IT Manager - Enterprise Data & Analytics

IT Manager – Enterprise Data & Analytics

Location: 5000 Kansas Avenue Kansas City, KS 66106

Work Model: Hybrid

The IT Manager – Enterprise Data & Analytics provides leadership and direction for enterprise-wide analytics solutions that enable business decision-making, operational excellence, and strategic transformation across AWG. This role is highly business stakeholder-facing and balances long-term enterprise analytics platform modernization with high-urgency, ad hoc analytical needs that drive immediate business outcomes.

This leader partners closely with business executives (C-Level and officers) and functional leaders (Merchandising, Finance, Operations, Marketing, Distribution & Logistics) to translate business priorities into scalable, reliable, and actionable analytics solutions. The role requires a strong understanding of the end-to-end data management lifecycle, modern cloud-based data platforms, and the ability to direct teams with urgency, clarity, and accountability.

Key Responsibilities

• Enterprise Analytics Strategy & Modernization (15%)
• Partner with senior business stakeholders to define and evolve the enterprise analytics vision and roadmap
• Lead modernization of enterprise data platforms using cloud technologies (Azure), including scalable architecture and standardized frameworks
• Drive legacy data warehouse and analytics decommissioning aligned to future-state architecture
• Promote adoption of advanced analytics, including predictive, prescriptive, and AI-enabled insights
• Establish and maintain enterprise standards for Power BI, including data modeling, performance, and visualization best practices
• Advocate for analytics-driven decision-making, operational efficiency, and cost optimization
• Solution Delivery & Execution (30%)
• Prioritize analytics initiatives aligned to enterprise strategy and business impact
• Balance ad hoc analytical needs with long-term platform development
• Partner with Data Architecture and Engineering teams to deliver scalable, enterprise-grade solutions
• Ensure solutions are secure, high-quality, and delivered on time and within budget
• Evaluate tools and technologies for scalability, supportability, and cost efficiency
• Manage vendor relationships and ensure accountability for delivery and service levels
• Operational Excellence & Service Management (30%)
• Ensure stability, availability, and performance of analytics platforms and solutions
• Lead change and release management processes to minimize business risk
• Define and monitor SLAs, system health metrics, and performance standards
• Gather and act on stakeholder feedback to improve service quality and delivery
• Enforce best practices, documentation standards, and consistency across the team
• Financial & People Leadership (25%)
• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing analytics team
• Drive performance management, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and cost management activities
• Monitor spend and manage against budget expectations
• Build a culture of ownership, urgency, and results-driven execution
• Management & Leadership Expectations
• Provide clear direction, coaching, and career development for team members
• Delegate effectively while maintaining accountability for outcomes
• Lead through ambiguity and drive alignment across stakeholders
• Foster strong collaboration, communication, and stakeholder engagement

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in MIS, Computer Science, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 10+ years of experience in enterprise data management and analytics
• 7+ years of leadership experience managing technical or analytics teams
• Experience in retail, wholesale, or CPG environments preferred

Technical & Domain Expertise

• Strong understanding of the end-to-end data lifecycle: ingestion, modeling, governance, analytics, and consumption
• Experience with modern data platforms and tools, including:
• Azure Data Factory, Databricks, Synapse Analytics, Data Lake / Delta Lake
• CI/CD, DevOps, Infrastructure as Code (e.g., Terraform)
• Python / PySpark / notebook-based development
• Power BI or Tableau for enterprise analytics
• Experience with data governance, data quality frameworks, and access control models
• Familiarity with AI/ML-enabled analytics and real-time data architectures
• Understanding of lakehouse architecture and enterprise semantic modeling

Leadership & Professional Competencies

• Strong executive presence with the ability to translate analytics into business outcomes
• Proven ability to balance strategic initiatives with urgent business needs
• Excellent communication, storytelling, and stakeholder management skills
• Data-driven, outcomes-oriented mindset
• Ability to navigate ambiguity, prioritize effectively, and drive execution
• Consulting or analytics transformation experience preferred

Working Environment

• Standard office / hybrid work environment
• Collaboration across business and IT functions
• Occasional extended hours aligned to project delivery needs

Core Job Competencies

• Enterprise Analytics Leadership – Drives strategy and execution of scalable analytics solutions
• Business Partnership – Aligns analytics capabilities with business priorities and outcomes
• Technical Acumen – Applies deep expertise in modern data platforms and architectures
• Execution & Delivery – Ensures consistent, high-quality solution delivery
• People Leadership – Builds and develops high-performing teams
• Strategic Thinking – Balances long-term transformation with immediate business needs
• Communication & Influence – Engages and aligns stakeholders at all levels

Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. (AWG) is the nation's largest cooperative food wholesaler to independently owned supermarkets, serving 1,100 member companies and 3,500 locations throughout 33 states from 9 wholesale division support centers. Consolidated sales for AWG in 2024 were $12.1 billion. In addition to its cooperative wholesale operations, the company also operates subsidiary companies that provide certain real estate and supermarket development services, and pharmaceutical products. For more information, visit AWGinc.com.

Benefits:

• Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance
• Health Savings Account
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
• Paid Vacation, Holiday, and Sick Time
• 401(k) with 4% match along with 3 other contributions
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Basic & Supplemental Life and AD&D
• Employee Assistance Program
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
• Wellness Program
• Yearly Holiday Bonus