Cloud Azure Tools Specialist

This role at Arbitration Forums is as unique as it is rewarding because of the AF IPAAL Values (Integrity, Passion, Accountability, Achievement, Leadership) and TRI Model (Trust, Respect, Inclusion).

The Cloud Azure Tools Specialist is responsible for managing, configuring, and promoting best practices in the utilization of the Data Insights and Innovation tools. This is a technical role that will lead the gathering of requirements, evaluation, and recommended proposals to implement and tools that support the department needs, as well as the business functions that use the tools.

This professional will play a critical role in driving the utilization and adoption of the assigned tools, with a focus on understanding the underlying processes and implementing said processes in the most effective way through the toolset.

The Cloud Azure Tools Specialist is expected to interact with AF employees to understand their needs and the utilization of the solutions and to make recommendations based upon their feedback.

DEPARTMENTAL EXPECTATION OF EMPLOYEE

• Adheres to AF Policy and Procedures
• Acts as a role model within and outside AF.
• Performs duties as workload necessitates.
• Maintains a positive and respectful attitude.
• Communicates regularly with supervisor about Department issues.
• Demonstrates flexible and efficient time management and ability to prioritize workload.
• Consistently reports to work on time prepared to perform duties of position.
• Meets Department productivity standards.
• Alignment with AF Leadership Brand.
• Meets department documentation / process guidelines., * Identifies needs of AF employees for the utilization and adoption of the assigned toolset.
• Collaborates with InfoSec, Infrastructure, and Compliance to define user profiles and enable the process for user and access management, ensuring that all policies are being applied.
• Defines and applies consistent design for the tools user experience to minimize training needs and provide a common experience to all users of the toolset.
• Configures and maintains the functional aspects of the toolset, acting as the SMEs for the tools assigned.
• Creates training materials and delivers training for the assigned toolset. This includes the generation of training plans and the creation of training manuals, How Tos, process specific manuals, and diverse media for delivery of training plans.
• Acts as the functional and technical point of contact for tools providers, leading business reviews and ensuring that AF’s needs are represented and included in the vendors product roadmaps.
• Recommends extensions to the functionality of the assigned toolset based on AF’s needs, ensuring that AF is realizing the value of the investments in our toolset.
• Coordinates requests for information, requests for proposals, evaluation, and implementation of tools to meet AF’s needs.
• Participates in the procurement and vendor management processes to ensure that the tool stack complies with security, compliance, and legal requirements, enabling the smooth relationship among all parties.
• Actively scouts the needs of the organization and new/emerging technologies to ensure the most effective tool support to organizational needs.
• Continuously evaluates the adoption, utilization, and performance of the assigned toolset, providing reports and recommendations to senior management.
• Partners with SMEs to define the best and most cost-effective approach to tool selection and utilization, advocating for advances in AF’s practices to support data-based innovation.
• Creates and executes the test cases necessary to ensure that the tools implementations are fully aligned and supporting of the requirements.
• Documents and maintains deliverables related to the toolset life cycle, from identification of need and requirements gathering to implementation.
• Partners with the Data Insights and Innovation team members to proactively address production issues providing leadership on the prioritization of support activities.
• Works closely with Infrastructure and Data Architects and Engineers to establish workload limits and implement cloud data storage and computation best practices.
• Performs advanced incident investigation and service restoration for the technology stack assigned.
• Follows AF’s security and legal standards to ensure that the security model and the applicable policies are applied to the toolset.
• Proactively provides leadership to the assigned technology stack upgrades and lifecycle management.

Do you have experience in Vendor relationship management?, Do you have a Bachelor’s degree?, * Minimum of 6 years of tools administration, with a focus on functional support for data related tools.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Business, Statistics, or related field (equivalent work experience may be considered)

Core Competencies and Skills

• Functional and technical experience in the following tool stack:
• Visualization and reporting tools; WebFocus, Sigma, Power BI.
• Data transformation tools (ETL/ELT): Matillion, Azure Data Factory, DBT.
• Data Platforms: Databricks, Snowflake. Azure ADF.
• Data Catalogs and Metadata Management: Purview, Unity, Horizon, Alation.
• AI/Machine Learning/Data Science: Dataiku, PyTorch, Azure ML, Databricks AI/ML, Snowflake CortexAI, TensorFlow, Hex.
• Cloud API Management: Azure API, Mulesoft, Boomi.
• Understanding of data engineering practices, data cataloging and lineage plotting processes, metadata management concepts.