Data Architect - T7

Company Description

NIQ is the world’s leading consumer intelligence company, helping brands and advertisers understand what people buy, watch, and engage with. MRI‑Simmons, a division within NIQ, runs one of the most comprehensive and detailed consumer insights studies in the U.S., collecting thousands of data attributes from 50,000+ respondents annually.

Our Consumer Canvas product takes this data even further — mapping it to the broader U.S. population (250M+ adults) and enabling advanced audience targeting through partners like The Trade Desk, LiveRamp, TransUnion, and more.

We are expanding our architecture team to drive the next evolution of Canvas — identity resolution, data enrichment, privacy‑first design, and scalable activation pipelines.

Job Description

We are seeking a Data Architect to own and evolve the end‑to‑end architecture behind the Consumer Canvas platform. You will work across Snowflake, Databricks, identity systems, ingestion pipelines, and activation layers — ensuring our data is scalable, secure, privacy‑compliant, and highly performant.

You will partner closely with Data Engineering, Data Science, Machine Learning, and Product teams to build next‑gen solutions that power the future of consumer insights and advertising activation. 

This is not a migration or maintenance role — it is a strategic influence position with the opportunity to architect new systems, components, and methodologies from the ground up

• Own the end-to-end architecture of the Consumer Canvas product.
• Design systems across ingestion, identity spine creation, enrichment, governance, and activation workflows. 
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners (Data Scientists, ML Engineers, Data Engineers, Product Owners). 
• Define and enforce PII governance, privacy controls, and security best practices.
• Translate complex business and technical requirements into scalable architecture.
• Support technical teams with architectural guidance and model/structure design.
• Participate directly in design, prototyping, and testing cycles within an Agile environment.
• Act as a senior technical thought partner, providing mentorship (non‑manager role).

Qualifications

Must‑Have Skills

• 5+ years of experience in Data Architecture or related technical leadership roles.
• Hands-on experience with Snowflake (including Data Clean Rooms) and/or Databricks.
• Strong SQL and experience with Python, PySpark, and Spark. 
• Proven experience working with PII data, privacy constraints, and governance frameworks (critical & non‑negotiable). 
• Data modeling expertise (conceptual, logical, physical).
• Experience designing scalable data pipelines and cloud-native architectures.
• Strong communication skills and ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders.

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Experience in Ad-Tech, Martech, Media, Consumer Data, or Identity Ecosystems
• Familiarity with Medallion Architecture (Bronze/Silver/Gold). 
• Azure services (ADF, Azure Data Lake, Azure DevOps).
• Containers & orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Experience with audience activation platforms (e.g., Trade Desk, LiveRamp).

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field required.
• Master's degree or certifications (SnowPro, Azure Data Engineer) are a plus.
• Equivalent professional experience is fully acceptable in place of formal credentials.

You will thrive if you are:

• A strategic thinker who enjoys architecting new systems, not just migrating old ones.
• Passionate about privacy-first data design and operational excellence.
• Skilled at turning ambiguous requirements into elegant architectures.
• Excited by large-scale audience data (hundreds of millions of profiles).
• Comfortable navigating complex stakeholder environments.

Additional Information

Why Join NIQ?

• Build one of the most influential consumer identity data architectures in the U.S.
• Work with cutting-edge cloud technologies (Snowflake, Databricks, identity graph frameworks).
• Be part of an innovative team pushing the boundaries of consumer analytics and ad-tech.
• Flexible, fully remote work environment.
• Global collaboration & career growth opportunities.

Our Benefits

• Flexible working environment
• Volunteer time off
• LinkedIn Learning
• Employee-Assistance-Program (EAP)

NIQ may utilize artificial intelligence (AI) tools at various stages of the recruitment process, including résumé screening, candidate assessments, interview scheduling, job matching, communication support, and certain administrative tasks that help streamline workflows. These tools are intended to improve efficiency and support fair and consistent evaluation based on job-related criteria. All use of AI is governed by NIQ’s principles of fairness, transparency, human oversight, and inclusion. Final hiring decisions are made exclusively by humans. NIQ regularly reviews its AI tools to help mitigate bias and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. If you have questions, require accommodations, or wish to request human review were permitted by law, please contact your local HR representative. For more information, please visit NIQ’s AI Safety Policies and Guiding Principles: https://www.nielseniq.com/global/en/ai-safety-policies.

About NIQ

NIQ is the world’s leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. In 2023, NIQ combined with GfK, bringing together the two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View™. NIQ is an Advent International portfolio company with operations in 100+ markets, covering more than 90% of the world’s population.

For more information, visit NIQ.com

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Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At NIQ, we are steadfast in our commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace that mirrors the rich diversity of the communities and markets we serve. We believe that embracing a wide range of perspectives drives innovation and excellence.  All employment decisions at NIQ are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws. We invite individuals who share our dedication to inclusivity and equity to join us in making a meaningful impact. To learn more about our ongoing efforts in diversity and inclusion, please visit the https://nielseniq.com/global/en/news-center/diversity-inclusion