Data Architect

GreatAmerica Financial Services•Cedar Rapids, IA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

GreatAmerica Financial Services is a highly successful entrepreneurial company providing equipment financing to businesses across the United States. Our exemplary customer service, our principle-centered business philosophy and our team-based operating approach are key to our success and growth. We are looking to add a Key Member to our Data Delivery Team! The Data Architect is responsible for design and delivery of the organization’s data infrastructure, including operational source systems, analytical platforms, data movement technology and architectural standards. This role balances technical excellence with business needs to deliver reliable, secure, and highly available solutions in a hybrid cloud environment. As a strategic technical leader, the Data Architect shapes enterprise-wide data architecture and guides long-term platform modernization initiatives. This role ensures that the data ecosystem supports scalability, governance, regulatory compliance, and advanced analytics capabilities, enabling the organization to use data as a strategic asset. We’re looking for a self-starting Data Architect who thrives both independently and, in a collaborative, team-based environment. This role is ideal for someone who isn’t afraid to speak up, share perspectives, and actively drive meaningful discussions. The right candidate will be someone who can mentor others while remaining open to learning new things, who can see the long-term vision and help bring it to life. We value architects who view technical debt as an opportunity for improvement and innovation, and who make pragmatic, business first decisions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field.
7+ years of experience in data architecture, database design, or related roles.
In-depth knowledge of cloud-based data architectures, transactional and analytical systems, data modeling, data integration tools, and business intelligence concepts.
Experience with both SQL and NoSQL database technologies.
Proven experience designing and implementing enterprise-scale data warehouses and data lakes.
Demonstrated expertise with Microsoft Azure services, including Azure Data Factory, Synapse, Databricks, Azure Data Lake Storage, and Salesforce.
Experience with Salesforce data models and Salesforce Data Cloud.
Experience leading modernization, migration, and cloud transformation initiatives.
Strategic thinking with the ability to drive enterprise-level architectural decisions.
Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to balance technical and business trade-offs.
Excellent collaboration and influence skills across technical and business teams.
Ability to navigate differing viewpoints and achieve consensus.
Adaptability to changing technologies, business priorities, and data needs.
Strong learning mindset, particularly around cloud, AI/ML, and emerging technologies.
Effective facilitation and consensus-building capabilities.
Microsoft SQL Server (SSIS, SSAS, Service Broker)
Azure (Azure SQL Database, Azure Synapse, Azure Data Factory, Azure Data Lake Storage, Azure Functions, Azure DevOps)
Databricks
Salesforce (Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Data Cloud)
Python
Spark
dbt
Airflow
Informatica Cloud
Microsoft Office Suite

Nice To Haves

Advanced SQL certifications and/or ITIL knowledge are a plus.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain conceptual, logical, and physical data models.
Design scalable, end-to-end enterprise data architectures that support current and future business needs.
Build, prototype, and optimize real-time and batch data pipelines using modern data integration tools and cloud services.
Design and implement ETL/ELT processes to ensure seamless and reliable data movement across systems.
Integrate diverse data sources across the enterprise using standardized patterns and frameworks.
Establish, document, socialize, and enforce development, modeling, and architectural design standards.
Implement data quality metrics, monitoring capabilities, and issue resolution processes in partnership with Data Governance.
Define, manage and enforce data governance, quality, security and compliance frameworks in partnership with Data Governance.
Create and maintain clear documentation of architectural decisions, standards, and patterns.
Implement data protection strategies, including access controls and data privacy measures.
Ensure data architectures align with regulatory requirements and internal compliance standards.
Evaluate and recommend emerging technologies to improve data management and platform capabilities.
Architect and optimize cloud-native solutions leveraging Microsoft Azure services.
Lead modernization initiatives, including migrations from legacy platforms to cloud-based solutions.
Support scalability, performance tuning, and cost optimization of data platforms.
Build strong relationships with business and technical stakeholders to understand evolving needs and translate them into architectural solutions.
Collaborate with DevOps, Engineering, Analytics, Data Governance, and other cross-functional teams to operationalize data solutions.
Serve as a technical thought leader influencing multi-year data strategy and platform decisions.
Mentor team members and promote best practices across the data organization.
Partner with other architects to ensure enterprise alignment with data standards and architectural principles.

Benefits

Competitive Compensation
Monthly Bonuses for Eligible Employees
401(k) and Company Match
Annual Profit Sharing
Paid Time Off
Paid Vacation - starting at 80 hours annually for employees in their first year of service.
Paid Sick Days - Ten (10) per year with a conversion option for unused time.
Ten (10) Paid Holidays per year
Gym Reimbursement
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Short-Term and Long Term Disability
Company Paid Life Insurance
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
Health Savings Accounts (HSA)
Employee Assistance Program
Parental Leave
Tuition Assistance
Networking Opportunities
Leadership Development Opportunities
Paid Parking
Service Awards
Hybrid work arrangements
Business casual environment
A strong organizational culture focused on our greatest asset: you!