Data Operations Lead

Role: Data Operations Lead

Location: Downtown, Chicago - Onsite

Role Type: Client-facing Operations & Delivery Leadership

Need only local consultants

Job description:

Role Overview

We are seeking a seasoned Data Operations Lead to support an onsite, client-facing role as part of a strategic Application Management Services (AMS) engagement supporting Data and BI Operations . This role is responsible for operational excellence across enterprise data platforms, ETL pipelines, analytics solutions, and data governance ecosystems. The candidate will act as the primary operational interface with client stakeholders, ensuring platform stability, continuous improvement, and delivery of value-added insights.

Key Responsibilities

1. Operational Monitoring & Platform Support

• Support operational monitoring and health management of:
• Data Integration & ETL platforms: Azure Data Factory (ADF), SSIS, Talend
• Data Warehouses & Datamarts: Azure SQL Managed Instance (MI), Azure Synapse Analytics, SQL Server
• Reporting & Analytics platforms: Power BI Online, Qlik Sense
• Ensure availability, performance, and reliability of production and non-production systems.
• Track and report on operational KPIs, SLAs, and trend metrics.

2. Incident Management & Problem Resolution

• Support offshore team with end-to-end incident management, including triage, business communication, and resolution.
• Act as the primary escalation point for P1/P2 incidents.
• Perform Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and drive corrective and preventive actions.
• Establish structured problem management practices to reduce repeat incidents.

3. Administration & Service Request Management

• Lead administrative and service request fulfillment activities such as:
• User provisioning and role-based access management across Azure SQL, Synapse, Power BI, and Qlik Sense
• Report and dataset promotion across Dev, Test, UAT, and Production environments
• Business data requests, ad-hoc extracts, and reporting enablement
• Ensure compliance with data governance, security, and audit requirements.

4. Application Maintenance & Release Support

• Manage application and platform maintenance including:
• Patching, configuration updates, and minor enhancements across data and analytics platforms
• Release coordination and deployment support
• Support disaster recovery (DR) incidents and participate in annual DR drills.
• Collaborate with delivery and product teams on story backlog grooming, prioritization, and acceptance.

5. DevOps & Automation Enablement

• Support DevOps practices for data and analytics platforms, including:
• Code changes and enhancements for ETL pipelines and reporting logic
• Source code repository management (Git-based)
• CI/CD pipeline support and unit test automation
• Identify and implement automation opportunities to improve reliability and reduce manual effort.

6. Non-Production & UAT Environment Support

• Manage UAT data refreshes from production data warehouses and data lakes.
• Ensure masking, security, and compliance standards are followed.
• Provide operational support for non-production environments, including performance tuning and issue resolution.

7. Value-Add & Continuous Improvement Initiatives

• Perform trend analysis on incidents, performance, and platform utilization.
• Drive DevOps and operational automation initiatives.
• Establish and mature a Power BI Analytics Center of Excellence (CoE), including:
• Report and dataset standards
• Reusable templates and governance models
• Best practices for performance, security, and adoption

Required Skills & Qualifications

Technical Skills – HANDS ON EXPERIENCE

• Data Integration / ETL: Azure Data Factory (ADF), SSIS, Talend
• Data Warehousing: Azure SQL MI, Azure Synapse Analytics, SQL Server
• Reporting & Visualization: Power BI, Qlik Sense
• DG Tools (At least one) – Alation, Ataccama, Profisee (or equivalent tools)
• Fabric Experience preferred
• Experience supporting enterprise-scale data and analytics ecosystems in an AMS or managed services model.
• Strong understanding of incident, change, and release management processes.

Client & Leadership Skills

• Proven experience in an onsite, client-facing role.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Ability to lead cross-functional technical teams and coordinate across business and IT.
• Demonstrated ownership mindset and accountability for operational outcomes.

Process & Methodologies

• ITIL-based service management experience.
• Agile/Scrum exposure in hybrid delivery and support environments.
• Strong documentation, reporting, and governance discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience setting up or leading Analytics or BI Centers of Excellence.
• Power BI tenant administration and governance experience.
• Hands-on experience driving automation-led operational transformation.
• Relevant certifications (Azure, Power BI, ITIL, Agile) are a plus.