Database Administrator & Data Engineer

While this position is hybrid, candidates will need to reside around the Indianapolis, IN area for on-site meetings and support needs.

The Database Administrator & Data Engineer supports Goodwill’s enterprise data platforms with a primary focus on data engineering, system integration, and business-driven analytics. While the role includes foundational database administration responsibilities, its core function is designing, delivering, and maintaining scalable data solutions that enable operational insight and informed decision-making.

This role partners directly with business sponsors, operational leaders, and end users to understand data needs, translate business use cases into technical solutions, and deliver reliable data pipelines, models, and reporting assets. Regular in-person meetings and site visits are required to understand Goodwill’s various business models, workflows, and data usage across locations. This position reports to the Director of Development & Integration.

Example Duties and Activities

• Designs, builds, and maintains ETL/ELT pipelines integrating data from multiple internal and external source systems.
• Engineers scalable, reliable datasets aligned to documented business requirements and operational use cases.
• Develops unified and trusted data models to support reporting, analytics, and operational insights.
• Ensures data accuracy, consistency, integrity, and reliability across all data solutions.
• Maintains SQL Server environments, including monitoring, backups, recovery, patching, and basic performance optimization.
• Implements and maintains database security, access controls, and compliance with PCI, PII, FERPA, and HIPAA requirements.
• Partners directly with business sponsors, operational leaders, and end users to understand workflows, decision-making needs, and data challenges.
• Translates business questions into technical data models, pipelines, and analytics solutions.
• Conducts site visits to Goodwill locations to understand operational processes, customer models, and data generation methods.
• Advises stakeholders on data availability, limitations, best practices, and appropriate analytical approaches.
• Collaborates with IT leadership, developers, analysts, and business partners on enterprise data initiatives.
• Troubleshoots data quality, performance, and accessibility issues to improve user trust and adoption.
• Maintains technical documentation for databases, pipelines, data models, and data health metrics.
• Provides visibility into data usage, reliability, and improvement opportunities.
• Evaluates, pilots, and supports deployment of new data platforms, tools, and technologies in collaboration with IT leadership.
• Balances operational support responsibilities with project-based data engineering and analytics work.

Required Competencies

• Degree and Credential Requirements - Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience. Five (5) or more years of experience in database administration, data engineering, or related technical roles.
• Data Engineering & Database Expertise - Strong expertise in SQL Server and relational data architectures. Proven experience designing and delivering data pipelines and datasets based on business requirements. Experience ensuring data integrity, accuracy, and reliability across multiple systems.
• Project Management (IT) - Oversees multiple workstreams and delivers against complex scopes implementing strategies that outline time, resources, requirements, deadlines, and answers to unexpected events in order to streamline operations. Comprehends the needs of the end-user and translates them into network requirements. Produces outline designs and estimates costs of new systems, specifies the operations the system performs, and the way data will be viewed by the end-user. Presents the design to the users and works closely with the users to implement the solution.
• Communication Skills - Articulates thoughts and expresses ideas effectively using oral, written, visual, and non-verbal communication skills, as well as listening skills to comprehend customers' needs. Delivers information in person, in writing, and in a digital world.
• Building Collaborative Relationships - Develops, maintains, and strengthens partnerships at all levels with others inside or outside the organization who can provide information, assistance, and support. Is able to receive as well as provide feedback to improve performance or processes.
• Adaptability - Adjusts priorities quickly in response to frequently changing circumstances while maintaining a positive attitude. Continually assesses tasks and responds to those requiring extra attention. Foresees and seeks to avoid crisis management.
• Organizational Aptitude - Plans and attends to details and pursues quality in accomplishing multiple tasks in an organized and timely fashion.
• Informed Decision-Making - Identifies and comprehends issues, problems, and opportunities; compares data from different sources to draw conclusions; uses effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions; takes action that is consistent with available facts, constraints, and probable consequences.
• Continuous Learning - Stays current on trends related to IT industry technologies and trends. Has a thirst for knowledge and applies it appropriately. Compelled to find answers through research and collaboration.

Preferred Competencies

• Experience with cloud data platforms such as Azure SQL or AWS RDS (Azure preferred and the future standard).
• Experience with modern ETL/orchestration tools and analytics architectures.
• Scripting experience using Python and/or PowerShell.
• Familiarity with BI and reporting tools (Power BI and Domo preferred).

Other Requirements

• Willing to travel to various locations throughout the territory of Goodwill locations.
• Is available to work a 24x7 on-call duty rotation with occasional after-hours and weekends.
• Background Screening - All candidates must pass a pre-employment background check. Must have a valid driver’s license, up-to-date auto insurance, and a good driving record.

Benefits: Full-time employees may participate in a comprehensive benefits program that includes:

• Continuing education and leadership development as well as tuition reimbursement
• Comprehensive health plan
• Generous paid time off (PTO) and paid holidays
• Sabbatical and parental leaves
• Life, dental and vision insurance
• Short- and long-term disability plans
• Nationally recognized preventive health and wellness program
• Section 125 pretax health spending account, dependent care spending account, and premiums
• Retirement planning options with generous company % match
• Eligible for the Public Student Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program