JOB TITLE: Data Platform Lead- Principal Analytics Engineer

DEPARTMENT: Information Technology- Data Fabric & Lakehouse

LOCATION: Hybrid-Remote

Exempt/Non-Exempt: Exempt

SUPERVISOR NAME: Wayne Peacock

SUPERVISOR TITLE: Vice President of IT & CIO

 

GENERAL PURPOSE OF THE JOB:

Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCUHS) is rebuilding its data foundation. We are moving from a legacy Azure SQL Database warehouse to a cloud-native Microsoft Fabric Lakehouse.

Even though our current data is in the cloud, it is trapped in a legacy structure that cannot support our future. We are not looking for a maintenance engineer. We are looking for a Data Platform Lead to execute a specific technical blueprint: constructing a Medallion Architecture (Bronze/Silver/Gold) that unifies our fragmented data landscape.

You will own the architecture, the code, and the governance costs. You will solve our most complex problem—Identity Resolution—by building the "Person Spine" that links students, patients, and employees across our systems.

 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Architect the Fabric Lakehouse: Implement the target-state architecture using OneLake and Delta/Parquet format. You will manage the workspace topology (Ingestion, Transform, Serve) and ensure strict separation of concerns.
  • Solve the "Identity Crisis": Build the int_person_spine model. You will implement deterministic and probabilistic matching to resolve records across Jenzabar (SIS), Canvas (LMS), and athenahealth (EHR) into a single "Golden Record".
  • Own Capacity Governance: In Fabric, a bad query isn't just slow—it breaks the budget. You will own the "Capacity Unit" (CU) budget, implementing workload isolation strategies to ensure batch jobs (nightly) do not throttle Lakehouse users (daily).
  • Master the Deployment Pipeline: You will manage a sophisticated CI/CD environment. You must handle the "Split Brain" deployment reality of Fabric: using Git/Azure DevOps for code and Fabric Deployment Pipelines for Power BI Direct Lake semantic models.
  • Execute the Migration: You will build "Compatibility Views" in the SQL Analytics Endpoint to bridge legacy reports, allowing us to decommission the old Azure SQL warehouse domain-by-domain without disrupting operations.
  • Enable AI Write-Back: Build the infrastructure for AI models to consume governed features and write predictions (e.g., retention risk) back into the Gold layer for reporting.
  • Centralize Business Logic: Build the infrastructure for a shared feature repository to support AI models as well as power required transformations from Bronze to Silver to Gold. Winning looks like being able to adapt to changes in the business quickly, consistently, and in lockstep with our data and model governance practices.  A change in one place impacts how data is represented in the Silver and Gold layers and data consumption end points. 

 

Attendance
Must be punctual and timely in meeting all requirements of performance, including, but not limited to, attendance standards and work deadlines; beginning and ending assignments on time; and scheduled work breaks, where applicable.

 

Onsite:

This role requires onsite support on an as-needed basis to fulfill essential job functions. Onsite activities may include, but are not limited to, meeting in person with individuals or small groups at one of our campuses.

 

Intellectual

  • Analytical - Synthesizes complex or diverse information; Collects and researches data; Uses intuition and experience to complement data.
  • Design - Generates creative solutions; Translates concepts and information into images; Uses feedback to modify designs; Applies design principles; Demonstrates attention to detail.
  • Problem Solving - Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully; Develops alternative solutions; Works well in group problem solving situations.
  • Project Management - Communicates changes and progress; Completes projects on time and budget; Manages project team activities.
  • Technical Skills - Assesses own strengths and weaknesses; Pursues training and development opportunities; Strives to continuously build knowledge and skills; Shares expertise with others.

 

Interpersonal

  • Customer Service - Manages difficult or emotional customer situations; Responds promptly to customer needs; Solicits customer feedback to improve service; Responds to requests for service and assistance; Meets commitments.
  • External Working Relationships – Develops and maintains courteous and effective working relationships with clients, vendors and/or any other representatives of external organizations.
  • Teamwork - Balances team and individual responsibilities; Exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views; Gives and welcomes feedback; Contributes to building a positive team spirit; Puts success of team above own interests; Able to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives; Supports everyone's efforts to succeed.

 

Leadership

  • You confidently challenge report requests that do not serve business outcomes and guide stakeholders toward better approaches, ensuring alignment with governance standards and organizational goals.
  • You uphold data governance principles by reinforcing approved metric definitions and aligning all outputs with the Data Governance Council standards.

Organization

  • Business Necessity – The needs of the employer may be dependent on responding to and anticipating rapidly changing external and internal demands in all aspects of how business is conducted. This may include, but is not limited to, organization structure, finances, goals, personnel, work processes, technology, and customer demands. Therefore, it may become necessary to make modifications to how business is conducted, and work is accomplished, with minimal or no advance notice to employees. Accordingly, the employee must be capable of adapting, with minimal or no advance notice, to changes in how business is conducted, and work is accomplished, with no diminishment in work performance.

 

  • Safety and Security –All employees are responsible for observing safety and security procedures as applicable and reporting potentially unsafe conditions to management.



SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

 

EDUCATION

Bachelor's degree (B.A.) from four-year college or university in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems; or three to five years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

 

EXPERIENCE:

  • 5+ years of experience in Cloud Computing, Cloud Architecture, Data Engineering or Analytics Engineering.
  • Must have deep expertise in dbt (data build tool). You have built, tested, and deployed dbt projects in production.
  • Must have experience managing cloud data costs (e.g., managing Snowflake credits, BigQuery slots, or Fabric Capacity Units).
  • Experience with Microsoft Fabric or a similar Lakehouse stack (Databricks/Synapse).
  • Proficiency in Python/PySpark for data engineering tasks that SQL cannot handle (e.g., complex API ingestion or recursion).
  • Experience working remotely and asynchronously; ability to lead and perform technical execution without daily over-the-shoulder management.

 

COMPUTER SKILLS:

  • Platform: Microsoft Fabric (Data Factory, OneLake, Synapse Data Engineering).
  • Transformation: dbt Core (SQL, Jinja, YAML) running on Spark.
  • Language: SQL (Expert), Python/PySpark (Intermediate/Advanced).
  • Format: Delta Lake (Parquet).
  • Visualization: Power BI (Direct Lake mode).
  • Orchestration: Azure Data Factory / Fabric Pipelines.

 

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:

  • Certification Requirement: Active DP-700 or DP-600 certification is highly preferred

 

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES/ QUALIFICATIONS:

You are an Analytics Engineer who operates with the rigor of a Software Engineer. Since this is a Remote role, you must be a self-starter who communicates architecture clearly through documentation and code.

  • Engineering Rigor: You treat data pipelines as software. You are comfortable with Git flow, pull requests, and automated testing (dbt tests).
  • Operational Discipline: You understand that "Serverless" isn't free. You know how to profile Spark jobs to prevent Out-Of-Memory errors and how to optimize SQL queries to minimize Compute Unit (CU) burn.
  • The "Binding" Specialist: You understand the specific nuances of Power BI Direct Lake. You know that promoting a report from Dev to Prod requires rebinding the semantic model to the correct Lakehouse, and you know how to automate that safety check.
  • Kimball Native: You instinctively know how to model Type 2 Slowly Changing Dimensions (SCDs) to track student history over time.

 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit; and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and taste or smell.

This position primarily involves sedentary work, requiring prolonged periods of sitting and working at a computer. The role requires frequent use of hands and fingers for typing, as well as the ability to view and interpret data on a computer screen for extended periods. Occasional standing, walking, and light lifting (up to 25 pounds) may be required. The position may also involve attending onsite meetings or moving between office locations as needed. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

This position operates primarily in a professional office or remote work environment. The role involves working extensively with computers, data systems, and virtual collaboration tools. The environment is typically quiet to moderate noise level, with occasional interruptions during meetings or collaborative sessions.

Depending on business needs, the position may require occasional onsite attendance for meetings, team collaboration, or stakeholder engagement. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to the outside weather conditions.

 

Expectations of SCU Employees

The SCU President’s Cabinet has identified a set of values and attributes that are bare minimums for employment, those that are core to who we are as a university, and values to which we aspire.  Further identified are qualities and attributes desirable for employees in general, and senior leadership specifically.  This is in harmony with principles found in The Advantage, by Patrick Lencioni.

 

SCU Core Values:

1) Integrative Health: We teach, learn, collaborate, and lead by creating an open environment for multiple disciplines and professionals to bring their shared and unique skills together for the benefit of patients and students.

2) Evidence-based Practice: We value a culture of inquiry, assessment, research, scholarship, and judicious use of current best evidence to inform our decisions and work.

3) Health Equity: We value people equally. We strive to educate graduates that are prepared to improve individual and community health.

4) Inclusivity: We welcome everyone regardless of age, race, ethnicity, class, religion, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, or any other similar or protected status. We believe inclusivity leads to more diversity in our reasoning, better representativeness in our conclusions, more ingenuity in our problem solving, and greater equity in our care

 

Profile Qualities:

1) Customer service focused

2) Willing to invest in student/client success by fostering positive relations, guidance, and assistance

3) A belief that no task that improves the University is beneath us/servant leadership

4) Be an ambassador of the brand

5) Be a part of recruitment

6) Resource innovator

 

Profile-Specific Qualities by Category:

1.) They promote positivity and teamwork

a. They actively work to build up teams and break down silos

b. They actively work to be part of the solution

c. They actively work to empower themselves and their teammates, working together in decision making processes

 

2.) They see how they can affect the bigger picture

a. They understand how their role helps to build the future of integrative healthcare

b. They pay attention to the details.