Technical Lead - Data Warehouse & Data Integration

Blick Art Materials

  • Highland Park, IL
  • $120,000-150,000 per year
  • Permanent
  • Full-time
  • 2 months ago
Your Role...:Overall Purpose and Main Objectives:The Technical Lead for Data Warehouse & Data Integration, will be expected to take ownership of delivery execution and modernization across our Data Warehouse (DW) and Reporting platforms. This role is ideal for someone who is not only a strong technical implementer but also a delivery-focused leader—ready to drive change, build clean and scalable systems, and lead by example. The Technical Lead for Data Warehouse & Data Integration, will be at the center of our data engineering transformation, leading a globally distributed team, working closely with business and technical stakeholders, and helping us evolve from legacy tools toward a modern, cloud-enabled data stack. This is a hands-on leadership role that will help shape the future of Blick’s data capabilities. Helping to modernize our data pipelines and architecture, improve our ETL approaches, and deliver accurate, high-quality data to business users across the organization. From operational reports to strategic dashboards, the work will directly influence decision-making across merchandising, marketing, supply chain, and more.Responsibilities:Data Engineering & Leadership:
  • Lead and guide engineers (primarily offshore) responsible for ETL development, data pipelines, and data warehouse loads.
  • Build and maintain workflows for data ingestion, cleansing, transformation, and transfer using tools like SSIS, Python, ADF, Fabric.
  • Support both legacy systems (on-prem SQL Server, SSRS) and modern platforms (Redshift, MS Fabric, Power BI), with a focus on enabling transition to Azure-based infrastructure.
  • Be highly hands-on—capable of coding, debugging, reviewing, and delivering alongside your team.
Delivery Ownership:
  • Drive sprint planning, backlog grooming, and progress reporting using Scrum practices and tools such as JIRA and dashboards.
  • Lead end-to-end delivery of data initiatives, from requirement intake to production deployment and stakeholder sign-off.
  • Proactively manage risks, remove blockers, and ensure delivery timelines and quality standards are met.
Data Quality, Cleansing, and Architecture:
  • Establish and enforce clean data architecture principles and practices for all pipeline development.
  • Take ownership of data validation, cleansing, and transformation standards, especially where tools are currently lacking.
  • Bring in practical experience or advocate for frameworks (e.g., Great Expectations, or custom tooling) to elevate data reliability and observability.
Cross Functional Collaboration:
  • Collaborate cross-functionally with Product Owners, Architects, Developers, Analysts, and Business Leaders to ensure that data delivery aligns with business needs.
  • Act as a key liaison to stakeholders, representing the technical roadmap, delivery plans, and status updates.
  • Partner with peers such as the Sr. BI Developer and Lead DBA to ensure alignment across reporting, infrastructure, and data modeling.
Modernization & Innovation:
  • Be a driving force in modernizing our DW/ETL stack—championing new tools, clean architecture, and cloud-first principles.
  • Contribute to evaluation and implementation of platforms like Fabric, Azure Synapse, Redshift, Terraform, as appropriate.
  • Explore and implement AI-enabled tooling or automation to improve data engineering velocity, testing, and monitoring.
Skills/Qualifications:
  • Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Systems, or equivalent experience.
  • 7 to 10 years of experience in data warehousing, including 3+ years in a technical leadership role.
  • Expert-level proficiency in at least one leading ETL tool such as SSIS, Azure Data Factory (ADF), Talend, Informatica, or AWS Glue.
  • Strong experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP), especially in data engineering and analytics services
  • Strong experience with:
  • SQL (T-SQL, PL/SQL), and Python
  • Cloud data platforms like Redshift, and on-prem SQL Server
  • Power BI and SSRS
  • Agile delivery using Scrum and tools like JIRA
  • Proven ability to lead delivery, manage priorities, and report progress in a structured, business-facing manner.
  • Deep understanding of data quality, cleansing, and architecture best practices.
  • Strong communication skills and the ability to work independently in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment.
  • High ownership mindset—able to lead projects, coach team members, and make informed technical decisions.
  • Experience with the following is preferred, but not required:
  • Experience with modern data platforms like Redshift, Fabric, BigQuery, or Databricks.
  • Familiarity with DevOps/CI-CD practices for data pipeline deployment.
  • Understanding of data security, privacy, and governance frameworks.
  • DataOps practices or AI-assisted data validation/testing frameworks.
  • E-commerce or retail business intelligence use cases.
Pay Rate:The pay range below is provided in compliance with state/city specific laws. This pay range applies to this location. Pay ranges may be different in other locations.
  • $120,000- $150,000 per year + Incentives
Benefits Include:
  • Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance
  • 401K & Profit Sharing Plan
  • Incentive Bonus Plans
  • Paid Holidays & Paid Time Off
  • Paid Parental Leave
  • Short-Term/Long-Term Disability
  • Training Opportunities
  • Basic & Optional Life Insurance
  • Employee Discount
Who we are...:Founded in 1911, Blick Art Materials is in its third generation of family ownership, and is the largest and oldest provider of art supplies in the United States. Our Mission...:At Blick Art Materials, our family owners and dedicated staff support the Visual Art Community by providing the widest selection of art supplies at the lowest prices. With extraordinary service and integrity, we strive to provide artists, educators, students, and our employees with the tools, assistance, and training they need to grow, innovate, and reach their creative potential.

Blick Art Materials