Manager, Data Platform

Interfor•Peachtree City, GA

About The Position

The Manager, Data Platform is a player-coach technical leader within Interfor’s Data & Analytics practice, responsible for leading the team that operates and continuously improves Interfor’s core data capabilities. Leading a team spanning database administration, platform engineering, and data engineering, the Manager sets technical direction, establishes operating standards, develops technical talent, and partners across IT, the business, and key vendors to deliver trusted enterprise data capabilities. The role has three primary objectives: Ensure the reliability, scalability, and continuous improvement of Interfor’s enterprise data platform. Guide the evolution of Interfor’s data platform, including adoption of Microsoft Fabric and modern data capabilities. Build and develop a high-performing technical team. In the first year, success includes improved platform reliability, meaningful progress on Microsoft Fabric adoption, a strengthened technical team, and trusted enterprise data that business teams rely on. The successful candidate remains technically credible through architecture direction, coaching, complex problem-solving, and operational oversight. This is a leadership role that works primarily through a capable technical team, with senior staff leading detailed design and execution. This role embodies Interfor’s values through a safety-first, fact-based, and proactive approach to decision making; deep respect for people; and a personal commitment to ownership, accountability, and operational excellence.

Requirements

Post-secondary degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Data & Analytics, or a closely related technical discipline is required.
8+ years of progressive experience across database administration, data engineering, data platform management, cloud data platforms, or related enterprise technology roles.
3+ years leading, supervising, or formally mentoring technical staff responsible for enterprise-scale data platforms, analytics platforms, or critical business systems; direct people-management experience preferred.
Strong Microsoft SQL Server expertise, including administration, tuning, security, patching, backup/recovery, HA/DR, and production support.
Experience with modern data platform practices, including Azure, cloud modernization, DevOps/CI/CD, automation, secure integration, monitoring, and cost management.
Experience with enterprise data warehouse and lakehouse architecture, dimensional modeling, semantic models, data quality, and governed self-service reporting.
Technical leadership across platform strategy, standards, troubleshooting, and coaching, with sound judgment on when to lead through the team and when to engage directly.
Strong SQL Server and data platform judgment, with a focus on reliability, performance, security, modernization, HA/DR, and business continuity.
Strong working knowledge of modern Microsoft data platforms, cloud technologies, DevOps practices, automation, monitoring, and data engineering principles.
Strong people leadership, with the ability to hire, coach, develop, retain, and hold technical talent accountable.
Ability to translate business needs into platform priorities and clearly communicate trade-offs, risks, roadmaps, and service expectations.
Manages the data platform as a product, balancing reliability, cost, adoption, and business value.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in a relevant technical, analytics, or business discipline is preferred.
Experience implementing Microsoft Fabric or comparable modern cloud data platforms (e.g., Azure Synapse, Databricks, Snowflake) is preferred.
Relevant Microsoft, data engineering, architecture, governance, or project management certifications are assets.
Experience in forestry, manufacturing, supply chain, or related asset-intensive industries is an asset.

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and develop the DBA team, setting priorities and operating standards in partnership with senior technical staff.
Ensure SQL platform reliability across performance, security, patching, backup/recovery, HA/DR, release management, and on-call/incident response.
Lead SQL modernization planning, including evaluating and adopting Azure SQL and Azure SQL Managed Instance where appropriate.
Provide technical leadership for the evolution of Interfor’s data platform, including Microsoft Fabric adoption, platform operations, and modern data engineering practices.
Establish reusable standards for DevOps, automation, security, integration, testing, data quality, and platform operations.
Coach data engineers in delivering trusted data products while supporting the evolution of Interfor’s enterprise data warehouse and lakehouse architecture.
Ensure platform services are governed, secured, and operated across business domains with clear ownership and strong access controls.
Manage platform cost, capacity, licensing, lifecycle, and technical debt across Azure, SQL Server, Power BI, and related services.
Enable BI teams, data scientists, and citizen developers through governed data models, curated data products, and trusted single-source-of-truth reporting.
Support responsible AI adoption by helping ensure data foundations are secure, governed, well-documented, and AI-ready.
Hire, onboard, coach, and develop a distributed technical team, setting clear expectations, supporting growth, and building strong team practices.
Lead key data platform initiatives, managing priorities, risks, dependencies, stakeholder alignment, and technical debt.
Partner across IT, business, vendors, and architecture to align roadmaps and delivery, with occasional U.S. and Canada travel to sites and vendors.