels a sense of belonging and respect and can reach their full potential. If you need any adjustments for a fair recruitment process, please let us know when applying.

 

OUR VALUES

Egos at the door

We own. We don’t judge. We don’t blame. We are open. We are in this together. We are respectful.

See the customer

We show up. We understand. We anticipate. We do what we say. We genuinely focus on solutions.

Think lean

We make things simple. We are resourceful. We understand the problem. We think ahead.

Learn to grow

We are curious. We challenge. We try. We fail forward. We learn. We try again.

 

Job Description

THE ROLE

Are you a hands-on Data Engineering lead looking for your next challenge in an innovative environment? Join our innovative, growing scale-up where you will lead a team to design, build, and grow the core data function, setting the foundaion for our next generation of business growth?

We seek a highly experienced Data Architecture & Strategy Lead who possesses deep technical fluency and architectural leadership skills. This is a hands-on, execution-focused role chartered with solving our immediate structural data deficiencies in business operations. You will personally design, implement, and stabilise the core data framework necessary for future scaling, robust governance, and the successful deployment of AI-driven automation projects.

 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Architectural Leadership & Execution

  • Architectural Discernment: Establish a clear "Build vs. Buy" framework and determine when to leverage specialized stores (Vector, Graph) vs. traditional relational databases based on cost, latency, and ROI.
  • Automation Foundation: Design data ingestion and serving layers that account for the unique latency requirements of RAG and Agentic workflows compared to traditional BI.
  • Legacy Re-architecture: Identify and re-platform inefficient, high-cost ETL/ELT processes to improve data freshness and reduce infrastructure spend.

Data Governance and Quality Implementation

  • Establish Data Contracts: Move beyond "cleanup" by negotiating and implementing Data Contracts with Product and Engineering teams to ensure quality is owned at the point of creation.
  • Metric Standardization & Conflict Resolution: Act as the arbiter for metric definitions (e.g., CAC, Default Rates) to resolve departmental discrepancies and ensure a single source of truth.
  • Data Observability & Traceability: Implement monitoring and "time-travel" lineage to trace AI outputs (or hallucinations) back to specific data snapshots for debugging and reliability.

Budget and Vendor Ownership

  • AI FinOps: Manage the unpredictable cost structures of AI-related data platforms, including token usage, vector compute, and API-call forecasting.

Qualifications

THIS PERSON IS SOMEONE WITH

  • Strong Vision for AI/Agentic Workflows: While vast experience is not required, the candidate must demonstrate a deep understanding of the infrastructure shift from structured tables to unstructured data processing (PDFs, logs, emails).
  • Influence without Authority: Proven ability to navigate organizational culture and convince non-technical teams to prioritize data standards.
  • Lean & Resourceful Mindset: A track record of solving complex architectural problems with limited headcount by prioritizing business outcomes over technical purity.

Additional Information

PERKS & BENEFITS

Wellbeing: Free counselling, seasonal activities, Wellbeing Allowance, wellness room, flu shots

Work Life: Home Workspace Allowance, Purchased Leave, Parental Leave, Parental Flex Leave, Lumi Life Leave for challenging events, breastfeeding/expressing space

Social & Food: Monthly lunches, regular celebrations, stocked kitchen, beer & kombucha on tap, board games, ping pong, rooftop BBQs

Rewards & Recognition: Competitive pay, referral bonuses, shout-out recognitions

Community Support: Paid volunteer leave, diversity celebrations, company volunteer days

Career & Growth: Advancement opportunities, higher education sponsorship, hackathons