Data Platform Director – Innovative Food Holdings
Location : Chicago, IL (Hybrid or On-Site Preferred; Remote considered for outstanding candidates)
Employment Type : Full-time
Experience Level : Senior (7+ years)
Industry : Food & Beverage Distribution / Digital Transformation
About Us
Innovative Food Holdings (IVFH) connects chefs, foodservice professionals, and consumers with the finest specialty ingredients. Through our subsidiaries and digital platforms, we're modernizing how premium food products reach customers nationwide.
About the Role
We're seeking a technology leader to elevate our platforms, systems, and data capabilities across the enterprise. The Data Platform Director will shape and execute our technology strategy—driving modernization, integration, and performance improvements that make our systems smarter, faster, and more reliable.
Why This Role Matters
The Data Platform Director builds the backbone of IVFH's digital enterprise—ensuring our technology and data work seamlessly to power decisions, automation, and growth. You'll directly impact :
Data quality, accessibility, and automation readiness
Long-term technology strategy and scalability
Operational efficiency across systems and data environments
What You'll Do
Platform & Systems Modernization
Lead design and implementation of modern cloud-based infrastructure (Azure, AWS, or GCP)
Migrate from legacy SQL to scalable, secure, cloud-native platforms
Streamline system integrations and eliminate redundancies
Data Architecture & Engineering
Build and manage ETL / ELT pipelines across APIs, files, and third-party systems
Architect a unified data lakehouse integrating ERP (Dynamics GP), vendor, and operational data
Enable analytics, automation, and AI workflows
Governance & Quality
Establish data governance frameworks and validation tools
Maintain centralized data catalog and business glossary
Ensure compliance with security and privacy standards
Analytics & AI Enablement
Lead Power BI dashboard and reporting initiatives
Build infrastructure for machine learning and advanced analytics (MLOps)
Partner with business leaders to operationalize AI use cases
Leadership & Collaboration
Build and mentor a high-performing data and technology team
Translate complex technical concepts into actionable strategies
Champion data literacy and continuous improvement across the company
What You'll Bring
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, or related field
7+ years in data architecture, engineering, or technology leadership
Expertise with SQL Server and cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, or GCP)
Strong skills in ETL / ELT, SQL, Python or C#, and data modeling
Experience with ERP and supply chain data (Dynamics GP preferred)
Proven success improving system performance and scalability
Bonus Points For
Experience with MLOps or predictive analytics infrastructure
Familiarity with Azure Synapse, Databricks, or Snowflake
Understanding of food distribution or e-commerce data flows
Azure Data Engineering or Architecture certification
Compensation & Benefits
Base Salary : $145,000 – $175,000
Bonus : Up to 5% of base
Benefits : Comprehensive health, dental, and vision
401(k) : With company match
Paid Time Off : Generous PTO and holidays
Our Culture
At IVFH, we're building the future of food distribution—powered by innovation, collaboration, and data-driven thinking. If you're ready to lead transformation at the intersection of technology, systems, and data, we'd love to meet you.
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Director Data Platform • Chicago, IL, US