Senior Director, Data and AI Platform Architect

Position at Parts Town See What We’re All AboutAs the fastest-growing distributor of restaurant equipment, HVAC and residential appliance parts, we like to do things a little differently. First, you need to understand and demonstrate our Core Values with safety being your first priority. That’s key. But we’re also looking for unique enthusiasm, high integrity, courage to embrace change…and if you know a few jokes, that puts you on the top of our listDo you have a genius-level knowledge of original equipment manufacturer parts? If not, no problem We’re more interested in passionate people with fresh ideas from different backgrounds. That’s what keeps us at the top of our game. We’re proud that our workplace has been recognized for its growth and innovation on the Inc. 5000 list 15 years in a row and the Crain’s Fast 50 list ten times. We are honored to be voted by our Chicagoland team as a Chicago Tribune Top Workplace for the last four years.If you’re ready to roll up your sleeves, go above and beyond and put your ambition to work, all while having some fun, let’s chat – Apply TodayPerksParts Town Pride – check out our and Quarterly profit-sharing bonusHybrid work schedule Team member appreciation events and recognition programsVolunteer opportunitiesMonthly IT stipendCasual dress codeOn-demand pay options: Access your pay as you earn it, to cover unexpected or even everyday expenses All the traditional benefits like health insurance, 401k/401k match, employee assistance programs and time away – don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. The Jobat aGlanceWe are looking for a strategic leader to architect and scale the modern data and engineering platform that fuels Parts Town’s AI and digital ambitions. Reporting to the Global CIO, this role owns the data platform, data engineering, integration, and governance capabilities that serve as the foundation for AI-driven innovation—partnering closely with product and data science teams without directly owning those functions.This is a foundational platform engineering role with a future-focused charter: build the infrastructure that unlocks real-time, reusable, and responsible data across the enterprise.A Typical DayPlatform Architecture & Data Engineering LeadershipLead the design and implementation of a scalable, cloud-native platform (GCP preferred) for real-time data ingestion, transformation, and serving.Architect pipelines and semantic layers to support AI, ML, and real-time decisioning.Modern Integration Patterns: Promote API-first and event-driven architectures to unify ERP, commerce, and operational systems into a cohesive data mesh.Data Quality, MDM & Governance DataEnable Trusted, Governed Data: Partner with Data Governance to operationalize stewardship, lineage, and access controls across business domains.Master Data Foundations: Sponsor the implementation and lifecycle management of MDM platforms to ensure consistent data across customer, product, vendor, and location domains.Support Federated Governance: Create engineering capabilities (catalogs, observability, policies as code) that empower decentralized teams to operate responsibly Manage engineering budgets efficiently to maximize impactPlatform Enablement for AI and Digital Products Serve as the Data Enabler for AI: Deliver the infrastructure that allows AI teams to build and deploy use cases (., personalization, pricing, customer service agents) efficiently and at scale.Operationalize AI Outputs: Work with IT and business systems to ensure AI insights are consumable in ERP, CRM, and operational workflows.Platform as a Product: Evolve the platform with customer (data product, analytics, AI) feedback in mind—ensuring high availability, low latency, and extensibility.Strategic Leadership & CollaborationTechnology Vision & Roadmap: Develop and communicate a clear roadmap for the data platform that aligns with enterprise strategy and emerging AI demands.Cross-Functional Partnership: Act as the connective tissue between IT, product, AI, and business units—ensuring platform capabilities align with priorities.Support Governance Bodies: Contribute to the Data Council and Architecture Review Board (ARB) with insight into infrastructure readiness and scalability.Team DevelopmentBuild a High-Caliber Team: Lead and grow a team of platform engineers, data engineers, integration specialists, and MDM experts.Mentor & Inspire: Develop engineering leadership, foster innovation, and drive a culture of continuous improvement and learning.Drive Operational Excellence: Implement engineering best practices in CI/CD, testing, security, and observability to maintain a reliable platformTo Land This Opportunity10+ years of experience in data engineering, platform architecture, or enterprise data leadership roles.Proven success in building modern cloud-native data platforms (GCP preferred, Azure, or AWS) that support both analytics and AI workloads.Experience implementing MDM platforms and data governance tooling in a scaled enterprise environment.Strong track record of enabling AI/ML teams through high-quality, accessible data infrastructure.Deep familiarity with ERP and operational system integrations in a B2B, e-commerce, manufacturing or distribution context.Expert in data engineering frameworks (., dbt, Airflow, Kafka, Spark) and scalable storage (., BigQuery, Snowflake).Strong grasp of API design, event streaming, and real-time data processing and familiar with AI-enabling infrastructure (., vector databases, ML pipelines, feature stores).You’re an all-star communicator and are proficient in English (both written and verbal)You have a quality, high speed internet connection at homeAbout Your Future TeamOur team’s favorite pastimes include corny jokes,paintball,andGuardians of the Galaxy. We like both dogs and cats,andwe like coffee…a lot (we’ll hear you out on whether Dunkin or Starbucks gets your vote).At Parts Town, we valuetransparencyand are committed to ensuring our team members feel appreciated and supported.We prioritize our positive workplace culture where collaboration, growth, and work-life balance are celebrated. Thesalaryrange for this role is $175,784.68 – 260,357.24 which is based on including but not limited to qualifications, experience, and geographical location. Parts Town is apayfor performance-company. In addition to basepay, some roles offer a profit-sharing program, and an annual bonus depending on the role. Our comprehensive benefits package includes health, dental and vision insurance, 401(k) with match, employee assistance programs, paid time off, paid sick time off, paid holidays, paid parental leave, and professional development opportunities.