Manager, Data Platforms & Analytics Engineering

About Ashley
Ashley is the largest furniture manufacturer and retailer in North America, and we're redefining how customers shop for furniture. We're building intelligent, conversational agents that go beyond answering questions—they initiate value-driven conversations, design rooms, and orchestrate complex purchase flows across a two-sided marketplace connecting customers with merchants and retailers.

Position Summary

The Manager of Data Platforms & Analytics Engineering is responsible for the architecture, administration, governance, security, reliability, and strategic evolution of enterprise data platforms supporting analytics, AI, data engineering, and business intelligence initiatives.

This leader will serve as the subject matter expert and operational owner for modern data platforms including Databricks, Microsoft Fabric, BigQuery, Synapse, cloud-native databases, and emerging analytics technologies. They will partner closely with data engineering, analytics, AI, governance, and business teams to ensure platforms are secure, scalable, cost-effective, and aligned with enterprise strategy.

The role is also responsible for expanding the technical capabilities of an established Database Administration team, helping experienced SQL Server professionals develop expertise across modern cloud and analytics platforms.

Reporting Relationship

Reports to: Director, Data Platforms & Database Services

Key Responsibilities

Platform Ownership & Administration

Own the technical administration and operational governance of enterprise data platforms.
Lead platform configuration, capacity planning, monitoring, backup strategies, disaster recovery planning, and operational support.
Establish standards for availability, performance, security, reliability, and cost management.
Develop platform roadmaps and modernization strategies.
Drive automation wherever possible.

Analytics Platform Architecture

Serve as the lead architect for analytics and data platform technologies.
Evaluate current platform implementations and recommend improvements.
Ensure platforms are configured according to industry best practices.
Define reference architectures and operational standards.
Lead technology assessments and future platform selection activities.

Security & Data Governance

Establish and maintain access control models.
Lead platform security reviews and compliance activities.
Implement role-based access models, data protection controls, and governance standards.
Partner with Data Trust and Governance teams to support enterprise requirements.

Team Leadership & Capability Development

Mentor and coach database administrators transitioning into modern cloud and analytics platforms.
Develop training plans and learning paths.
Build technical depth across Databricks, Fabric, BigQuery, Snowflake, cloud services, and open-source technologies.
Create a culture of continuous learning and innovation.

Operational Excellence

Establish support models and operational procedures.
Define platform SLAs, SLOs, and monitoring strategies.
Create runbooks, standards, and technical documentation.
Drive incident reduction and platform resiliency improvements.

Stakeholder Engagement

Partner with Data Engineering, Analytics, AI, Governance, Security, Infrastructure, and Application teams.
Provide consulting and technical direction for platform usage and architecture.
Communicate platform strategy and recommendations to technical and executive stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

Technical Expertise

Strong hands-on experience with multiple modern data platforms including:

Databricks (required)
Microsoft Fabric (required)
Azure Data Platform technologies
Cloud-native analytics platforms
Data lakehouse architectures
Data warehousing solutions
Enterprise identity and security models

Experience in several of the following:

BigQuery
Snowflake
Synapse Analytics
Semarchy
PostgreSQL
MySQL
MongoDB
Azure SQL Database
SQL Server

Leadership Experience

7+ years of experience administering enterprise data platforms.
3+ years leading technical teams or platform modernization initiatives.
Experience mentoring engineers and developing technical capabilities.
Experience establishing operational processes and support models.

Architecture Experience

Demonstrated experience with:

Analytics platform architecture
Cloud data platforms
Lakehouse architectures
Data security and governance
High availability and disaster recovery
Cost optimization
Platform migrations and modernization projects

Preferred Qualifications

Databricks Certified Professional
Microsoft Fabric Certification
Azure Solutions Architect Certification
Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer
Experience supporting AI and machine learning workloads
Experience operating global-scale data environments

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
Ashley Furniture is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of employment. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic.
We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, please let us know.

Education
Preferred
Bachelors or better in Engineer

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights (https://www.eeoc.gov/poster) notice from the Department of Labor.