Director of IT Enterprise Data Architecture

NCAA•Indianapolis, IN

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

This role is responsible for designing and maintaining scalable, high-performance data architectures to support the NCAA’s evolving data needs. The Director will oversee the development, management, and optimization of the enterprise data warehouse (EDW), ensuring data quality and efficiency. Key responsibilities include architecting and managing end-to-end data integration pipelines (batch and event-driven), ensuring secure and reliable data movement across platforms, applications, and vendors. The role also involves ensuring robust integrations between enterprise systems and data platforms using leading technologies, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and defining enterprise data API standards. Additionally, the Director will lead capital projects, evaluate emerging technologies, provide oversight for application-managed services, optimize data engineering operations, and establish audit controls for the data platform. A significant part of the role includes owning platform performance and cost management for the EDW and integration ecosystem, defining SLAs/SLOs, monitoring workloads, and implementing cost optimization practices. Leadership and stakeholder management are crucial, involving leading a team, communicating technical solutions to senior leadership, and managing a significant IT budget.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Data Science, Information Systems, or a related field is required.
A minimum of five years of experience in progressive IT leadership, with a significant portion dedicated to data architecture, data warehousing, data engineering, and system integrations.
Proven track record managing large-scale capital projects and implementing enterprise-level data solutions.
Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills with experience in managing significant IT budgets.
Ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, actionable business insights.
Advanced expertise in designing scalable data architectures and enterprise data warehouses using Snowflake, Fabric Semantic Models.
Proven experience with conceptual/logical/physical data modeling, dimensional modeling, and performant storage patterns (e.g., normalized, star/snowflake schemas) to support analytics and operational use cases.
Expert-level proficiency in building and optimizing ETL/ELT pipelines using tools like Fabric, Logic Apps, Azure Service Bus, dbt.
Strong programming skills in SQL and at least one language (Python) for developing data integration solutions.
In-depth experience with cloud platforms (Azure) for data processing.
Demonstrated ability to manage seamless integrations across heterogeneous systems, ensuring data integrity and security.
Experience designing and operating data APIs (e.g., REST/GraphQL), including API gateways, authentication/authorization, versioning, and developer documentation practices.
Comprehensive knowledge of data governance practices, data quality frameworks, and compliance standards.
Experience implementing robust security measures and managing data privacy across large-scale data infrastructures.
Experience implementing audit controls and observability for data platforms (e.g., logging/monitoring, lineage, access reviews, segregation of duties, and control evidence).

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or relevant certifications (e.g., TOGAF, PMP, ITIL) are strongly preferred.
Ideal candidate will have 10+ years of experience in the above listed areas.

Responsibilities

Design and maintain scalable, high-performance data architectures that support NCAA’s evolving data needs.
Oversee the development, management, and optimization of the enterprise data warehouse (EDW), ensuring data quality and efficiency.
Architect and manage end-to-end data integration pipelines (batch and event-driven), ensuring secure, reliable data movement across platforms, applications, and vendors.
Ensure robust integrations between enterprise systems and data platforms using leading technologies (e.g., Snowflake, Fabric Data Factory, Azure Logic Apps, Azure Service Bus), including API-based integration patterns where appropriate.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align engineering solutions with business needs, enhancing overall data usability.
Define and govern enterprise data API standards (e.g., REST/GraphQL patterns, versioning, authentication/authorization, throttling, and documentation) to enable trusted self-service data access.
Lead and execute capital projects to implement new capabilities and enhancements in the data infrastructure.
Evaluate and incorporate emerging technologies (e.g., analytics, automation, and AI-enabled capabilities) to continually advance the NCAA’s data strategy.
Provide oversight and management of application-managed services, ensuring high availability and support for all internal clients.
Optimize data engineering operations to maintain robust, cost-effective services across the organization.
Establish audit controls for the data platform, including access logging, change management controls, data lineage, retention, and evidence collection to support internal/external audit needs.
Own platform performance and cost management for the EDW and integration ecosystem by defining SLAs/SLOs, monitoring workloads, tuning pipelines/queries, and implementing cost optimization and chargeback/showback practices.
Lead a high-performing team of data architects, engineers, and integration specialists through strategic direction and mentorship.
Communicate complex technical solutions to senior leadership and other stakeholders, ensuring alignment with NCAA’s overall strategy.
Manage a significant IT budget and make strategic technology investments that drive innovation and operational excellence.