The Cloud Data Engineer establishes and sustains the university’s modern data infrastructure within Microsoft Fabric, enabling reliable, scalable, and integrated data operations across institutional systems. This role focuses on designing and maintaining data lakehouses, pipelines, and warehouses that unify data from platforms such as RIO, Domo, Canvas, HubSpot, and SurveyMonkey.  

The engineer supports efforts to develop and curate reusable datasets, ensuring that information flows securely and efficiently between systems to support analytics, compliance, and institutional decision-making. By implementing repeatable frameworks and optimizing data processes, this position plays a critical role in advancing the university’s data maturity and empowering evidence-based insight across all departments.

Team & Reporting
Team: Information Technology
Reports to: Director of Information Technology
Location: Remote
Status: Full-time

Role Composition (Estimated %)
Leadership: [10%]
Strategy: [30%]
Coaching: [0%]
Player/Execution: [60%]
Note: This is an estimate of how the role is currently balanced, and may evolve over time. Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience implementing or managing Microsoft Fabric environments, including lakehouses, pipelines, and warehouses.
• Working knowledge of Azure Data Services (Data Factory, Synapse, Data Lake Storage, Purview).
• Proficiency in Python, SQL, Powershell, and BI solution, with experience automating data ingestion and transformation workflows.
• Understanding of data governance and security frameworks (FERPA, GLBA, or similar).
• Experience in higher education or workforce analytics, particularly integrating data from SIS, LMS, CRM, or survey systems.
• Knowledge of API integrations (e.g., RIO, Canvas, HubSpot, SurveyMonkey) for data ingestion and synchronization.
• Certification or demonstrated training in Microsoft Azure or Fabric data engineering tools preferred.

Key Areas of Focus
This role is focused on outcomes and contribution, not an exhaustive list of tasks.

1. Data Infrastructure and Architecture

• Design, deploy, and maintain the university’s modern data infrastructure in Microsoft Fabric, including lakehouses, warehouses, pipelines, and dataflows.
• Develop standardized ingestion and transformation frameworks that connect data from systems such as RIO, Canvas, HubSpot, and SurveyMonkey.
• Implement medallion (bronze–silver–gold) architecture and optimize data storage, schema design, and query performance for scalable analytics.
• Evaluate emerging Fabric capabilities and data-engineering practices to enhance scalability, governance, and automation.

2. Data Pipeline Development and Management

• Build and orchestrate automated data pipelines for ingestion, transformation, and curation using Fabric Dataflows Gen2, and Data Factory, among others.
• Monitor and troubleshoot pipeline execution, ensuring reliability, timeliness, and consistency across environments.
• Collaborate with data stewards and analysts to align curated datasets with institutional reporting and governance requirements.

3. Framework Development and Continuous Improvement

• Implement version-controlled, repeatable processes for dataset deployment including pipeline creation, dataset publication, and documentation to accelerate institutional data projects.
• Continuously assess and optimize transformation logic, orchestration performance, and overall data-engineering practices to reduce overhead and improve time-to-insight.
• Contribute to the evolution of the university’s data architecture roadmap and play a key role in scaling the Fabric environment.
• Share expertise and mentor colleagues on data engineering standards, fostering a culture of data literacy and collaboration.

Collaboration & Communication

• Works closely with: Institutional Research and some cross-departmental collaboration.
• May support or guide: Director of Information Technology and the university.

Expectations for Growth
As the university’s data ecosystem expands, the Cloud Data Engineer will take on increasing responsibility for designing and scaling the institutional data framework. Growth in data volume, source systems, and analytical complexity will require deeper technical expertise in Microsoft Fabric, pipeline orchestration, and dataset curation. 
The individual in this role is expected to evolve alongside emerging data technologies and the university’s strategic priorities.  Ongoing development may include advanced certifications in Microsoft Fabric and Azure Data Engineering, deeper specialization in data modeling and orchestration, and active participation in professional data engineering and higher education analytics communities.
  Expectations for Growth
As the university’s enterprise systems mature, the Enterprise Systems Project Manager will take on broader responsibility for leading complex, cross-functional technology initiatives beyond the initial stabilization and transition period. The role is expected to evolve from recovery-focused project leadership into increased involvement with enterprise planning, system enhancements, and future-state evaluation of CRM, SIS, and related platforms.
 
Ongoing growth in this role requires deeper institutional knowledge, stronger change-management skills, and continued development in project and program leadership practices. Professional development may include advanced project management training, expanded exposure to enterprise systems and integrations, and participation in higher education technology or project management communities, with opportunities to help shape institutional standards for enterprise project delivery.

Reach University is an accredited, nonprofit institution reshaping higher education - one where a job leads to a degree, not the other way around. Through the Apprenticeship Degree, Reach transforms workplaces into university learning spaces, allowing working adults to earn credit for the work they do on the job and leverage deep learning through inquiry, dialogue, collaboration, and on-the-job practice in their everyday experience. 

At Reach, we envision a world where everyone, everywhere can access fully job-embedded higher education - where effort and skill, not wealth or connections, determine who gets ahead. Reach is building pathways for professionals to grow their impact, advance their careers, and stay rooted in the communities they serve.

We’re building a world where higher education is both higher and within reach.  Learn more at reach.edu

Benefits:

• Health Insurance: We provide medical, vision, and dental insurance plans to ensure you and your family are well-covered. Plus additional wellness programs. 

• Flexible Time Off: We offer a flexible "Flexible Time Off" policy, empowering you to take the time you need when you need it, without the constraints of a traditional vacation policy.

• Flexible Remote-Only Workplace: Enjoy the freedom to work from anywhere with our flexible remote-only work environment, fostering a balance of workload and rest

• Professional Development Support: We are committed to your growth and development, offering support for professional development opportunities to help you advance in your career.

Salary 

The salary range for this role is between $100-115k.

Equal Opportunity Employer
Reach University is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Reach University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please e-mail us at PeopleOps@reach.edu if you require a reasonable accommodation to complete this application.