Senior data engineer architect

Job Title

Position Title: Senior Data Engineer & Infrastructure Architect

Location: Strategy, Data & Accountability

Salary: $111,190 - $159,276

Reports to: Deputy Executive Director of Data Services

Bargaining Unit: N/A

Benefits Eligible: Yes

Telecommuting Eligibility: Eligible for telecommuting up to 40% (two (2) days per week)

Position Summary:

As a key pillar of the District's Data Services team, the Senior Data Engineer & Infrastructure Architect provides strategic and technical leadership for the design, execution, and governance of the District's data infrastructure. This position bridges advanced data engineering responsibilities with data architectural design to ensure the district's data platforms are scalable, secure, and aligned with enterprise-wide needs.

This person will lead hybrid cloud/on-premises infrastructure initiatives, manage junior data engineers and contractors, and serve as a critical partner across departments to define and implement the future of district-wide analytics and data consumption. The ideal candidate combines deep technical proficiency with cross-functional communication skills and an execution-oriented mindset.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Engineering, or a related technical field

• Relevant certifications in cloud data platforms (e.g., Microsoft Azure Data Engineer) are a plus

• Minimum 5+ years of progressive experience in data engineering, architecture, or data infrastructure leadership

• Strong experience in Microsoft SQL Server, SSIS, Azure Data Factory, and hybrid infrastructure environments

• Demonstrated mastery of SQL for complex data manipulation, query optimization, and debugging across large-scale relational databases; fluent in writing performant, readable code for production pipelines, analytics workflows, and operational troubleshooting

• Demonstrated ability to lead long-term infrastructure projects across cloud and on-prem environments

• Proven experience managing or mentoring technical staff, including FTEs and contractors

• Expertise in pipeline design, orchestration, test data strategy, and DevOps versioning practices

• Familiarity with educational data systems and urban public school districts preferred

Essential Functions:

Under the direction of the Deputy Executive Director of Data Services, the Senior Data Engineer & Infrastructure Architect will:

Strategic Infrastructure Leadership

• Lead the design and evolution of scalable data infrastructure across hybrid cloud and on-prem environments, aligned to District priorities

• Define and institutionalize architectural frameworks (e.g., bronze/silver/gold tiers) to enhance data quality, system performance, and usability

• Establish and enforce development standards for database schema design, naming conventions, documentation, and DevOps workflows

• Champion disciplined data engineering practices that enable secure, reproducible, and collaborative work across technical and analytical teams

Cross-Functional Governance & Project Delivery

• Facilitate the Data Infrastructure Working Group to align infrastructure upgrades, access controls, and system architecture decisions across functions

• Serve as senior liaison with IT, Student Information Services, and other stakeholders to coordinate platform governance, database provisioning, and systems integration

• Lead planning and delivery of strategic data infrastructure initiatives, including onboarding of new domains (e.g., HR and Finance data from PeopleSoft) into the enterprise data warehouse

• Guide testing strategy, data validation processes, and automation of production pipelines for reliability and scale

Team Leadership & Mentorship

• Supervise and develop junior data engineers and contractors, fostering a high-performance culture grounded in technical excellence and shared accountability

• Provide architectural guidance and mentorship to peers across BI, DevOps, and data analysis, ensuring cohesion across the data delivery lifecycle

• Respond to urgent operational or research requests with well-documented, reliable solutions

• Perform other duties as assigned by the Deputy Executive Director of Data Services

Security Clearance:

Internal Applicants

If you are a current Detroit Public Schools Community District employee, you do not have to submit to a new security clearance, unless your new role requires a different type of criminal background check.

External Applicants

In alignment with Michigan law, if you are hired to fill a position, you will be required to submit to a Detroit Public Schools Community District criminal background check. Information regarding required background checks will be shared at point of hire.

Method of Application:

Applicants must apply through the online application system. Only applications submitted through the online application system will be considered for any posted position and all applications require a resume to be considered.

Successful candidates are required to submit official transcript(s) at point of offer to hire. Teaching service outside of the Detroit Public Schools Community District must be verified by the applicant's prior employer(s) prior to hire. It is the applicant's responsibility to provide all documentation (including copies) as requested.

Applicants requesting assistance during the application process should contact the Office of Human Resources via email at [email protected] or phone at (313) 873-6897.

DPSCD does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability and/or religion. Contact the Civil Rights Coordinator for more information at (313) 240-4377 or detroitk12.org/compliance.