Distinguished Architect, Data & AI

Overview

Who we are

Collaborative. Respectful. A place to dream and do. These are just a few words that describe what life is like at Toyota. As one of the world’s most admired brands, Toyota is growing and leading the future of mobility through innovative, high-quality solutions designed to enhance lives and delight those we serve. We’re looking for talented team members who want to Dream. Do. Grow. with us.

An important part of the Toyota family is Toyota Financial Services (TFS), the finance and insurance brand for Toyota and Lexus in North America. While TFS is a separate business entity, it is an essential part of this world-changing company- delivering on Toyota's vision to move people beyond what's possible. At TFS, you will help create best-in-class customer experience in an innovative, collaborative environment.

To save time applying, Toyota does not offer sponsorship of job applicants for employment-based visas or any other work authorization for this position at this time.

Who we’re looking for

Toyota Financial Services is seeking a Distinguished Architect, Data & AI, to lead the strategy, design, and execution of our enterprise data architecture and AI capabilities. Reporting directly to the Chief Architect, this is the most senior individual contributor role within the architecture organization, responsible for shaping the future of data and AI across the enterprise.

This high-impact, hands-on role blends deep technical expertise with strategic vision and cross-functional influence. You’ll guide the creation of scalable, secure, and ethical data and AI foundations, partnering with data engineering, platform, security, and governance teams to drive enterprise-wide transformation.

What you’ll be doing

• Define and evolve the enterprise-wide data and AI architecture strategy in alignment with business and technology goals
• Architect the next-generation data platform and lakehouse environment to support both operational and analytical use cases
• Design and lead the implementation of scalable AI/ML platforms, including MLOps, model governance, and responsible AI practices
• Drive the adoption of real-time, event-driven data processing across business domains
• Establish enterprise patterns and standards for data modeling, lineage, metadata, and quality
• Champion ethical AI and ensure compliance with privacy, security, and regulatory requirements
• Conduct evaluations and POCs of emerging AI/ML and data platform technologies, including GenAI, LLMOps, and vector databases
• Serve as the most senior technical advisor to executive leadership on data and AI innovation opportunities and risks
• Mentor and elevate Principal and Lead Architects, setting a high standard for architectural excellence across the organization

What you bring

• 10+ years of experience in data architecture, analytics platforms, and AI/ML solution design
• Proven success architecting large-scale enterprise data platforms in a hybrid or cloud-native environment (AWS preferred)
• Hands-on expertise with lakehouse technologies (e.g., Databricks, Snowflake, Iceberg, Delta Lake), streaming tools (Kafka, Flink), and orchestration (Airflow, dbt)
• Deep experience with AI/ML frameworks (e.g., SageMaker, TensorFlow, PyTorch) and platform design for model lifecycle management
• Strong understanding of responsible AI practices and regulatory compliance (e.g., NIST AI RMF, GDPR, HIPAA)
• Proven ability to influence cross-functional teams and executive stakeholders
• Exceptional communication and leadership skills in both technical and business contexts

Added bonus if you have

• Experience with AWS AI/ML services like Bedrock, Comprehend, and Textract
• Exposure to vector databases, RAG architecture, or LLM fine-tuning
• Familiarity with synthetic data, bias mitigation techniques, or explainable AI frameworks
• Track record of publishing thought leadership or speaking on enterprise AI strategy
• Experience mentoring other architects and establishing architecture communities of practice

What we’ll bring

During your interview process, our team can fill you in on all the details of our industry-leading benefits and career development opportunities. A few highlights include:

• A work environment built on teamwork, flexibility, and respect
• Professional growth and development programs to help advance your career, as well as tuition reimbursement
• Team Member Vehicle Purchase Discount
• Toyota Team Member Lease Vehicle Program (if applicable)
• Comprehensive health care and wellness plans for your entire family
• Toyota 401(k) Savings Plan featuring a company match, as well as an annual retirement contribution from Toyota regardless of whether you contribute
• Paid holidays and paid time off
• Referral services related to prenatal services, adoption, childcare, schools and more
• Tax Advantaged Accounts (Health Savings Account, Health Care FSA, Dependent Care FSA)
• Relocation assistance (if applicable)

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Belonging at Toyota

Our success begins and ends with our people. We embrace all perspectives and value unique human experiences. Respect for all is our North Star. Toyota is proud to have 10+ different Business Partnering Groups across 100 different North American chapter locations that support team members’ efforts to dream, do and grow without questioning that they belong.

Applicants for our positions are considered without regard to race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, religion, military or veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by law.

Have a question, need assistance with your application or do you require any special accommodations? Please send an email to talent.acquisition@toyota.com.