Lead Data Architect

Overview
Are you a strategic leader with a passion for designing and optimizing data infrastructure? State Farm is seeking an accomplished and visionary Lead Database Architect and Data Engineering Team Lead to guide our centralized database and data pipeline infrastructure. This role is responsible for architecting and managing robust, scalable, and secure data environments using technologies like DB2, PostgreSQL, AWS (Aurora Postgres, Glue, Lambda, Redshift, Athena, S3), and open-source databases. The ideal candidate will demonstrate expertise in data engineering, architecture, and administration, leading innovation and best practices across the organization.

Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities:

• Architect, implement, containerize, execute, validate, monitor, and continuously improve data analytics solutions and pipelines, ensuring performance and reliability.
• Demonstrate advanced proficiency in ETL, data integration, reusable data pipelines, data management, analytics, and visualization.
• Design, deploy, and maintain AWS cloud infrastructure using services such as Aurora Postgres, Glue, Lambda, Redshift, Athena, S3, and Pyspark, leveraging Terraform for infrastructure as code.
• Hands-on experience with database administration and design for DB2, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and other open-source databases.
• Ensure strict adherence to organizational data management and governance policies (e.g., State Farm standards), promoting data security, integrity, and compliance.
• Identify and evaluate critical and emerging technologies, tools, platforms, and data sources to support and extend data solutions.
• Provide leadership for Proofs of Concept (POCs) and pilot initiatives, partnering with engineering teams to solve business challenges.
• Serve as the primary technical leader and mentor for the database and data engineering team. Advise product teams on best practices for data ingestion, transformation, consumption, and centralized data management.
• Gather and create analytic business requirements, research and evaluate internal and external data sources, and design, develop, and maintain data assets for analytics.
• Utilize GitHub/GitLab for version control and demonstrate hands-on experience with GitOps workflows for deployment and configuration management.
• Develop solutions using Python and SAS for data engineering and analytics automation.
• Exhibit a strong ability and enthusiasm to learn and adopt new technologies, languages, and tools in the rapidly evolving data engineering field.

Qualifications
Required:

• 7+ years of experience in database administration, data architecture, and data engineering
• Deep experience with DB2, PostgreSQL, MySQL, AWS Aurora Postgres, Redshift, Glue, Athena, S3, Lambda, and Pyspark
• Advanced expertise in ETL, data integration, and reusable data pipeline development
• Strong background in deploying and managing AWS infrastructure with Terraform (Infrastructure as Code)
• Proficiency with version control systems (GitHub, GitLab) and GitOps best practices
• Programming experience with Python and SAS
• Experience gathering business requirements and developing/maintaining data assets for analytics
• Excellent leadership, communication, and mentoring abilities
• Applicants are required to be eligible to lawfully work in the U.S. immediately; employer will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work authorization (e.g., H-1B visa) for this opportunity**

Work arrangement:
Hybrid:
Qualified candidates (in or near hub locations listed below) should plan to spend time working from home and some time working in the office as part of our hybrid work environment.

Hybrid work arrangement for Enterprise Technology is defined as residing with a 180-mile radius of the Hubs and Corporate.

HUB LOCATIONS:
Bloomington, IL (Corp HQ); Richardson, TX; Dunwoody, GA; and Tempe, AZ

SFARM

Our Benefits
Because work-life balance is a priority at State Farm, compensation is based on our standard 38:45-hour work week

• Potential starting salary range: $120,000 - $155,000

• Starting salary will be based on skills, background, and experience

• High end of the range limited to applicants with significant relevant experience

• Potential yearly incentive pay up to 18% of base salary

At State Farm, we offer more than just a paycheck. Check out our suite of benefits designed to give you the flexibility you need to take care of you and your family

• Get Paid On top of our competitive pay, you are eligible for an annual raise and bonus.
• Stay Well Focus on you and your family's health with our robust health and wellbeing programs. State Farm pays most of your healthcare premium, and we offer multiple healthcare plan options, including a high deductible plan. All medical plans provide 100% coverage for in-network preventative care, AND you and your family have access to vision, dental, telemedicine, 24/7 mental health professionals, and much more
• Develop and Grow Take advantage of educational benefits like industry leading training programs, top-notch tuition assistance programs, employee resource groups, and mentoring.
• Plan Ahead Plan for those big moments in life with benefits like fertility/IVF/adoption assistance, college coaching, national discount programs, interactive monthly financial workshops, free financial coaching, and more. You can also start a savings account or consider financing through our State Farm Federal Credit Union
• Take a Little "You" Time You will have access to our generous time off policies designed so you can plan around holidays, family events, volunteering, or just to take a relaxing day off. With the opportunity to initially earn up to 20 days annually plus parental leave, paid holidays, celebration day, life leave (40 hours/year), bereavement leave, and community service/education support days, there will be plenty of time for you
• Give Back We offer several ways to give back through our Matching Gift Program, Good Neighbor Grant Program, and the Employee Assistance Fund.
• Finish Strong Plan for retirement using free financial advisors and a 401(k) plan with company contributions of up to 7% of your salary.

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