Data AI Architect

SPR

Chicago, IL, United States

25 days ago

Role details

Contract type

Permanent contract

Employment type

Full-time (> 32 hours)

Experience level

Expert

Experience required

10 years minimum

Compensation

$150,000.0 - $185,000.0

Working hours

Regular working hours

Job source

www.indeed.com

Tech stack

Java (Programming Language) Agile Methodology Artificial Intelligence Amazon Web Services Data Analysis Architectural Patterns Microsoft Azure Batch Processing C Sharp (Programming Language) Cloud Computing Data Architecture Data Cleansing

+47 more

Information Engineering Extract Transform Load (ETL) Data Transformation Data Warehousing Relational Databases Cursor (Graphical User Interface Elements) Database Security Elasticsearch Middleware Python (Programming Language) PostgreSQL Logical Data Models Microsoft SQL Server MongoDB MySQL Neo4j Oracle (Applications) Performance Tuning Productivity Software Software Engineering SQL Databases Data Streaming TypeScript Unstructured Data Datadog Data Processing Data Ingestion GitHub Copilot Large Language Models Snowflake Prompt Engineering Apache Spark Data Layers AI Platforms Information Technology Cassandra Data Analytics Performance Monitor Google Bigquery Data Management Api Design Azure Synapse Analytics GPT Data Pipelines Amazon Redshift Databricks Programming Languages

Job description

SPR is seeking an AI Data Architect to join our practice as a senior technical leader working for clients across our portfolio. This is a hands-on role for someone who can own data and AI architecture decisions, lead small teams of engineers, and translate complex client needs into scalable, production-grade solutions.

The right candidate operates at the intersection of data architecture and AI platform engineering: designing the data layer that feeds generative and agentic AI systems, enforcing governance and quality standards, and building the pipelines and integrations that make AI solutions reliable in production. This is not a strategy-only role. SPR’s architects write code, make and defend architecture decisions, and deliver alongside the teams they lead.

This person will represent SPR at the client level, manage expectations with stakeholders up to the executive level, and contribute to SPR’s internal practice through thought leadership, sales support, and candidate interviewing.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Design and maintain sustainable data architecture

Work with business requirements and design innovative, repeatable solutions

Provide guidance for new application features

Collaborate with the data staff to create optimal data models for data ingestion and analytics

Develop, manage and maintain data models

Design implement and maintain database objects (tables, views, indexes, etc.) and database security

Maintain performance through tuning, parallelism, optimization, etc.

Ensure structure for existing data is effective

Design, implement and maintain database objects (tables, views, indexes, etc.) and database security

Architect/design and develop large complex ETL jobs

Ensure data quality through creation of audit controls, proactive monitoring and data cleansing techniques

Maintain the data warehouse performance by optimizing batch processing through parallelization, performance tuning etc., SPR prides itself on helping employees thrive in their work and life. As a result, SPR invests in benefits that include vacation time starting at 3 weeks, 5 days of sick time, 8 paid holidays and 3 floating holidays, maternity, and parental leave, and 401(k) with a match. Employees (and their families) are offered health, dental, & vision coverage, group life and AD&D, short/long-term disability, and flexible spending accounts. Employees receive a $150 reimbursement account for any well-being-related expenses and a premium subscription to the Calm app.

Requirements

Motivated, self-starter with ability to learn quickly

Experienced with SQL, python skills (R is a strong plus)

Experience in architecting and engineering innovative data analysis solutions

Familiarity with architectural patterns for data-intensive solutions

Expertise in real-time streaming and migrating batch-style data processing to streaming and micro-batch solutions

Use of distributed messaging systems to rewrite systems in place

Knowledge of the RDBMS core principles; set up, tune, design, as well as newer unstructured data tools

Experience developing large scale, complex logical data models (along with physical implementations of the logical models)

Familiarity with consulting and traditional application design

Experience estimating technical solution builds and contributing to custom proposals

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Display solid problem-solving abilities in the face of ambiguity

Must be a hands-on individual who is comfortable leading by example

Experience with Agile Methodology

Possess excellent interpersonal and organizational skills

Able to manage your own time and work well both independently and as part of a team

TECHNOLOGIES WE USE

Relational/SQL Databases (SQL Server, Postgres, Oracle, MySQL, etc.)

Non-SQL Databases (MongoDB, Cassandra, ElasticSearch, Neo4j, etc.)

Data Analytics Platforms (Snowflake, Databricks, Apache Spark, Google BigQuery, Azure Synapse, Amazon Redshift, etc.)

Cloud AI Platforms (Azure OpenAI, AWS Bedrock, Google Vertex AI)

Familiarity with LLMs, RAG, and Prompt Engineering

Programming Languages (Python, TypeScript, C#, Java)

AI Productivity Tools (Claude, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Devin AI, etc.)

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

Bachelor’s Degree, preferably in Data Science, Analytics, Computer Science, Engineering or Science / Technology-based disciplines

10+ years in data engineering or data architecture

Hands-on experience designing and building scalable data pipelines (ETL/ELT) in a production cloud environment (Azure, GCP, or AWS)

Strong data modeling and governance experience: defining source of truth, data quality standards, and golden record definitions

Experience designing data layers that feed AI/ML or LLM-based systems, including structured data transformation for model consumption

Proficiency in Python and SQL for pipeline development and data transformation

Strong understanding of API design and consumption patterns: connecting data layers to middleware and downstream application consumers

Demonstrated ability to lead architecture decisions, document standards, and enforce them across a team

Active, daily use of AI coding and productivity tools (e.g. Claude, Claude Code, ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, or similar)

Familiarity with AI observability tooling (e.g. Langfuse or similar)

Experience with evaluation frameworks for AI/LLM outputs

Experience with cloud AI platforms (Azure OpenAI, AWS Bedrock, Google Vertex AI)

Experience with data platforms such as Snowflake or Databricks

Benefits & conditions

Pulled from the full job description

AD&D insurance
Parental leave
Health insurance
401(k) matching
Vision insurance
Dental insurance
Flexible spending account, We operate in a fun, casual work environment and have great benefits including competitive salary, bonuses, generous vacation time, big fitness incentives, and medical/dental/vision insurance. By joining the SPR team, you’ll be problem solving, working hard and making an impact through your projects - and you’ll be part of a unique culture and rewarded for it.

About the company

SPR helps companies implement the right technology that helps them balance users’ expectations today while planning for tomorrow’s business demands. A technology modernization firm, SPR works together with clients to develop or modernize digital products and platforms.

We’re 150+ strategists, developers, designers, architects, consultants, thinkers, and doers in Chicago and Milwaukee. We work with 100+ mid- to enterprise-size clients across industries like professional services and manufacturing. We think about the end users and rigorously apply the latest technologies and frameworks to address our clients’ needs. Specializing in custom software development, cloud, data, and user experience solutions, SPR promises to Deliver Beyond the Build by providing proactive advice, sharing knowledge, responding to change in an agile way, and investing time to deeply understand our clients’ business.