Solutions Architect - Data Architecture & Engineering

Tacoma Public Utilities is looking for a Solution Architect - Data Architecture & Engineering, who is excited to design scalable data solutions, build reliable data pipelines, and help shape how data supports decision-making across the organization.

In this role, you'll design and build the data architectures and pipelines that power TPU's decision-making, and fuel advanced analytics and AI efforts. You won't just prepare data for others, you'll play an active role in shaping the data foundations that will enable a more resilient future. Your work directly influences how data flows, how people access it, and how we uncover deeper understanding across the organization. You'll collaborate closely with business and technical teams, translating jargon into plain language and helping customers make smart data choices. And while you'll bring solid foundational skills in data engineering, visualization, and architecture concepts, we're excited to invest in your growth - whether that's Snowflake, AWS, or diving further into advanced analytics and AI technologies.

We are a team of data professionals who partner across TPU to solve complex challenges, improve data maturity, and help teams make better decisions. You will be joining a team that values a culture where questions are encouraged, ideas are shared openly, and improvement comes from learning together - we are excited to have you be a part of it!

Key Responsibilities

Data Architecture | Designs and develops data architectures, integrations, and pipelines that support analytics, reporting, operational needs, and future AI capabilities. Ensures solutions are reliable, scalable, secure, and aligned with TPU technology standards.

Data Engineering | Builds and maintains data pipelines and engineering solutions that enable efficient movement, transformation, and availability of enterprise data. Develops documentation and technical practices that improve reliability, maintainability, and knowledge sharing.

Subject Matter Expert | Serves as a trusted technical advisor for data architecture and engineering decisions. Partners with business and technical teams to evaluate solutions, recommend best practices, and translate complex technical concepts into practical outcomes.

Community Participation | Maintains awareness of evolving data technologies, architecture practices, and industry trends. Shares knowledge with the broader data community and contributes to TPU's continued growth in data maturity.

Minimum Education* Bachelor's degree in information technology or directly related field

Minimum Experience* 5 years of data engineering, architecture, or administration experience that includes cloud data warehouse technology and AWS or Azure big data ecosystem experience, and year prior at senior, lead and/or supervisory level

• Equivalency: 1 year of experience = 1 year of education

Pulled from the full job description

• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance
• Dental insurance
• Disability insurance
• Paid holidays
• Opportunities for advancement

Tacoma Power is an almost 100% hydroelectric, municipally-owned public power utility, located in Tacoma. We serve approximately 180,000 customers as one of the three operating divisions of Tacoma Public Utilities, alongside Tacoma Water and Tacoma Rail. As one of the most livable, walkable cities in the country, you'll find that Tacoma is a great fit for all interests with places to bike, run, hike, and explore, the perks of a big city, and the charm of a small town. We welcome you to take a look at our website and discover how the City of Tacoma can make your next career move part of our combined destiny, At the City of Tacoma, we're on a mission to make our workforce as diverse and inclusive as the community we serve. We actively seek out candidates from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures. Join our team at the City of Tacoma and help us build a more vibrant, inclusive, and equitable community for all. If you have a less traditional background, we want to hear about your transferrable skills and experience. We value a variety of perspectives and are excited to see what you bring to the table. The Community Tacoma is centrally located just 32 miles south of the city of Seattle and 31 miles north of the state capital, Olympia. The City of Tacoma is also home to the Port of Tacoma, which is among the largest container ports in the United States. Like most cities in the northwest, Tacoma is surrounded by beautiful nature, offering residents many opportunities for outdoor adventures. Largely suburban in nature with a small, but dense, urban core, Tacoma is home to numerous institutes of higher learning that attract students from across the country. The University of Washington Tacoma, Pacific Lutheran University, University of Puget Sound, a satellite campus of the Evergreen State College, three community/technical colleges, and several trade and business schools are within Tacoma's geographic area. Downtown's Cultural District is the site of the Washington State History Museum, Museum of Glass, the Tacoma Art Museum, and America's Car Museum. With its affordable housing and distinctive neighborhoods and business districts, the city has been recognized numerous times as a best city to live in the nation. To see a few of the great things Tacoma has to offer, view this YouTube Video! View this exciting video to learn more about the City of Tacoma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n5MWl8KFvI