Manager of Data Engineering and Analytics

Company Description

Founded in 1935, the University of Illinois Foundation is an independent nonprofit membership corporation and the official fundraising and private gift-receiving organization for the University of Illinois System. Serving the universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago, and Springfield, the Foundation collaborates with alumni, donors, faculty, staff, corporate partners, and development professionals. Its mission is to create transformative fundraising programs that support academic excellence, groundbreaking research, public service, and economic development. The Foundation is dedicated to driving the University’s growth and enhancing its global impact.

Role Description

The Manager of Data Engineering and Analytics is a full-time, on-site role based in Champaign, IL. This position involves leading and managing a team of data engineers and analysts in designing, building, and maintaining robust data systems. This position will manage a team of data analysts, analytic developers and data engineers responsible for building, supporting and maintaining enterprise data solutions and reporting solutions that support fundraising, advancement operations, and leadership decision-making. The role oversees the development and support of the organization’s data warehouse and working closely with other teams throughout the organization to enhance technical platforms and automations for data delivery throughout the University of Illinois advancement community.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Manages a team of professionals, setting strategic priorities, directing, and prioritizing the team’s work. Delegates and reviews team members’ work to ensure it meets scope, requirements, and deadlines. Hires, trains, develops, and recognizes team members’ performance.

2. Direct the team's migration from legacy on-premises infrastructure to a modern cloud analytics platform using Microsoft Fabric.

3. Implement and maintain structured SDLC and delivery practices, including request intake, prioritization, and release management.

4. Partner with advancement leadership, analytics users, and IT to align data capabilities with organizational strategy and enterprise reporting needs.

5. Collaborate cross-functionally with technical teams to design, implement, and support enterprise data warehouse, analytics, and reporting solutions.

6. Apply strong SQL expertise to develop queries, analyze datasets, and support data warehouse and reporting environments.

7. Oversee the design, development, and maintenance of the data warehouse reporting and data delivery layer, including curated datasets that enable ad-hoc analysis and reporting.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

· Bachelor's degree required (Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field preferred), with 5+ years of experience developing data products and analytics solutions from data warehouse environments, and 3+ years managing technical staff including developers, data engineers, and analysts.

· Proven ability to design and build interactive dashboards using Power BI or Tableau, alongside experience developing semantic models and self-service analytics platforms.

· Solid understanding of data modeling principles including relational and dimensional modeling (star/snowflake schemas), with the ability to design data tables and data marts.

· Strong communicator with excellent interpersonal and organizational skills, capable of managing multiple priorities, deadlines, and stakeholder expectations in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

PREFERRED SKILLS/EXPERIENCE

· Master's degree preferred in a research/analytical field, with hands-on experience supporting enterprise-wide reporting platforms built on centralized data warehouses and modern architectures including dimensional modeling, star schemas, data vault, semantic models, and data lakehouse patterns.

· Advanced SQL and T-SQL proficiency, including stored procedures and functions, with working experience on cloud data platforms such as Microsoft Fabric or Azure.

· Familiarity with advancement operations and CRM platforms such as Blackbaud, spanning fundraising, donor engagement, and alumni relations business processes.

• · Knowledge of DevOps/DataOps practices including CI/CD pipelines, version control, and automated deployments.

Application Deadline: May 24th, 2026

The starting salary range for this position is projected to be $105,000 - $115,000 per year. While our job postings include salary ranges, your compensation will be based on your specific experience and qualifications—we're not limited by these posted ranges.

You'll be inspired daily in our state-of-the-art, environmentally conscious workspace - a stunning LEED-certified building featuring contemporary amenities including an on-site wellness center and café with healthy dining options. We encourage work-life balance through our hybrid schedule for many positions, combining in-office collaboration with up to 2 days of remote work flexibility.

Your comprehensive benefits package includes medical, vision, and dental coverage, company paid life insurance, generous vacation time including 24 days annually, and more. Generous pension benefits are also included. We invest in your present and future wellbeing, providing the support you need to succeed.

Application Process: For full consideration for the role, all candidates must complete an online application and include a cover letter and resume. Candidates may create a profile through For further information regarding application procedures, contact Foundation Human Resources at ***email_hidden***.