Azure Data Engineer

Description

Middleby Corporation is a leading global manufacturer of commercial, residential kitchen, and food processing equipment. We are committed to innovation, efficiency, and delivering high-quality products to our customers worldwide. Our Digital Technology team is at the forefront of leveraging data and technology to drive business growth and operational excellence.

We are seeking a talented Azure focused Data Engineer to join our dynamic team at Middleby. In this role, you will be instrumental in building and optimizing our data infrastructure, focusing on large-scale data projects that integrate data from various sources across our diverse business.  You will contribute to data-driven decision-making, including but not limited to advanced AI applications that leverage OpenAI's Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) models. This position offers the opportunity to collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including business stakeholders, data analysts, and DevOps software engineers.

Responsibilities:

• Design & Implement Data Solutions: Develop and maintain scalable architectures using Azure Data Factory, Azure Synapse, Azure Databricks, Data Lake, and Azure SQL.
• Build & Manage Pipelines: Create robust ETL/ELT processes for data ingestion, transformation, and integration from multiple sources.
• Optimize Storage & Performance: Configure data storage (e.g., Azure Data Lake, Blob Storage), implement indexing and partitioning, and monitor system performance for cost-effective, high-speed data processing.
• Data Quality & Governance: Enforce data standards, ensure data accuracy, and maintain compliance with regulations (GDPR, HIPAA, etc.).
• Security & Compliance: Implement Azure Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), encryption, and other best practices to protect sensitive information.
• Continuous Integration & Deployment: Use Azure DevOps for version control, automated testing, and deployment of data pipelines and infrastructure.
• Troubleshooting & Maintenance: Monitor pipelines, resolve incidents, and perform root-cause analysis to ensure reliable data operations.
• Collaboration & Documentation: Work closely with cross-functional teams (Data Scientists, Analysts, DevOps) to gather requirements, share best practices, and document solutions.
• Innovation & Best Practices: Keep up to date with new Azure services, features, and industry trends to continuously improve data engineering processes.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field Master’s degree (optional but preferred).
• 3-5 years of experience in data engineering or similar roles.
• Strong problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills.
• Ability to work in agile environments with cross-functional teams.

Required Skills:

• Azure Services Expertise: Proven experience with Azure Data Factory, Azure Synapse, Azure Databricks, Azure Data Lake, and Azure SQL.
• ETL/ELT & Data Integration: Strong background in building and managing data pipelines using modern tools and methodologies.
• Programming & Scripting: Proficiency in SQL, Python, and/or Spark for data transformation and automation.
• Data Modeling & Architecture: Ability to design robust data structures and develop scalable architectures for large volumes of data.
• Performance Tuning: Skilled in optimizing data storage, querying, and processing, including partitioning and indexing strategies.
• Security & Compliance: Familiarity with Azure RBAC, encryption, and relevant data privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA).
• CI/CD & DevOps: Experience with Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, and Infrastructure as Code (e.g., ARM templates, Terraform).
• Data Governance: Knowledge of data quality, lineage, and governance best practices.
• Collaboration & Communication: Ability to work closely with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to understand requirements and deliver solutions.
• Continuous Learning: Enthusiasm for staying up to date with evolving Azure services, tools, and industry best practices.

Preferred Skills:

• Real-Time Data Streaming: Experience with Event Hubs, IoT Hub, or Kafka.
• Big Data Frameworks: Familiarity with Hadoop/Spark ecosystems.
• Machine Learning & AI: Exposure to Azure ML and/or Azure Open AI.
• Data Visualization: Proficiency in Power BI, Tableau, or similar tools.
• Domain/Industry Expertise: Manufacturing and Service industries.

Middleby Corporation is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EOE/M/F/Vets/Disabled) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants.