Data Architect (MS Stack)

2055 Data Architect

Position Summary

We are seeking a hands-on Data Architect to lead the architecture and buildout of a new data warehouse within a Microsoft technology environment.

This is a greenfield data warehouse initiative, providing the opportunity to help define the architecture, data models, integrations, standards, and overall structure of the environment from the ground up.

The ideal candidate will be equally comfortable with architecture and hands-on implementation—someone who can design the solution and then roll up their sleeves to help build it.

There are potentially two paths for this position. Ideally, we are looking for someone interested in remaining with the organization following the initial data warehouse implementation and expanding into ongoing data, database, optimization, maintenance, and DBA-related responsibilities. However, we are also open to an experienced Data Architect who is specifically interested in leading the architecture and build of the new data warehouse as a project-based engagement.

Because this is a smaller IT environment, candidates interested in the longer-term opportunity should be comfortable wearing multiple hats and taking on responsibilities beyond traditional data architecture.

The successful candidate will be highly independent and able to take a high-level or abstract technical objective, determine the appropriate approach, and turn it into an actionable solution.

Key Responsibilities

Data Architecture & Data Warehouse

• Lead the architecture and build of a greenfield enterprise data warehouse.
• Design a scalable data architecture that supports current and future reporting, analytics, and business needs.
• Develop and maintain data models and establish standards for how data is structured throughout the environment.
• Design and implement Bronze, Silver, and Gold data layers, including raw data ingestion, cleansing/transformation, and reporting-ready datasets.
• Analyze existing databases, data structures, and source systems and determine how information should be integrated into the new data warehouse.
• Define and enforce data standards, naming conventions, structures, and best practices.
• Design the environment for performance, scalability, maintainability, and data quality.
• Optimize SQL queries and database processes to ensure the data warehouse performs efficiently.

Data Integration & Development

• Design and build integrations between source systems and the data warehouse.
• Work with multiple methods of data ingestion and integration, including direct database connections, REST APIs, flat files, and other data sources.
• Develop processes for extracting, loading, cleansing, transforming, and organizing data.
• Understand how data moves between systems and identify opportunities to improve data flow, quality, and reliability.
• Troubleshoot data integration and database issues and identify root causes.
• Support the continued evolution of the data environment as new systems and data sources are introduced.

Business & Reporting Partnership

• Partner with business users to understand how data is being used and what they need the data to tell them.
• Translate business questions and requirements into actionable data solutions.
• Work with reporting and analytics resources to ensure data is structured appropriately for downstream reporting.
• Help bridge the gap between technical data architecture and the functional needs of the business.
• Support data modeling for reporting and analytics; experience with Power BI semantic modeling is a plus.

Ongoing Database & Technical Responsibilities

For candidates interested in a longer-term opportunity, responsibilities may expand following the initial data warehouse implementation to include:

• Provide ongoing database administration and support for the data warehouse environment.
• Monitor and optimize database performance and efficiency.
• Support database security and access management.
• Perform database maintenance and monitor backup processes.
• Troubleshoot production database and data-related issues.
• Potentially support additional production databases as responsibilities evolve.
• Perform a combination of architecture, development, integration, and DBA-related activities based on the needs of the IT team.

Required Qualifications

• Strong professional experience in Data Architecture, Data Engineering, Database Development, or a closely related discipline.
• Previous Data Warehouse experience
• Hands-on experience architecting and building data warehouse environments.
• Advanced SQL skills, including the ability to write, troubleshoot, and optimize complex queries.
• Strong experience with Microsoft SQL Server.
• Strong familiarity with the Microsoft data technology ecosystem.
• Experience with Microsoft Azure and cloud-based data environments.
• Strong understanding of:
• Data modeling
• Data warehouse architecture
• ETL/ELT concepts
• Data integration
• Data cleansing and transformation
• Database performance and optimization
• Data standards and naming conventions
• Experience integrating data through databases, REST APIs, flat files, and other source systems.
• Ability to understand existing databases and determine how data should be restructured or modeled within a modern data warehouse.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of technical initiatives with limited direction.

Preferred Qualifications

• Python experience.
• Experience with Microsoft Fabric.
• Experience with Snowflake.
• PostgreSQL experience.
• Experience with Power BI and semantic data modeling.
• Experience building Bronze/Silver/Gold or similar layered data architectures.
• Database administration experience, including security, performance optimization, maintenance, monitoring, and backups, particularly for candidates interested in the longer-term opportunity.
• Experience working within a smaller IT organization where team members have broad responsibilities.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The strongest candidate will be both strategic and hands-on. This person should be able to design the architecture while also being willing and capable of getting into the technical details required to build and operationalize it.

They should be someone who can be given a large or somewhat abstract technical objective, figure out what needs to happen, research what they don't know, and turn the objective into an actionable solution. They should also understand when something needs to be escalated versus when they can independently work through it.