• Translate product ideas, domain concepts, and company vision into durable data models, computation layers, and system contracts that preserve meaning as the platform grows. • Design and evolve foundational data systems end-to-end and hand them off once patterns are established, documented, and safely extensible by other teams. • Guide teams through decisions on data modeling, schema evolution, performance tradeoffs, correctness, observability, AI integration, and scale. • Influence without authority - shaping engineering culture, mentoring senior engineers, and raising the organizational bar through architectural clarity and principled decision-making. • Partner closely with product, CTO, AI/ML, and engineering teams to shape roadmap feasibility and long-term platform direction.