Director, Data Platform

Position Summary

The Director of Data Platform owns AvonRisk's enterprise data platform — the Azure Fabric lakehouse, semantic models, governance framework, and customer-facing analytics that power every decision in our business. This is the most important technical hire in our 2026 transformation plan.

What You'll Do

• A clear, defensible Fabric architecture with environments, security, and semantic strategy defined

• A surge team that is unblocked, productive, and shipping on a predictable cadence

• At least one real client dataset flowing end-to-end into a governed semantic model

• Build the Platform (Months 1–6)

  • Own the Azure Fabric architecture end-to-end
  • Lead a 4-person surge team (Data Architect, two Data Engineers, Business Analyst) through a 6-month build
  • Define the Bronze → Silver → Semantic layered architecture
  • Drive Fabric Mirroring validation for our claims system
  • Architect multi-tenant PHI security
  • Stand up the customer-facing analytics portal
  • Establish data catalog, lineage, DQ, and governance

• Run and Grow the Platform (Month 7+)

  • Operate the platform as a permanent capability
  • Onboard additional source systems
  • Build the AI/ML feature foundation
  • Enable the BI Team

What Success Looks Like in the First 90 Days

• A clear, defensible Fabric architecture with environments, security, and semantic strategy defined

• A surge team that is unblocked, productive, and shipping on a predictable cadence

• At least one real client dataset flowing end-to-end into a governed semantic model

• Build the Platform (Months 1–6)

  • Own the Azure Fabric architecture end-to-end
  • Lead a 4-person surge team (Data Architect, two Data Engineers, Business Analyst) through a 6-month build
  • Define the Bronze → Silver → Semantic layered architecture
  • Drive Fabric Mirroring validation for our claims system
  • Architect multi-tenant PHI security
  • Stand up the customer-facing analytics portal
  • Establish data catalog, lineage, DQ, and governance

• Run and Grow the Platform (Month 7+)

  • Operate the platform as a permanent capability
  • Onboard additional source systems
  • Build the AI/ML feature foundation
  • Enable the BI Team

Required

• 7+ years of hands-on data platform work, including 3+ years on a modern cloud lakehouse or warehouse (Fabric, Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery, or Synapse).

• Production Azure Fabric experience preferred — alternatively, deep Azure data experience (Synapse, ADF, ADLS Gen 2, Power BI Premium) and a credible plan to come up to speed on Fabric in week one.

• Power BI semantic modeling at depth — DAX, dataset design, Direct Lake mode, Row-Level Security. You can architect a semantic model, not just consume one.

• Modern data engineering posture: DBT (or equivalent — SQLMesh, Coalesce) for transformation; data testing frameworks (dbt tests, Great Expectations); ADF or Fabric Pipelines orchestration; CI/CD for data; infrastructure as code (Bicep / Terraform); Git-based workflows for analytics code. We're hiring modern analytics engineering, not just "I know SQL."

• Dimensional modeling judgment — when to denormalize, when to conform, when to wait. Star schemas and slowly-changing dimensions in your sleep.

• Multi-tenant + PHI/PII data architecture experience. RLS, masking, lineage, audit — done for real, not just read about.

• Strategic data product thinking — you've moved past "build a warehouse" into "use data to change how the business operates."

• Track record leading or quarterbacking contracted delivery teams — including offshore — through fixed-window engagements.

• Excellent written communication; you can produce a design document a CPTO or auditor can read.

• Strongly Preferred:

  • Insurance, healthcare, financial-services, or regulated-data analytics background — HIPAA, SOC 2, state regulatory reporting; shipped analytics products regulators or customers actually used.

  • Experience migrating off legacy SSRS / stored-proc reporting estates onto modern semantic models.

  • Spark / PySpark notebook experience for non-SQL transforms.

  • Data contracts and schema-enforcement experience between data producers and consumers.

  • Familiarity with AI/ML feature stores and operationalizing predictive models on a lakehouse.

  • Comfort with Claude Code or equivalent AI-assisted development workflows — we expect you to amplify yourself with AI, not resist it.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or equivalent experience.

• Master's a plus, not required.

Why This Role Matters

• Today, 26% of our engineering capacity is spent on hand-built reports. 194 clients rely on one-off SQL. Entire lines of business lack meaningful analytics. Our AI roadmap — Fraud, Provider Intelligence, Recovery, Safety & Loss Control — is blocked until we have a unified data foundation.

• You'll have executive air cover, a green-lit plan, a funded surge team, and direct access to the CPTO. Build it right, and it's the foundation under everything AvonRisk does for the next decade.

Job Type & Location

• Full-time, remote (US). Eastern or Central time zone preferred. Occasional travel to AvonRisk offices — ~4–6 trips per year.

• Salary Range: $190,000–$220,000 annually + bonus

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits

• Company contributions to HSA and FSA plans

• Employer paid life and disability insurance

• 401(k) with company match

• Paid time off (PTO) and company paid holidays

• Learning and development opportunities that support real career advancement

• Employee assistance resources and a supportive culture that values balance and wellbeing

Equal Opportunity Employer

AvonRisk is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other status protected by law.