Data Architect / Quality Assurance Engineer
City of Philadelphia
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
City of Philadelphia is seeking a Data Architect / Quality Assurance Engineer to define and improve enterprise data models, standards, validation rules, and QA practices across departments and systems. This role focuses on data contracts, metadata, and quality checks to ensure data is trustworthy, reusable, and scalable.
The position collaborates with data engineers to implement automated validation, supports governance documentation, and helps drive modernization efforts across CityOpen data
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, GIS, Engineering, or related field.
- Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in data architecture, data engineering, or data governance.
- Strong SQL and relational database experience (Postgres is preferred).
- Experience with data quality, validation, and QA workflows.
- Familiarity with API design and data contracts (OpenAPI, JSON schemas).
Responsibilities
- Lead data discovery sessions with departments and technical teams to understand data quality concerns.
- Design data models (conceptual to physical) for enterprise integrations and APIs.
- Define data standards, contracts, and data quality checks.
- Develop QA workflows and automated validation with SQL, Python, or DBT tests.
- Document data lineage, dictionaries, and governance artifacts.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
The Data Architect / Quality Assurance Engineer will help define, document, and improve the data models, standards, validation frameworks, and quality assurance practices that support the City’s enterprise data integration ecosystem. This position will work across departments, programs, systems, and technical teams to understand business processes, source-system behavior, data definitions, data quality issues, and integration needs. The role will help translate that understanding into enterprise data models, data contracts, validation rules, metadata, quality checks, and architectural guardrails that make City data more consistent, trustworthy, reusable, and scalable.
The Data Architect / Quality Assurance Engineer will play a key role in reducing downstream errors, improving API and integration design, supporting data governance, and ensuring that enterprise data products are designed with quality and reuse in mind from the beginning. The position will support priority departmental and enterprise modernization efforts, while also contributing to broader enterprise data architecture and data quality work across CityGeo’s portfolio.
We are looking for a candidate who can bridge business process analysis, data architecture, quality assurance, and practical implementation. This role is well suited for someone who enjoys working with stakeholders to understand how data is produced and used, while also creating the standards, models, and validation practices that make data more reliable across the enterprise.
Some prominent services the team is responsible for include DataBridge, OIT’s enterprise data warehouse, AIS, the City’s custom address information systems which supports public address search and internal geocoding, and Databridge-Airflow, a custom workflow generator and orchestrator for departmental integrations (https://metadata.phila.gov/) and open data publishing. Some examples of OIT’s commitment to serving the public through the effective and innovative integration of City open data include:
- https://Atlas.phila.gov
- https://property.phila.gov
- https://Openmaps.phila.gov
- https://streetsmartphl.phila.gov/
- www.phila.gov/solarmap
- www.phila.gov/stressmap
- Lead data discovery and requirements-gathering sessions with departments, programs, vendors, and technical teams to understand business processes, source systems, data flows, data definitions, and data quality concerns.
- Design conceptual, logical, and physical data models that support enterprise integrations, APIs, reporting, analytics, open data, and operational systems.
- Define reusable data architecture patterns, naming conventions, entity relationships, identifiers, reference data standards, and master data concepts.
- Develop data contracts, schema standards, field definitions, validation rules, and acceptance criteria for new and existing integrations.
- Establish systematic data quality checks for completeness, accuracy, consistency, validity, uniqueness, timeliness, referential integrity, and business‑rule compliance.
- Work with data engineers to implement automated validation and quality assurance workflows using SQL, Python, DBT tests, metadata tools, or similar approaches.
- Review integration designs, pipeline logic, API structures, and data models to ensure they align with enterprise standards and long‑term reuse needs.
- Identify and document data quality issues, root causes, source‑system constraints, transformation risks, and downstream impacts.
- Develop quality assurance processes for integration releases, schema changes, source‑system changes, API changes, and data product updates.
- Support metadata management, data lineage, data dictionaries, data inventories, and governance documentation for enterprise data assets.
- Partner with data stewards and department stakeholders to clarify definitions, ownership, update frequency, quality expectations, and appropriate use of data.
- Partner with security, privacy, legal, and program teams to ensure sensitive or restricted data is handled according to appropriate rules and expectations.
- Contribute to enterprise data governance, data sharing, API development, open data, and integration standards.
- Produce clear documentation, diagrams, validation reports, data quality scorecards, and technical guidance for both technical and non‑technical audiences.
- Help establish a culture of quality, reuse, and accountability across City data integration work.
- Clear and concise written and verbal communication.
- Strong facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Strong analytical thinking and attention to detail.
- Ability to understand business processes and translate them into data models, rules, and technical requirements.
- Ability to work across multiple domains, departments, systems, and stakeholder groups.
- Ability to balance governance, quality, delivery, and operational practicality.
- Ability to identify patterns, inconsistencies, risks, and opportunities for standardization.
- Commitment to documentation, transparency, public service, and continuous improvement.
- Strong knowledge of data modeling, database design, schema design, normalization, dimensional modeling, or related data architecture practices.
- Strong SQL skills and experience working with relational databases, preferably Postgres and PostGIS.
- Experience defining data quality rules, validation checks, test cases, acceptance criteria, and QA workflows.
- Familiarity with data governance, metadata management, data lineage, data dictionaries, data inventories, master data management, and reference data.
- Familiarity with API design, data contracts, JSON schemas, OpenAPI specifications, or similar approaches to defining data exchange standards.
- Experience working with Python, DBT, SQL‑based testing, automated QA frameworks, or data validation tools is preferred.
- Familiarity with ETL/ELT pipelines, data warehouses, data lakes, integration platforms, and workflow orchestration tools such as Airflow.
- Experience with Git/GitHub, CI/CD practices, and modern data engineering workflows.
- Ability to create diagrams, documentation, data dictionaries, entity relationship models, process maps, and quality reports.
- Experience working with spatial datasets, addressing data, permitting, property, service request, inspection, or other municipal datasets is a plus.
- Experience working in a public‑sector, civic technology, or large enterprise environment is a plus.
- To engage stakeholders and understand how data supports real business processes and public services.
- To design data models that support both immediate project needs and long‑term enterprise reuse.
- To define clear standards that data engineers and system teams can implement.
- To identify data quality issues before they create downstream reporting, integration, API, or operational problems.
- To develop practical validation frameworks that can be automated and maintained.
- To communicate data architecture and quality concepts in understandable terms.
- To work effectively with technical and non‑technical staff across departments.
- To promote consistency, trust, and accountability in the City’s enterprise data ecosystem.
- Bachelor’s degree or advanced degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Science, Data Analytics, GIS, Public Policy, Engineering, or a related field. Equivalent work experience may be considered.
- Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in data architecture, data engineering, data quality assurance, data governance, business intelligence, systems analysis, database design, or a related role.
- Demonstrated experience designing data models, documenting data definitions, analyzing source systems, or creating validation frameworks.
- Proven experience working with SQL and relational databases.
- Experience working with technical teams and business stakeholders to define requirements, data rules, data models, or quality standards.
- Experience supporting enterprise integrations, APIs, data warehouses, reporting systems, analytics platforms, or operational data products.
- Dedication to making Philadelphia municipal government more robust, efficient, equitable, and data‑informed.
- Previous work in a public‑sector or large‑organization setting is a plus.
Salary cannot exceed: $105,000. Starting salary to be determined based on experience and qualifications.
Important: To apply, candidates must provide a cover letter and a resume.
*The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire.
Effective May 22, 2023, vaccinations are no longer required for new employees that work in non‑medical, non‑emergency or patient‑facing positions with the City of Philadelphia. As a result, only employees in positions providing services that are patient‑facing medical care (ex: Nurses, doctors, emergency medical personnel) must be fully vaccinated.
- We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents.
- Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan.
- Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays.
- Generous retirement savings options are available.
- Pay off your student loans faster - As a qualifying employer, City of Philadelphia employees are eligible to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Join the ranks of hundreds of employees who have already benefited from this program and achieved student loan forgiveness.
- Enjoy a Free Commute on SEPTA - Starting September 1, 2023, eligible City employees will no longer have to worry about paying for SEPTA public transportation. Whether you're a full‑time, part‑time, or provisional employee, you can seize the opportunity to sign up for the SEPTA Key Advantage Program and receive free Key cards for free rides on SEPTA buses, trains, trolleys, and regional rails.
- Unlock Tuition Discounts and Scholarships - The City of Philadelphia has forged partnerships with over a dozen esteemed colleges and universities in the area, ensuring that our employees have access to a wide range of tuition discounts and scholarships. Experience savings of 10% to 40% on your educational expenses, extending not only to City employees but in some cases, spouse and dependents too!
The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215‑686‑4670 or send an email to faqpchr@phila.gov. For more information, go to the Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.asp
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