Principal Data Solutions Architect

Full-time - Principal

Hybrid - Weston, FL

Publishing Industries

About the position

The Data & Analytics Architect at the Principal level is a critical leader within the organization, responsible for defining, designing, and implementing cutting-edge data solutions to support business intelligence, analytics, and machine learning initiatives. This role requires a deep understanding of enterprise data systems, cloud platforms, and modern data architecture principles. The Architect will collaborate with stakeholders across the business, including Finance, Sales, Marketing, and Technology, to deliver scalable and reliable solutions that enable data-driven decision-making. They will also champion best practices in data governance, quality, and security while mentoring team members to foster a culture of technical excellence and innovation.

Responsibilities

• Develop and expand expertise in UKG's core master data domains and key business applications, including Salesforce (CRM), Dynamics (ERP), Oracle E-Business Suite (ERP), Qualtrics (Survey system), OpenAir, FinancialForce (Professional Services), and Gainsight (commissions).
• Analyze data sources and policies, providing actionable insights on how they relate to business functions such as Finance, Sales, and Marketing.
• Gain authoritative understanding of enterprise data to improve data quality and governance practices across the organization.
• Design and propose comprehensive, end-to-end solutions for data and analytics initiatives, including scalable data pipelines, logical data models, BI solutions, and advanced analytics frameworks.
• Conduct impact assessments and present architectural proposals that align with business objectives.
• Define and advocate architectural standards, setting the strategic direction for data initiatives.
• Design optimized cloud solutions leveraging Azure and GCP platforms, collaborating with Platform and DevOps teams.
• Promote best practices for cloud-native architectures, guiding teams on implementing scalable and cost-effective solutions.
• Design and implement data pipelines to support high-volume data processing while ensuring data quality and governance.
• Optimize engineering processes and frameworks, influencing the strategic direction of data engineering practices.
• Provide operational knowledge of existing frameworks and master pipelines, guiding their evolution.
• Design enterprise BI solutions with tools like Power BI, integrating multiple data sources for self-service analytics.
• Align reporting strategies with business needs to drive data-driven decision-making.
• Foster a culture of data storytelling and set the strategic vision for BI across the organization.
• Develop complex data models to support analytics and reporting, adhering to best practices in data architecture.
• Establish data modeling standards and collaborate with governance teams to ensure security and compliance.
• Collaborate with data scientists to design solutions supporting the machine learning lifecycle.
• Advocate for data-driven problem-solving and identify opportunities for ML integration.
• Understand and document processes within legacy systems like IBM Cognos, Informatica, and Oracle SQL data warehouses.
• Guide the integration of legacy systems into modern architectures.
• Conduct stakeholder training to ensure effective adoption of new solutions and enhance data literacy.
• Mentor junior team members and share advanced concepts in data architecture and analytics.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to identify skill gaps and develop tailored training programs.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, or related field (Master's or certifications in cloud/data technologies a plus).
• 10+ years of experience in data and analytics, including BI, data engineering, and analytics solutions.
• 5+ years in data modeling and data warehousing concepts, with experience in scalable data architecture design.
• 3+ years working with cloud environments, particularly Azure and GCP, and deep understanding of cloud-native services with experience designing secure, cost-effective hybrid cloud solutions.
• Proficiency in BI & DW tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, COGNOS, Azure Synapse, Databricks, Google BigQuery) and ETL/ELT tools (e.g., Informatica, SSIS, etc.).
• Advanced SQL & Python skills and expertise in cloud native data architectures, including data lakes, star/snowflake schemas, and non-relational models.
• Strong knowledge of compliance frameworks (SOX, GDPR, PCI) and their impact on data governance.
• Hands-on experience across the data lifecycle, from ingestion to visualization, and collaboration with data scientists on machine learning.
• Proven leadership and mentoring abilities, with strong communication skills to collaborate across teams and manage multiple priorities.

Nice-to-haves

• Certifications in Azure (e.g., Azure Data Engineer, Azure Solutions Architect) or GCP (e.g., Professional Data Engineer).
• Experience with Salesforce (CRM), Microsoft Dynamics (ERP), or Oracle E-Business Suite (ERP), including integrations with BI platforms.

Benefits

• Wellness programs
• Tuition reimbursement
• Customizable expense reimbursement program (U Choose)
• Support for student loan repayment
• Childcare assistance
• Pet insurance