Data Operations Engineer

The Data Operations Engineer will oversee the development, management, and optimization of a cloud data warehouse environment, ensuring secure, efficient, and scalable data solutions. This role is instrumental in establishing and maintaining the data infrastructure that supports advanced research, workforce analytics, and education alignment efforts for state partners. Key responsibilities include managing data ingestion pipelines, optimizing performance, implementing governance policies, and providing technical leadership to support analysis and data-driven decision-making. 

Context

Strada Education Foundation supports programs, policies, and organizations that strengthen connections between education and employment in the U.S., with a special focus on helping those who have faced the greatest challenges securing economic opportunity through postsecondary education and training. Strada’s strategic plan defines five focal areas by which to improve pathways to opportunity through post-high school education: clear outcomes, quality coaching, affordability, work-based learning, and employer alignment. Strada leverages research, strategic philanthropy, investments, communications, advocacy, and collaborating organizations in the pursuit of this mission. The Data Operations Manager supports the Education Analytics and Technical Services team within the employer alignment focus area.

Key responsibilities: the Data Operations Engineer has four core responsibility areas, listed below with the approximate percentage of time required for execution.

Data Management (40%)

• Manage, maintain, and optimize the cloud data warehouse environment.
• Develop and orchestrate scalable ETL/ELT data pipelines for data ingestion and transformation.
• Ensure data integrity, quality, and governance compliance across all workflows.
• Establish best practices for data security, access control, and compliance.
• Collaborate with internal research teams and state agency partners to integrate third party data sources.
• Optimize data structures and indexing strategies for performance and cost efficiency.
• Work with the VP for Education Analytics and Technical Services to identify new data sources and technology to support an expanded employer alignment data model.

System Administration and Performance Optimization (30%)

• Monitor system performance and troubleshoot issues.
• Manage storage, query performance, and resource allocation in the Snowflake environment.
• Automate data workflows and scheduling to streamline data processing and reporting. Implement cost-effective strategies for managing cloud data warehouse expenditures.
• Maintain documentation for data models, system configurations, and integration processes.

Data Collaboration and Reporting Support (20%)

• Provide technical data access and support to the Education Analytics and Technical Services team working within the data warehouse environment.
• Drive data quality improvements through collaboration with stakeholders and contractors, supporting effective analytics and reporting.
• Assist in the development of dashboards and reporting tools by ensuring data accessibility and usability.
• Ensure ongoing alignment between data infrastructure and analytic capabilities of the Education Analytics and Technical Services team. 

Team Leadership & DEI Commitment (10%)

• Provide guidance and training to research teams on best practices in data warehousing and governance.
• Partner with Human Resources and DEI leadership to promote equitable workplace practices and diverse perspectives.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive environment that encourages innovation and cross-functional teamwork.
• Model transparency, respect, and inclusion in all professional interactions.

The Person: Qualifications and Experience

• Education: a bachelor’s degree in computer science, data engineering, information systems, or a related field or equivalent work experience; master’s degree preferred.
• 5+ years minimum experience  in managing and operating Snowflake or other cloud-based data warehouse platforms (BigQuery, Redshift, Databricks, etc.).
• Proven experience in designing and implementing data models that facilitate continuous research, dashboards, reporting and analytical initiatives.
• Strong proficiency in SQL, Python, or other data engineering languages.
• Experience with ETL/ELT pipeline development and cloud-based data integration.
• Knowledge of sourcing and integrating datasets from data marketplaces to enhance ongoing analysis and reporting.
• Knowledge of data governance, compliance, and security best practices.
• Ability to optimize data workflows and performance for large-scale datasets.
• Excellent problem-solving and troubleshooting skills.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills in a data and research-driven environment.
• Experience working with state-level workforce, education, and/or economic datasets.
• Familiarity with business intelligence tools like Tableau or Power BI.
• Experience managing API integrations for third-party data sources.
• Experience with project management methodologies for data infrastructure projects.

This role may require occasional travel for conferences, meetings, or site visits, estimated at up to 10% of the time.