Big Blue Marble Academy

Role Description The Head of Data is a rare hybrid role built for a seasoned data professional who thrives at the intersection of technical depth and business partnership. This is a founding position — the first dedicated data hire at the company — and the individual who steps into it will be responsible for building the data function from the ground up: - Establishing strategy - Selecting tools - Architecting infrastructure - Delivering reporting and insights In the near term, this person will operate as a team of one, performing hands-on work across the full data stack: - Designing and building a data warehouse and ELT pipelines - Collaborating with business leaders to understand critical metrics - Developing dashboards and reports Over time, this role will evolve into a team leadership position, with the Head of Data hiring, building, and managing a dedicated team beneath them. The right candidate is senior enough to know exactly what “good” looks like and how to build it — and humble and hungry enough to build it themselves. This is emphatically not a role for someone who has moved past hands-on work; it is a role for someone who still loves the work and is energized by the opportunity to create something new. Strategic thinking and technical execution are equally required. Key Responsibilities - Data Strategy & Architecture - Define and own the company's data strategy — identifying priorities, sequencing the work, selecting appropriate tools and technologies, and building a roadmap for the data function's evolution. - Architect and implement a scalable data warehouse that consolidates data from disparate source systems into a single, reliable source of truth. - Make pragmatic tooling decisions that balance immediate business needs with long-term scalability. - Document the data architecture, data dictionary, and system design decisions to ensure institutional knowledge is captured from day one. - Data Engineering & Pipeline Development - Design and build ELT pipelines to extract and transform data from source systems into the data warehouse. - Develop and maintain data connections and integrations with upstream systems. - Establish and enforce data quality standards, naming conventions, and governance practices. - Monitor and maintain pipeline performance, proactively identifying and resolving data issues. - Analytics, Reporting & Dashboard Development - Engage directly with business stakeholders to identify and prioritize critical metrics, KPIs, and reporting views. - Translate stakeholder requirements into well-designed dashboards and reports using BI tools. - Define and standardize metric definitions across the organization. - Conduct exploratory and ad hoc analysis to surface trends, anomalies, and insights. - Validate dashboard outputs rigorously, taking personal ownership of accuracy. - Team Building & Function Development - Operate effectively as a team of one in the near term. - Develop a staffing and capability roadmap for the data function. - Recruit, hire, and develop team members over time. - Establish the processes, standards, and team culture for the data function. - Cross-Functional Partnership - Serve as the primary data partner for leaders across the organization. - Communicate technical concepts and analytical findings clearly to non-technical audiences. - Collaborate with Finance and FP&A to ensure data infrastructure supports financial reporting. - Maintain a prioritized backlog of data and reporting requests. Qualifications - 10+ years of professional experience in data engineering, analytics, or business intelligence. - Proven track record working as a generalist or hybrid data professional. - Experience building or significantly scaling a data function. - Strong proficiency in SQL and experience with ELT tools and frameworks. - Hands-on experience designing and implementing data warehouse or data lake architectures in cloud environments. - Experience building dashboards and reports in at least one modern BI tool. - Demonstrated experience working directly with business stakeholders. - Prior experience in a multi-site, operationally complex business is a plus. Requirements - Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Statistics, Mathematics, Data Analytics, or a related technical or quantitative field required. - Advanced degree or relevant certifications are a plus.