Lead Data Engineer (MS SQL)
Summary
Lead Data Engineer owning the design, build, and optimization of enterprise-scale data platforms on Microsoft SQL Server — building data warehouses, data marts, and ETL/ELT pipelines (SSIS), leading cloud migrations, tuning performance, and mentoring junior data engineers. Core tech: MS SQL Server, T-SQL, SSIS, Python, PowerShell, Fabric/Databricks.
We are seeking an experienced Lead Data Engineer with strong expertise in Microsoft SQL Server, data warehousing, ETL/ELT development, and cloud-based data platforms. The successful candidate will lead the design, development, and optimization of enterprise data solutions, ensuring scalability, performance, security, and reliability across the organization's data ecosystem.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the design and development of enterprise-scale data platforms and data pipelines.
- Design, build, and maintain high-performance Microsoft SQL Server databases, data warehouses, and data marts.
- Develop and optimize ETL/ELT processes using SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) and modern data integration tools.
- Collaborate with business stakeholders, architects, analysts, and developers to understand data requirements and translate them into technical solutions.
- Design and implement data models supporting reporting, analytics, and operational systems.
- Optimize database performance through indexing, partitioning, query tuning, and performance monitoring.
- Lead data migration and modernization initiatives from legacy platforms to cloud environments.
- Implement data quality, data governance, and master data management best practices.
- Establish standards for data engineering, coding, deployment, and documentation.
- Mentor and guide data engineers and developers.
- Work closely with DevOps and Cloud teams to automate deployment and monitoring processes.
- Ensure compliance with security, privacy, and regulatory requirements.
Mandatory Skills
Database & SQL
- 8+ years of hands-on experience with Microsoft SQL Server.
- Strong expertise in:
- T-SQL
- Stored Procedures
- Functions
- Views
- Triggers
- Query Optimization
- Performance Tuning
- Strong experience building:
- Data Warehouses
- Data Lakes
- Data Integration Solutions
- Expertise in ETL/ELT development.
- Experience with:
- SSIS
- SQL Server Agent
- Data Migration projects
- Strong understanding of:
- Snowflake Schema
- Data Vault
- Kimball Methodologies
- Experience with one or more:
- Microsoft Fabric
- Databricks
Programming
- Experience with:
- Python
- PowerShell
- C# (preferred)
Leadership Responsibilities
- Lead technical design discussions and solution reviews.
- Own data architecture decisions and roadmap planning.
- Drive best practices around database design, coding standards, and deployment automation.
- Coach and mentor junior and mid-level data engineers.
- Manage stakeholder expectations and delivery timelines.
- Participate in project estimations, planning, and risk management.
Preferred Skills
- Microsoft Fabric experience.
- Experience with Power BI datasets and semantic models.
- Exposure to Spark or Databricks.
- Experience with real-time data streaming technologies.
- Knowledge of Data Governance and Data Quality frameworks.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related discipline.
- 8-15+ years of overall IT experience.
- 5+ years of experience leading data engineering teams or large-scale data initiatives.
Preferred Certifications
- Microsoft Certified: Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate