Senior Data Architect, Legal Operations

Cupertino, California, United StatesSenior$184,700 - $277,6004+ years

Imagine what you could do here. At Apple, new ideas have a way of becoming great products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. Bring passion and dedication to your job and there's no telling what you could accomplish. Are you passionate about building data foundations that power intelligent systems and strategic decision-making? Do you thrive at the intersection of data architecture, governance, and enterprise transformation? Can you translate complex data challenges into elegant, scalable solutions? The Applied Data Science team within Legal Operations is building the data foundation that powers AI and analytics for a global legal organization. We're transforming how legal work gets done — and it starts with trusted, connected data. The Principal Data Architect leads the Data Management Office (DMO) and owns the data architecture vision that makes AI accurate and analytics reliable.

The Senior Data Architect owns the data architecture vision for Legal Operations and leads the Data Management Office. You will design and implement the semantic layer, unified data model, and data governance frameworks that make data trusted, connected, and ready for AI and analytics consumption. This role combines strategic architecture leadership with hands-on technical work and team leadership.

Define and own the enterprise data architecture for Legal Operations, including the unified data model, semantic layer, and integration patterns
Design and implement entity resolution to create master records for key entities (law firms, vendors, timekeepers, counterparties) across all legal systems
Establish common language, taxonomy, and legal ontology that standardizes terminology across practice groups and systems
Architect the data lake and integration layer that connects matter management, contracts, eBilling, document management, and other legal systems
Build the data foundation that enables AI systems to achieve production-level accuracy and analytics to deliver trusted insights — providing the context, entity relationships, and data quality required
Establish data quality standards, validation rules, and monitoring to ensure data accuracy and completeness
Design and implement data governance frameworks including data ownership, access controls, lineage, and compliance
Partner with Data Stewards embedded in practice groups to drive data quality and adoption of standards
Lead and mentor the DMO team, including Senior Data Engineer and Data Analysts
Set technical direction and standards for the team; review designs and implementations

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Information Systems, or related field (or equivalent experience); Master's degree preferred
10+ years of experience in data architecture, data engineering, or related fields, with at least 4 years in a senior architecture or leadership role
Deep expertise in enterprise data architecture including data modeling, dimensional modeling, data lake design, and ETL/ELT patterns
Strong experience with cloud data platforms, particularly Snowflake
Proficiency in SQL and Python for data engineering, transformation, and automation
Experience with data integration and transformation tools (dbt, Fivetran, or similar)
Experience designing and implementing entity resolution, master data management, or data quality solutions
Proven experience leading and mentoring data teams
Excellent communication skills — able to translate data architecture concepts for technical and non-technical audiences

Experience building data architectures for legal tech or legal operations environments
Familiarity with legal systems including matter management, CLM, eBilling, or document management systems
Experience with semantic layer technologies (dbt Semantic Layer, Cube, AtScale), knowledge graphs (Neo4j), or ontology design
Understanding of how data architecture enables AI/ML systems, including RAG, embeddings, vector databases, and context management
Experience with data observability and quality tools (Monte Carlo, Great Expectations, or similar)
Knowledge of data privacy, compliance, and governance frameworks relevant to legal data

At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay range for this role is between $184,700 and $277,600, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

Apple employees also have the opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through participation in Apple’s discretionary employee stock programs. Apple employees are eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards, and can purchase Apple stock at a discount if voluntarily participating in Apple’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You’ll also receive benefits including: Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits, a range of discounted products and free services, and for formal education related to advancing your career at Apple, reimbursement for certain educational expenses — including tuition. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments as well as relocation. Learn more about Apple Benefits

Note: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.

Apple is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We seek to promote equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Learn more about your EEO rights as an applicant

At Apple, we believe accessibility is a fundamental human right. You’ll find that idea reflected in everything here — in our culture, our benefits and our digital tools. By welcoming as many perspectives as possible, we help you build a career where you feel like you belong.

Learn about accessibility in Apple’s workplace

Learn about reasonable accommodations for job applicants

Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.

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