Lead Snowflake Administrator

M&T Bank•Buffalo, NY

About The Position

Step into a role where you’ll directly shape the future of enterprise data engineering. As our Lead Snowflake Administrator, you will be at the forefront of modernizing the bank’s data ecosystem—driving innovation, enhancing resiliency, and enabling the next generation of cloud-native analytics. You’ll serve as a Snowflake SME, partnering with application teams, cloud engineers, and business leaders to build scalable, secure, and high‑performing data platforms. If you're energized by solving complex technical challenges, influencing architecture, and leading the charge on cloud and database modernization efforts, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact across the organization. Primary Responsibilities: Snowflake Platform Leadership Lead Snowflake account creation, configuration, and lifecycle management. Monitor and optimize Snowflake performance, cost, and usage trends across environments. Architect, implement, and support replication strategies to ensure enterprise‑grade resiliency and business continuity. Build and maintain secure data-sharing frameworks for inbound and outbound data exchanges. Design and enforce robust RBAC models to safeguard sensitive enterprise data. Partner with development and application teams to troubleshoot Snowflake-related issues. Implement production database changes and support change management best practices. Linux Engineering Provide first‑level Linux administration support for Snowflake-associated application servers. Partner with platform teams to ensure secure, stable, and reliable OS environments. Cloud Engineering (Azure Focus) Apply a strong understanding of fundamental cloud architecture concepts. Build and operate Azure components supporting Snowflake workloads, including: Private DNS Blob Storage (with tiering strategy) Private Endpoints Private Link Ensure secure connectivity and efficient data flows across cloud environments. DevOps & Automation Leverage IaC tools such as Terraform and Ansible to automate provisioning and platform configuration. Use Git-based version control to maintain clean, auditable, and collaborative pipelines. Promote automation, cloud governance, and continuous improvement across the data platform. Project Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration Manage and/or oversee small to large-scale project plans, ensuring clarity of tasks, dependencies, and risk mitigation. Work with internal and external stakeholders to review initiatives, compliance requirements, vendor changes, and system upgrades. Provide leadership during disaster recovery exercises and remediation cycles. Strengthen relationships across application teams, technology groups, and business partners. Serve as a technical representative on special committees or cross-functional project teams. Risk, Compliance & Standards Adhere to all regulatory and risk-management standards. Ensure timely remediation of audit findings and regulatory updates. Promote an environment that supports belonging and reflects the M&T Bank brand. Maintain strong internal control standards across all supported systems.

Requirements

Associate’s degree and 6 years’ Snowflake experience, or in lieu of a degree, a combined minimum of 8 years’ higher education and/or work experience, including a minimum of 6 years’ Snowflake experience
Proficiency with Snowflake, Cloud Data Architectures, functions, and lifecycle management
Experience working across multiple projects of varying complexity
Strong background in system enhancements, conversions, and production support
Exceptional problem-solving and analytical skills
Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills
Strong organizational, time management, and decision-making capabilities
Ability to connect disparate ideas into cohesive technical solutions

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree
3+ years of experience with bank applications, architecture, and RDBMS frameworks
Prior banking RDBMS support experience
Mastery-level understanding of a major RDBMS (e.g., Oracle, SQL Server, Snowflake ecosystem)
CAPPM experience
Demonstrated ability to mentor others and lead technical efforts
Strong understanding of technical, business, and operational impacts across systems

Responsibilities

Lead Snowflake account creation, configuration, and lifecycle management.
Monitor and optimize Snowflake performance, cost, and usage trends across environments.
Architect, implement, and support replication strategies to ensure enterprise‑grade resiliency and business continuity.
Build and maintain secure data-sharing frameworks for inbound and outbound data exchanges.
Design and enforce robust RBAC models to safeguard sensitive enterprise data.
Partner with development and application teams to troubleshoot Snowflake-related issues.
Implement production database changes and support change management best practices.
Provide first‑level Linux administration support for Snowflake-associated application servers.
Partner with platform teams to ensure secure, stable, and reliable OS environments.
Apply a strong understanding of fundamental cloud architecture concepts.
Build and operate Azure components supporting Snowflake workloads, including: Private DNS Blob Storage (with tiering strategy) Private Endpoints Private Link Ensure secure connectivity and efficient data flows across cloud environments.
Leverage IaC tools such as Terraform and Ansible to automate provisioning and platform configuration.
Use Git-based version control to maintain clean, auditable, and collaborative pipelines.
Promote automation, cloud governance, and continuous improvement across the data platform.
Manage and/or oversee small to large-scale project plans, ensuring clarity of tasks, dependencies, and risk mitigation.
Work with internal and external stakeholders to review initiatives, compliance requirements, vendor changes, and system upgrades.
Provide leadership during disaster recovery exercises and remediation cycles.
Strengthen relationships across application teams, technology groups, and business partners.
Serve as a technical representative on special committees or cross-functional project teams.
Adhere to all regulatory and risk-management standards.
Ensure timely remediation of audit findings and regulatory updates.
Promote an environment that supports belonging and reflects the M&T Bank brand.
Maintain strong internal control standards across all supported systems.