Job description

Position: Director, Data Analytics / Team Lead, Advanced Data & Analytics Architect Overview Description Why Join Smiley? Smiley Technologies offers the opportunity to be part of a company with a rich history and a commitment to innovation for core banking solutions. Founded in 2002, the company builds upon a legacy that began over 50 years ago with Systematic Inc., a pioneer in outsourcing data processing for banks. At Smiley Technologies, we prioritize a people-first culture, fostering a collaborative and optimistic work environment where respect and teamwork are paramount. Our dedication to exceptional customer service and continuous innovation makes us a trusted partner for community banks nationwide. By joining our team, you contribute to delivering advanced, reliable, and efficient technology stacks for Smiley and our client banks, making a meaningful impact in the financial industry. Responsibilities Director of Analytics The Director of Analytics is responsible for shaping and executing the company data and analytics strategy. This role leads the analytics team, oversees architecture and delivery of the modern data platform, and ensures secure, compliant, and high-value use of data in a banking and financial services context. The Director balances strategic vision, technical leadership, organizational management, driving adoption and customer value. This leader is accountable for ensuring the analytics platform delivers actionable insights, powers operational efficiency, supports regulatory compliance, and enables innovation for customers and internal stakeholders. • Strategic Leadership • Define and own the enterprise analytics strategy, ensuring alignment with company goals, regulatory requirements, and customer needs. • Translate corporate strategy into a roadmap for data engineering, reporting/BI, advanced analytics, and AI/ML enablement. • Advocate for the value of analytics, securing buy-in and resources. • Represent analytics in cross-functional leadership forums, influencing technology and business direction. • Organizational Leadership • Lead, mentor, and develop Team (Data Engineering, BI, Data Science enablement, Governance). • Establish a culture of excellence, accountability, and continuous learning, with focus on delivery, quality, and professional growth. • Manage hiring, retention, and performance of analytics staff. • Own and manage the analytics budget across staff, software tools, and cloud services, ensuring expense aligns with business priorities. • Partner with Finance to ensure budget adherence, vendor contract negotiations, and transparent reporting of spend vs. value delivered. • Forecast and track costs for Azure Databricks clusters, Azure Data Factory pipelines, storage, and Power BI licensing, optimizing for both performance and cost efficiency. • Architecture & Platform Ownership • Oversee the design and evolution of the modern data Lakehouse platform using Azure Data Factory, Azure Databricks (Python, SQL), dbt (SQL, Jinja), Power BI, and related services. • Drive adoption of medallion architecture (bronze/silver/gold) and ensure strong integration across OLAP and OLTP systems. • Architect and enforce patterns for both data modeling (Kimball dimensional design for OLAP) and transactional design (SQL Server, DB2 for OLTP). • Guide platform automation, scalability, and repeatability using Terraform for infrastructure as code (IaC). • Ensure integration of advanced governance frameworks such as Unity Catalog and Microsoft Purview for lineage, security, and access control. • Delivery & Execution • Ensure effective planning, prioritization, and delivery of analytics initiatives. • Drive adoption of Agile methodologies, ensuring that sprints deliver measurable business outcomes. • Define and enforce engineering best practices, including Git/Git Hub workflows, CI/CD pipelines, peer review, and automated testing. • Oversee delivery of analytics products for both internal stakeholders and external clients, ensuring timeliness and precision. • Security & Compliance • Ensure all analytics solutions adhere to banking and financial industry regulations. • Safeguard Sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (SPII) and ensure compliance with PCI DSS and SOC reporting standards. • Establish strong data governance and stewardship…

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