Principal Solutions Architect - Master Data, Product Data & AI Automation

Job Posting:

Since 1953, Ferguson has been a source of quality supplies for a variety of industries. Together We Build Better infrastructure, better homes and better businesses. We exist to make our customers’ complex projects simple, successful, and sustainable. We proactively solve problems, adapt and grow to continuously serve our customers, communities and each other. Ferguson, a Fortune 500 company, is proud to provide best-in-class products, service and capabilities across the following industries: Commercial/Mechanical, Facilities Supply, Fire and Fabrication, HVAC, Industrial, Residential Trade, Residential Building and Remodel, Waterworks and Residential Digital Commerce. Ferguson has approximately 36,000 associates across 1,700 locations. Ferguson is a community of proud associates who operate with the shared purpose of building something meaningful. You will build a career that you are proud of, at a company you can believe in.

Principal Solutions Architect – Master Data, Product Data & AI Automation

The Principal Solutions Architect will lead the technical architecture for Ferguson’s master data capabilities, with an immediate focus on product data. This role will set architecture direction, guide solution design, and drive scalable, secure, and sustainable capabilities across data quality, AI-enabled classification and automation, enrichment, and cross-reference solutions. The architect will serve as a senior technical leader across product data and adjacent master data domains, translating sophisticated business and technical needs into solutions that improve data quality, operational efficiency, customer experience, and business value.

This is a Principal-level role requiring recognized expertise in Master Data Management, solutions architecture, product data architecture, and practical application of AI and automation. The ideal candidate will bring deep technical depth, enterprise architecture judgment, and the ability to influence business, technology, product, data governance, analytics, and vendor partners across sophisticated initiatives.

Location: This role is approved to be either Remote within the United States or Hybrid for associates in Newport News, VA, in accordance with company policy.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Defines strategic architecture direction for enterprise master data capabilities, with emphasis on product data, data quality, AI automation, enrichment, and cross-reference solutions.
• Translates complex business, data, AI, and technical requirements into scalable solution designs, roadmaps, implementation guidance, and architecture guardrails.
• Leads architecture for product data models, hierarchies, taxonomies, mappings, transformations, validation rules, match and merge logic, and enrichment workflows.
• Shapes responsible AI-enabled patterns that improve data quality, accelerate enrichment, automate repeatable analysis, and support human-in-the-loop review.
• Reviews solution architecture to ensure security, compliance, scalability, performance, reliability, maintainability, and operational support requirements are met.
• Provides technical leadership and mentorship to architects, engineers, analysts, product owners, and delivery teams building or consuming master data capabilities.
• Identifies architecture risks, gaps, dependencies, and trade-offs; recommends practical solutions that balance speed, quality, cost, supportability, and long-term sustainability.
• Partners with senior business and technology leadership, vendors and third-party providers to evaluate capabilities, resolve complex issues, assess roadmaps, and align solutions to Ferguson’s master data and AI strategy.

Qualifications and Requirements:

• 12+ years of IT experience with significant depth in data architecture, solutions architecture, enterprise application architecture, or related disciplines.
• 7+ years of hands-on experience designing, implementing, or governing enterprise Master Data Management solutions.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Data Management, or related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• Deep expertise in master data architecture, including domain modeling, data quality, governance, hierarchy management, stewardship, matching, merging, survivorship, and integration patterns.
• Experience with major MDM platforms such as Stibo Systems, Informatica MDM, Reltio, SAP MDG, Semarchy, or similar platforms.
• Experience with modern cloud data, analytics, and AI platforms, including Databricks Lakehouse, Databricks AI/BI capabilities such as Genie, Claude or similar generative AI tools, Azure Data Factory, Azure Data Lake, cloud storage, SQL and NoSQL platforms, APIs, and modern integration patterns.
• Good experience with product data capabilities, including product information management, enrichment, classification, cross-reference, catalog data, and item setup.
• Practical experience applying AI, machine learning, generative AI, or automation to improve data quality, enrichment, classification, validation, matching, or operational workflows.
• Proven Principal-level ability to define target-state architecture, influence senior leaders, solve complex problems, mentor technical teams, and deliver scalable architecture strategies.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience in wholesale, distribution, eCommerce, or other product-data-intensive industries.
• Experience with product data governance operating models, stewardship workflows, data ownership models, and measurable data quality programs.
• Experience shaping responsible AI patterns, human-in-the-loop review models, AI evaluation approaches, and operational controls for AI-enabled data processes.
• Relevant certifications such as Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Databricks, data architecture, cloud architecture, or similar are a plus.

Why Join Us:

You’ll play a central role in shaping Ferguson’s master data and product data strategy at a time when trusted data, AI-enabled automation, and scalable data quality capabilities are critical to how we serve our customers and run the business. You’ll work across a broad technology landscape in a collaborative environment that values innovation, governance, operational excellence, and measurable business impact, with meaningful opportunities to influence enterprise architecture direction and modernize how Ferguson manages and activates master data.

At Ferguson, we care for each other. We value our well-being just as much as our hard work. We are committed to a holistic approach towards benefits plans and programs that support the mental, physical and financial well-being of our associates. Our competitive offering not only includes benefits like health, dental, vision, paid time off, life insurance and a 401(k) with a company match, but our associates also enjoy additional meaningful and inclusive enhancements that are adaptable to their diverse situations and needs, including mental health coverage, gender affirming and family building benefits, paid parental leave, associate discounts, community involvement opportunities and more!

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Pay Range:

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Actual pay rate may vary depending upon location. The estimated pay range for this position is below. The specific rate will depend on a candidate’s qualifications and prior experience.

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$10,594.74 - $18,536.46

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Estimated Ranges displayed are Monthly for Salaried roles OR Hourly for all other roles.

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This role is Bonus or Incentive Plan eligible.

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Ferguson complies with all wage regulations. The starting wage may be higher in certain locations based on local or state wage requirements.

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The Company is an equal opportunity employer as well as a government contractor that shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-300.5(a), which prohibits discrimination against qualified protected Veterans and the requirements of 41 CFR 60-741.5(A), which prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals on the basis of disability.

Ferguson Enterprises, LLC. is an equal employment employer F/M/Disability/Vet/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity.

Equal Employment Opportunity and Reasonable Accommodation Information

Originally posted on Himalayas