Director, Data Architect

Pivot Bio; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 165,000 - 206,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive package in a disruptive startup

Stock options

Health/Dental/Vision insurance

401(k) plan, 3% Match

Flexible vacation policy

Job summary

A pioneering agricultural technology firm in St. Louis is seeking a Director, Data Architect to design scalable data systems that inform strategic decision-making. This role involves collaboration across R&D, Manufacturing, and Commercial teams. With over 10 years of experience in data architecture and strong skills in Databricks and SQL, the ideal candidate will innovate data solutions to support advanced analytics. A competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package, including stock options, is offered.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of focused experience on data architecture and data engineering.
• Proven experience in enterprise data modeling including dimensional modeling.
• Strong programming skills in SQL; proficiency with scripting languages.

Responsibilities

• Define data architecture vision and standards in collaboration with stakeholders.
• Design and implement modern data platforms across the agricultural value chain.
• Establish data governance framework including MDM policies and data quality standards.

Skills

Data platform mastery

Data modeling expertise

Technical depth

Ambiguity navigation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field

Tools

Databricks

SQL

Python

Tableau

PowerBI

Job description

About Pivot Bio: Fueled by an innovative drive and a deep understanding of microbiology, genomics, crop nutrition and agriculture, Pivot Bio is pioneering game-changing advances in fertilizer technology. Our first commercial product harnesses the power of naturally-occurring microbes, modern gene editing and application technologies to provide nitrogen to crops. We are dedicated to providing new solutions for farmers to improve yield as they work to help feed the world’s growing population. Read/Hear more about Pivot Bio on Forbes or PBS News Hour.

Pivot Bio's Director, Data Architect will play a key role in making data actionable at all levels of the organization to inform decisions, actions, and strategy. The Data Architect works at the intersection of agronomic science, industrial operations, and commercial execution, designing modern, scalable data systems that organize and analyze data across all domains.

In this role, the Lead Data Architect will develop and deliver long-term strategic goals for data architecture vision and standards in collaboration with cross-functional stakeholders. A critical aspect of the role is translating business requirements from Product Innovation, Manufacturing, and Commercial teams into elegant technical architectures that balance immediate needs with long-term scalability. This role will provide technical recommendations throughout the solution/data architecture and implementation lifecycle, working hands‑on when needed to prove concepts and establish patterns. The Director, Data Architect reports to the Head of Digital and works in close partnership with Product, Engineering, and Data Science teams, interfacing with business stakeholders across R&D, Manufacturing, Agronomy, and Commercial functions. Strong candidates have deep data platform expertise, pragmatic architectural judgment, and the ability to translate complex scientific and business requirements into clean, scalable data systems.

This role can be located in St. Louis, MO or Minneapolis, MN and will be onsite 4 days a week.

Essential Functions

• Define data architecture vision and standards in collaboration with stakeholders
• Design and implement modern data platform integrating Lab, Manufacturing, Agronomic, and Corporate Operations across the agricultural value chain
• Design integration patterns for 3rd party data sources including soil tests, machinery data, imagery, and partner APIs
• Establish data governance framework including MDM policies, data quality standards, and security protocols
• Enable AI‑ready infrastructure supporting advanced analytics, ML models, and GenAI applications
• Own data quality and availability across modeling, enrichment, and accessibility for all stakeholders
• Validate architectures hands‑on through POCs, implementation reviews, and technical problem‑solving

Competencies

• Data platform mastery: Expert in data lakes, warehouses, and data mesh architectures with deep Databricks experience
• Data modeling expertise: Dimensional modeling, normalized schemas, graph databases, and domain‑driven design
• Modern data stack: Databricks (preferred), ETL/ELT tools, streaming technologies, and BI platforms (Tableau, PowerBI)
• Data governance: Quality, profiling, security, metadata management, MDM, archival, and migration strategies
• Technical depth: Advanced SQL, Python/scripting, query optimization, and performance tuning
• Systems thinking: Balances strategic vision with pragmatic execution and speed‑to‑value trade‑offs
• Ambiguity navigation: Defines elegant architecture despite incomplete requirements or evolving business needs

Required Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field
• 10+ years of focused experience on data architecture and data engineering
• Proven experience in enterprise data modeling including dimensional modeling, normalization strategies and domain‑driven design
• Deep hands‑on experience with modern data platforms (Databricks strongly preferred)
• Strong programming skills in SQL; proficiency with scripting languages (Python, R, similar)
• Understanding of agronomic data, crop nutrition, soil science, or precision agriculture would be a strong plus
• Track record designing data architectures that enable advanced analytics and AI/ML applications

Must be authorized to work in the United States

What We Offer

• Competitive package in a disruptive startup
• Stock options
• Health/Dental/Vision insurance with employer‑paid premiums
• Life, Short‑Term and Long‑Term Disability policies
• Employee Assistance Program with free referrals and discounts
• 401(k) plan, 3% Match
• Commuter benefits
• Annual Training & Development support
• Flexible vacation policy with a generous holiday schedule
• Exciting opportunity to work with a talented and fun team

All remote positions and those not located in our Berkeley facility are paid based on National Benchmark data. Following employment, growth beyond the hiring range is possible based on performance.

Hiring Compensation Range

$165,000—$206,000 USD