Lead Data Engineer

Lead Data Engineer

Kamps Pallets is seeking a dynamic Lead Data Engineer to drive our data engineering and analytics efforts as part of our growing Business Intelligence team. Reporting directly to the Director of BI & Enterprise Applications, you'll be instrumental in building, managing, and optimizing our semantic data model, enterprise data warehouse, and analytics pipelines. We're looking for a seasoned professional ready to step into a hands-on lead role; someone who can architect, execute, and evolve a modern data ecosystem that transforms Kamps' operational data into enterprise-wide value.

If you are looking for an opportunity where you have a direct impact on how a company uses data to drive value, then this opportunity is for you! You'll join a company that values data-driven decision making, encourages innovation, and supports professional growth within a collaborative, fast-paced environment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Take full ownership of Kamps' semantic data model and enterprise data warehouse; designing, evolving, and stewarding the core architecture that powers decision-making across the business. You'll be the strategic force aligning data structures with business objectives, transforming raw data into trusted, accessible insights that drive action at every level of the organization.
• Lead development and optimization of data pipelines using modern stack tools to enhance data accessibility, quality, and governance.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including junior level data engineers, business analysts, product owners, and end users, to perform thorough requirements gathering and translate business needs into practical data solutions. Implement and enforce best practices for data quality, validation, and governance, ensuring that the data serves the intended business purposes.
• Develop and maintain infrastructure for model training, versioning, deployment, and monitoring, with a focus on user-friendly outputs.
• Ensure that our data systems run smoothly by addressing any performance, reliability, security, and scalability concerns, with a keen eye on user impact.
• Stay updated on the latest trends in data management, AI, and ML, with a focus on continuous improvement and strategic alignment that directly impacts customer experience and corporate KPIs.
• Utilize Cloud Data Management tools to manage and organize data, ensuring it is accessible and valuable to end users.
• Design and create visualizations using BI Visualization tools.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, mathematics, or a related field
• 8+ years' experience in data engineering, analytics engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Proven expertise in building and maintaining semantic data models, enterprise data warehouses, and data pipelines.
• Deep expertise in data modeling, ELT processes, and modern data architectures (SQL, NoSQL, Data Lakes, Warehouses)
• Demonstrated proficiency in designing advanced data visualizations using BI visualization tools.
• Deep understanding of data modeling, database architecture, and data governance principles.
• Proficiency with programming/scripting languages (Python, Scala, SQL) and cloud infrastructure (Databricks, Azure/AWS).
• Strong leadership, analytical thinking, and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, capable of articulating complex technical concepts clearly to diverse stakeholders.
• Experience working within Agile delivery frameworks

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with dbt (Data Build Tool) data modeling, transformations, and data testing development
• Hands-on experience designing and deploying Power BI applications, workspaces, and dashboards
• Experience facilitating and managing requirement gathering and end-user communication
• Proficiency with Git and CI/CD processes is preferred. Familiarity with Visual Studio or VS Code for streamlined SQL and dbt workflow management is considered a plus
• Experience mentoring peers and junior resources in advanced data concepts

This list of duties is not intended to be all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties or responsibilities that senior management may deem necessary