Data Architect

Highlights for Children•Columbus, OH

4h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Data Architect is responsible for designing, documenting, and governing data architecture for Highlights' Microsoft Fabric & Azure platforms. This role focuses on hands-on data modeling, establishing Bronze/Silver/Gold layer standards, and ensuring consistent implementation across all data domains. Working closely with the Highlights Intelligence Team / Analytics team and data engineers, this architect translates business requirements into well-designed data structures that enable reliable reporting and analytics. This is a builder role. You will create and maintain the Fabric Architecture Playbook, design dimensional models, establish naming conventions, and provide patterns that data engineers follow. You own the accuracy and completeness of architecture documentation and serve as the go-to resource for "how should we model this?" questions.

Requirements

Medallion Architecture: Understand Bronze immutability principles, Silver transformation scope (entity resolution, SCD2, quality flags), and Gold business logic patterns
Dimensional Modeling: Confident designing star schemas, fact/dimension relationships, and handling slowly changing dimensions
Microsoft Fabric/Lakehouse: Working knowledge of OneLake, lakehouses, Delta tables, and how they differ from traditional data warehouses
SQL Proficiency: Ability to write and review complex SQL for data transformations
Data Modeling Tools: Experience with ERwin, ER/Studio, or similar; comfortable with diagramming data flows
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or equivalent experience
5-7 years of experience in data architecture, data modeling, or senior data engineering roles
Demonstrated experience creating logical and physical data models
Strong knowledge of dimensional modeling, star/snowflake schemas
Experience with cloud data platforms (Azure, AWS, or Databricks)
Proficiency in SQL and understanding of data transformation patterns
Experience documenting data architectures and creating design artifacts
Solid communication skills with ability to explain technical concepts to business stakeholders

Nice To Haves

Experience with Microsoft Fabric, Azure Synapse, or Databricks
Knowledge of Delta Lake format and lakehouse architecture
CDMP certification or data modeling certification
Experience in retail, consumer products, or subscription business environments
Familiarity with ERP systems (NetSuite preferred)
Experience with data catalog or metadata management tools
Understanding of data governance principles

Responsibilities

Design logical and physical data models for the Microsoft Fabric lakehouse environment
Create dimensional models (star schemas) for the Gold layer supporting business intelligence
Define Bronze layer landing patterns ensuring source data is captured accurately and immutably
Design Silver layer transformations including entity resolution, slowly changing dimensions (SCD Type 2), and data quality flags
Establish surrogate key strategies and historical data patterns
Document data models using standard notation and maintain model artifacts in version control
Create Data Architecture for data products such as the Customer Merge / Match tool, contract preferences and other future solutions.
Work with HIT and other teams to establish lab environments where teams can experiment with speed and agility but ensure security & cost considerations are adhered to and ensure the output of these environments is not used as a workaround for the code data platform.
Own and maintain the Fabric Architecture Playbook (SPOT Playbook), ensuring accuracy and completeness
Define and enforce naming conventions for lakehouses, tables, columns, and pipelines
Create reusable patterns and templates for common data scenarios
Establish data quality validation patterns at each medallion layer
Document architecture decisions using Architecture Decision Records (ADRs)
Conduct design reviews for data engineering work, ensuring alignment with standards
Establish and review metrics on cost, performance, usage and value of data insights to the organization. Work with the Tech Lead and other team members to maintain appropriate ranges for these measures.
Work directly with HIT to understand reporting and analysis requirements
Translate business questions into data model designs
Partner with business domain SMEs to capture entity definitions and business rules
Collaborate with the Data Platform Tech Lead on implementation feasibility
Participate in requirements sessions and design workshops
Evangelize the value and importance of data to leaders throughout Highlights.
Ensure consumption of data / insights is performed in a sustainable & best practices manner.
Inform the data dictionary and business glossary entries for modeled entities
Document data lineage from source systems through Gold layer
Define data classification for tables and columns (PII, confidential, etc.)
Support data quality metric definition and monitoring
Participate in Architecture Review Board discussions