Senior Data Engineer/Architect

Role Summary
Looking for a Senior Data Engineer/Architect to bring order and reliability to our data ecosystem. We rely on Salesforce and SAP to run the business, but the underlying data structures, hierarchies, and governance practices have not kept pace with our growth. This role exists to fix that at the source — not by cleaning up bad data, but by re-architecting how data is structured, related, and governed across systems so it can be trusted going forward.
This is a hands-on, high-visibility role for someone who enjoys solving foundational problems: designing data models, untangling system-of-record conflicts, and building the governance framework that prevents the next round of discrepancies before it starts.
**There is no data organization or data leader in place today** — this role is the first of its kind]. You'll be defining the data governance practice from the ground up, not stepping into an existing framework or reporting into someone who already owns this space. That means you'll need to be comfortable setting direction with real ambiguity, making judgment calls without a playbook, and building credibility and process largely on your own initiative.

Key Responsibilities
Diagnose root causes of data discrepancies** between Salesforce and SAP, distinguishing structural/architectural issues from data quality issues.
Define data hierarchies and taxonomies (e.g., account, customer, product, and order hierarchies) that are consistent across systems and reflect how the business actually operates.
Design and implement data governance practices**, including system-of-record rules, data ownership, naming conventions, and change management processes.
Define the target-state data model and reconciliation rules** across Salesforce, SAP, and other business systems — including source-of-truth rules, key matching logic, and hierarchy definitions. You'll partner closely with our Enterprise/Solution Architect, who owns the technical integration build (APIs, sync mechanics, middleware); your role defines *what* the data should look like and *which system governs what*, while they design *how* it moves between systems.
**Partner cross-functionally** with Sales, Operations, Finance, and IT to understand how each team uses data and to align on shared definitions (e.g., what makes a record "the same" account or product across systems).
Build documentation and data dictionaries** that make hierarchies, relationships, and governance rules transparent and maintainable long after this project is "done."
Establish monitoring and validation processes** to catch structural issues early, rather than after they've caused downstream reporting or operational problems.
Advise leadership** on data strategy, tooling gaps, and where further investment (headcount, platforms, integrations) is needed.

Required Qualifications
- 5+ years of experience in data engineering, data architecture, or a closely related role.
- Hands-on experience with **Salesforce data model** (objects, relationships, record types) — administration experience is a plus but not required.
- Experience working with **SAP** or a comparable ERP system, particularly around how master data (customers, products, orders) is structured.
- Demonstrated experience designing **data hierarchies, taxonomies, or master data management (MDM)** frameworks.
- Strong understanding of **data governance principles**: ownership, stewardship, data quality standards, and change control.
- Experience with data integration tools/middleware (e.g., MuleSoft, Boomi, Informatica, or similar) is a strong plus.
- Comfortable working with **SQL** and querying/inspecting data directly to diagnose issues.
- Excellent communication skills — able to explain technical data structure decisions to non-technical stakeholders (Sales, Ops, Finance) and translate their needs back into architecture.
- Proven ability to **thrive in ambiguity and build a practice from the ground up**: this role has no established playbook, no existing data governance framework, and no data leader above it today. You'll need to define the "right" structure where none currently exists, set your own priorities, and drive the work largely independently.
- Experience in a small-to-mid-sized company where you've had to be both strategic (architecture, governance) and hands-on (implementation) is a strong plus.

Nice to Have
- Experience in skincare, CPG, retail, or a similarly complex product/SKU environment.
- Familiarity with data cataloging or governance tooling (e.g., Collibra, Alation, Atlan).
- Experience supporting reporting/BI teams by ensuring clean, well-structured source data.