Senior Data Engineer

POSITION SUMMARY

The Senior Data Engineer ("SDE") is a crucial member of the data team responsible for developing and architecting the technology roadmap to enhance the use of data throughout IFG Companies' operations. That roadmap will include the effective application of machine learning and artificial intelligence to support the intake, extraction and ingestion of insurance applications, third-party data, warehousing, reporting, analytics and other data used in IFG's operations. Such data is not only vital for the underwriting process but also has broad use across other areas in IFG Companies, including Actuarial, Claims and Finance. The SDE will support the delivery of decision-ready packaging of underwriting information for underwriters' review and evaluation of submissions under consideration.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDING

• Designing robust data architecture, optimizing data workflows and ensuring the reliability, security and performance of IFG Companies' data.
• Leading the design and implementation of scalable data pipelines with Extract, Transform and Load ("ETL") processes.
• Staying current with industry trends and emerging technologies to ensure the team utilizes best practices in data engineering.
• Implementing data governance policies to ensure compliance with corporate guidelines and data privacy regulations.
• Managing cloud-based data infrastructure (Azure) for storage, processing and analytics.
• Integrating structured and unstructured data from internal and external systems into unified datasets for consumption by analytics and AI teams.
• Managing and meeting project deliverables within agreed timelines and budgetary constraints.
• Other duties, as required.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES

• Deep knowledge of data engineering concepts, including data APIs, data availability, data quality, data management, metadata management, reference data management, data governance, data catalog, data virtualization and data optimization.
• A strong background in designing, developing and maintaining data infrastructure, pipelines and solutions.
• Expertise with Azure services (e.g., Azure App Services, Azure Functions, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure DevOps, Azure SQL and other PaaS/IaaS offerings) to build cloud-native applications.
• An advanced understanding of data warehousing concepts and architecture (e.g., Snowflake, Synapse and Fabric).
• Strong awareness of data tools and platforms (e.g., Snowflake, Data Bricks, Big Data and programming languages, e.g., SQL, R, C#, Java, Python and Shell Scripting).
• An ability to influence decisions and outcomes in an environment where the role may not directly control resource allocations.
• The ability to work with and lead vendors/contractors on-shore, off-shore and near-shore.
• Sound verbal and written communication skills to address associates at all levels of the organization, including the executive level.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/CERTIFICATIONS

• Required: A bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university in Computer Science, Data Analytics, Data Engineering or Data Science.
• Required: 3 years of experience in data engineering, with at least 2 years in a technical or team leadership capacity.
• Preferred: Insurance industry experience.
• Hands-on experience with cloud data platforms (e.g., Azure Data Factory, AWS Glue, GCP Dataflow, etc.) and tools (e.g., Databricks, Snowflake or Redshift.
• Experience with SQL and NoSQL databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, MongoDB) and ETL frameworks (e.g., Python and Spark).
• Solid experience with data warehousing concepts, dimensional modeling and data lake architecture.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Physical demands are considered to be that of a climate-controlled office environment, with minimal physical exertion.
• Position is hybrid and requires the ability and the willingness to work in an IFG Companies' office at least three (3) days per week.
• Position requires prolonged sitting, extensive utilization of computers and interactions with others in meetings or via phone.
• Position requires the ability and the willingness to travel to meet business needs.

WHY IFG COMPANIES

• Founded in 1985, IFG Companies is one of the oldest privately held insurance groups in the United States. It combines specialty carrier focus with long-term stability and thinking, promoting a culture of underwriting rigor, collaboration, strategic thinking, superior technology and strong producer partnerships.

BENEFITS

• IFG offers competitive compensation and benefits, including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), flexible spending, short-term and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, long-term care, paid parental leave, vacation and other paid time off.