Fast Facts

WestEd is seeking an Enterprise Data Architect to lead the design and governance of data architecture strategies for internal business systems, focusing on Microsoft Azure and Salesforce platforms. This fully remote role emphasizes strategic leadership, innovation, and data governance within a mission-driven culture.

Responsibilities: Key responsibilities include designing enterprise-scale data architectures, establishing data governance frameworks, building and leading the Data Architecture & Governance Team, and collaborating with internal stakeholders to translate operational needs into data solutions.

Skills: Required skills include deep expertise in data modeling, proficiency in Microsoft Azure and Salesforce platforms, strong communication skills, and proven experience in team leadership and data governance.

Qualifications: Preferred qualifications include eight years of experience in data architecture, a degree in a related field, and relevant professional certifications in data architecture and platforms like Microsoft Azure or Salesforce.

Location: This is a fully remote position, with occasional travel to WestEd headquarters or satellite offices required (less than 5%).

Compensation: $120400 - $150500 / Annually

About WestEd

As a community of over 1,400 researchers, practitioners, consultants, and administrative professionals from all backgrounds and life experiences, we are committed to making a qualitative difference in the lives of youth, children, and adults. We conduct and apply research, develop evidence-based solutions, and provide consulting services across the country in both rural and urban communities to improve equitable outcomes for individuals from infancy through adulthood. Serving as trusted partners in the areas of education, health, and justice, our teams enhance capacity within communities and school districts to prioritize impact — asking the right questions, customizing methodologies, developing relevant tools, and implementing best practices specific to a diverse range of stakeholder needs.  

WestEd supports individual initiative, excellence, and hard work of all individuals in our hiring and work practices. WestEd complies with all applicable federal and state anti-discrimination laws, as well as OFCCP requirements. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, or status as a protected veteran.

SPECIAL NOTICE REGARDING THE WORK LOCATION OF THIS POSITION—Although WestEd provides the option of working at one of its facilities for employees, many roles allow employees to choose to work remotely for their own convenience.  The decision to allow remote work at the employee's convenience is based on the requirements of the position or project in question. 

Department Overview

WestEd's Information Technology Department is seeking a mission-driven Enterprise Data Architect. Our team provides technology solutions to serve our clients and internal staff. Our culture values communication, collaboration, accountability, and strong customer service skills. WestEd's IT Department supports and deploys hardware, software, SaaS solutions, custom applications, data management, and network infrastructure for the agency. The successful candidate will design and build the Data Architecture & Governance Team and focus on internal business system data architecture initiatives. This position requires situational leadership and strong partnership with other Department and Agency staff.

Position Overview

The Enterprise Data Architect leads the design and governance of comprehensive data architecture strategies for WestEd's internal business systems and operations. This role is responsible for establishing data standards, designing scalable internal data solutions, and ensuring alignment between organizational objectives and internal data initiatives across Microsoft Azure and Salesforce platforms. The position requires extensive experience in enterprise data modeling, Microsoft Azure data services, and Salesforce data architecture, with proven expertise implementing solutions using Azure Data Factory, Azure Synapse Analytics, Salesforce Data Cloud, and related platforms. The Enterprise Data Architect will design, build, and oversee the new Data Architecture & Governance Team.

The right candidate will:

• Have a passion for strategic thinking and architectural excellence.
• Be driven to provide data solutions that enable organizational success.
• Exude leadership by example -- modeling the IT Core Operating Principles of Transparency, Collaboration, Accountability, and being Solutions-Oriented & Forward Thinking.
• Have significant experience designing enterprise-scale data architectures for internal business systems using Microsoft Azure and Salesforce platforms.
• Have proven experience translating organizational business requirements into comprehensive technical solutions for internal systems.
• Build and foster data-driven culture within the organization and lead high-performing technical teams.
• Have strong people management skills and experience developing technical talent.
• Be innovative with a continuous improvement mindset focused on emerging data technologies.
• This position is expected to be fully remote with situational hybrid work arrangements available in any of our 11 national offices.

Responsibilities

The Enterprise Data Architect works closely with senior leadership, IT management, data engineers, business analysts, and internal stakeholders to design, govern, and evolve enterprise data architecture for internal business systems. The Architect is responsible for establishing comprehensive data governance frameworks, designing data integration patterns for business systems, and ensuring data quality and compliance across all internal organizational data initiatives. This includes creating enterprise data models for business operations, defining data standards for internal systems, and implementing architectural patterns that support internal analytics, reporting, and business intelligence. The position will design and build the Data Architecture & Governance Team and works with great independence under the guidance of the Senior Manager, Enterprise Business Systems.

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Program Development & Team Building

• Conduct organizational analysis and stakeholder interviews to assess current data architecture and governance needs.
• Design and recommend optimal organizational structure and staffing model for the Data Architecture & Governance Team.
• Develop program charter, goals, and success metrics for the new Data Architecture & Governance function.
• Lead selection and onboarding of Data Architecture & Governance Team members from internal candidates.
• Establish team processes, workflows, and collaboration frameworks to optimize delivery.

Strategic Data Architecture

• Develop and maintain enterprise data architecture roadmaps aligned with internal organizational strategy, operational objectives, and enterprise architecture standards.
• Design comprehensive data models, data flows, and integration patterns for internal business systems and platforms in alignment with enterprise architecture principles.
• Establish and enforce data architecture standards, principles, and best practices for internal business operations that support overall enterprise architecture goals.
• Lead architectural reviews and provide strategic guidance on internal data technology decisions, ensuring alignment with enterprise architecture frameworks.

Platform Implementation & Integration

• Design and oversee implementation of internal data warehouses, data marts, and business intelligence platforms using Microsoft Azure, Tableau, Power BI, and Cognos (Deltek BI).
• Lead integration architecture between Salesforce, Microsoft Azure, and other internal business system ecosystems.
• Evaluate, recommend, and architect Microsoft Azure data services and Salesforce solutions for internal business system use.
• Design data architecture to support researchers using statistical tools including R, SPSS, SAS, and Stata.

Data Governance & Quality

• Define and implement data governance frameworks, policies, and procedures for business systems.
• Establish data quality standards, monitoring processes, and metadata management for business operations.
• Design and implement master data management strategies to ensure data consistency and integrity across business systems.
• Ensure internal data architecture compliance with educational data privacy laws (FERPA, COPPA), public agency requirements, and research data protection standards.
• Partner closely with information security staff and the Data Protection Office to conduct risk assessments and implement security controls within internal data architectural designs.
• Collaborate with the Data Protection Office on data classification, access controls, and privacy impact assessments for data architecture initiatives.

Collaboration & Operations

• Partner with internal business leaders to understand operational data requirements and translate them into scalable technical solutions.
• Collaborate with business analysts, researchers, and internal stakeholders to enable advanced analytics and business reporting capabilities.
• Collaborate and coordinate with IT departments, enterprise architecture team, information security staff, the Data Protection Office, internal stakeholders, and business system vendors.
• Design data pipelines and access patterns that support research workflows and statistical analysis.
• Monitor, triage, and manage support request channels for Business Systems, ensuring timely resolution of issues.
• Define reference architectures and enterprise data strategies for internal master data and metadata management that align with broader enterprise architecture initiatives.
• Participate in budget planning, resource allocation, and technology procurement decisions for internal systems.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to Data Architecture & Governance Team members and other internal IT staff.
• Travel Required: Less than 5% to WestEd headquarters or satellite offices.

Experience & Education

• Located in the United States with availability to work 8 hours per day every weekday. The work schedule can be flexible but must include the Department's core hours of Monday - Friday 9am - 2pm PT regardless of time zone.
• At least eight (8+) years of experience in data architecture, data engineering, or related enterprise data roles.
• At least five (5+) years of experience designing and implementing enterprise-scale data solutions using Microsoft Azure data services and Salesforce platform integrations.
• At least three (3+) years of experience in team leadership, supervision, or management roles, with demonstrated experience building and managing technical teams.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Science, Engineering, or a related field. Equivalent additional experience in enterprise data architecture may substitute for this education requirement.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in the English language. Ability to communicate effectively with internal leadership and develop clear understanding of internal business operational needs.
• Willingness to participate in total time accounting, including recording and reporting of actual time spent across multiple concurrent projects in fifteen-minute increments.

Technical SkillsThe ideal candidate should have expertise in several of the following areas:

• Deep expertise in data modeling techniques including dimensional, relational, and Salesforce data models.
• Experience with master data management principles, data lineage, and data stewardship practices.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Azure data services (Azure Data Factory, Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure SQL Database, & Power BI).
• Experience with business intelligence platforms including Tableau, Power BI, and Cognos (Deltek BI).
• Understanding of statistical software requirements and data formats for R, SPSS, SAS, and Stata.
• Strong knowledge of Salesforce data architecture, including Salesforce Data Cloud, MuleSoft integrations, and Salesforce APIs
• Experience with GitHub for version control and collaborative development workflows.
• Familiarity with Slack integrations and workflow automation.
• Strong knowledge of SQL and at least one programming language (Python, Scala, Java).

Leadership & Soft Skills

• Proven experience in staff management including performance management, professional development, and team building.
• Strong leadership skills with experience building and managing cross-functional technical teams and complex programs.
• Experience conducting organizational assessments and designing optimal team structures.
• Recent experience analyzing and implementing complex regulatory, security, privacy, policy, or contractual requirements for public agencies or educational organizations.
• Demonstrated professional maturity and politically adroit; combined with tact, diplomacy, common sense, sound judgment, and discretion.
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to handle changing priorities and multiple complex architectural initiatives simultaneously.
• Reliability, a professional attitude, and a willingness to do what is required in a cooperative work setting. Must be a self-starter, independent thinker, action-oriented, and self-motivated.

Preferences

• Holds a United States government security clearance at the Tier 2 (5C) Moderate level or higher.
• Holds active professional certifications such as Microsoft Azure Data Engineer Associate, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Azure Database Administrator Associate, Salesforce Data Architect, Salesforce Platform Developer, Tableau Desktop Specialist, Power BI Data Analyst Associate, or similar data architecture and platform credentials.
• Recent experience managing data integrations with cloud-based commercial products, including: TeamDynamix iPaaS, Salesforce, UKG Pro, Deltek Costpoint, SAP Concur, Workday Adaptive Planning, and/or Asset Panda.
• Recent experience working in a governmental, non-profit, or education agency.
• Recent experience operating within an Agile Scrum, Lean Kanban, and/or Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) systems development life cycle.
• Familiarity with education data standards (CEDS, SIF, Ed-Fi, QTI, LTI, etc.) and additional privacy/reporting laws (ESSA, CIPA, HIPAA).
• Experience with machine learning platforms and AI/ML data pipeline architectures.
• Desire to learn new technologies and keep current with emerging data architecture trends and best practices.

*Note: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Successful candidates must be authorized to work in the United States. WestEd conducts a criminal background check and education verification for all new hires. Any offers of employment will be contingent on receiving a clear background check in accordance with applicable law.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

The full salary range for this position, WestEd level (12), is $120,400 to $188,100, but WestEd does not typically hire at or near the top of the salary range. The typical hiring range for this role is $120,400 to $150,500. The actual offer considers multiple factors, including but not limited to education, experience, internal equity, and other organizational needs. 

In addition to the base salary, benefits include:

· 15% contribution toward retirement effective day 1 of employment

· Pre-tax Flexible Spending Accounts

· All health/welfare benefits are effective the first of the month following the hire date

· PTO: 3 weeks’ vacation (increases to 4 weeks beginning the 4th year of employment), paid holidays, and 12 days paid sick leave per year

· Life Insurance: value of 3x gross salary

· Opportunities for annual merit-based performance increases + annual incentives

· Professional development opportunities & mentorship program 

For more details about our benefits, go to: https://www.wested.org/work-at-wested/#benefits   WestEd is a Drug Free Employer and maintains a drug-free workplace. #LI-Remote  #Circa-ALL

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)