Data Warehousing Specialists

Software & Systems Engineering

Level 4473 of 1200 points

Job description

Data Warehousing Specialists

Job purpose

To design, model and implement corporate data warehousing, programming and configuring warehouse database structures and the procedures that source, transform and load data into them, and to support warehouse users, so that corporate data is held in a structure that is accurate, documented and efficient to query.

Skills

Deep technical knowledge of data warehouse architecture and database design — warehouse and data mart structures, sourcing, extraction, transformation and loading models, metadata frameworks, stored procedures and middleware — with programming in current languages, system and data analysis technique, design principles for precise technical models, applied mathematics, and the written English for functional and technical documentation. Bachelor's degree is the norm, with a small remainder entering through associate's degrees or post-secondary certificates, together with several years of related experience and on-the-job training.
Works to customer requirements gathered and clarified in discussion, providing or coordinating troubleshooting support for warehouse users and explaining the structure and meaning of warehouse data to those who query it. Gives technical consultation and advice, reviews colleagues' designs, code, test plans and documentation, and contributes to team relationships.
Technical problem-solving of substance: designing warehouse systems that balance optimisation of data access against batch loading and resource utilisation, mapping data between source systems, warehouses and data marts, developing extraction procedures from administration, billing and claims systems, and diagnosing faults reported by users. Selects the methods and criteria by which designs are evaluated, trading performance against cost and maintainability; solutions are designed rather than drawn from precedent.
Plans and sequences warehouse development from process model through build to unit and integration testing, and sets the standards that later work is held to. Tasks, priorities and goals are largely self-determined against agreed delivery dates and time pressure.
Work is carried out seated at a desk using development and database tools. No manual handling demands.

Responsibilities

No line management. Coordinates and leads others in accomplishing work activities, and reviews the designs, code, test plans and documentation produced by colleagues.
Holds no budget and commits no spend. Design decisions determine how efficiently storage, processing and batch load capacity are consumed, so the choices made carry a cost consequence borne elsewhere.
Custodian of the data warehouse platform and its tooling, which the postholder designs, implements and operates. Ordinary care of a workstation and development environment.
Owns the corporate data warehouse and its contents: warehouse and data mart database structures, the process models for sourcing, loading, transformation and extraction, and the mappings between source systems such as administration, billing and claims and the warehouse. Sets the standards for the organisation, structure and nomenclature of data architectures, models and databases, and creates the metadata processes, entity relationship diagrams and process flow documentation describing them; the business rules implemented through stored procedures and middleware come from customer requirements. Verifies the structure, accuracy and quality of warehouse data, since every report drawn from it inherits any defect.

Effort required

Prolonged, exacting concentration on data structures, code and mappings, where a single error in a transformation propagates into everything downstream. Combines detailed build and test work with design judgement, alongside a steady volume of contact by e-mail, telephone and face-to-face discussion with users and colleagues, and decisions affecting company results taken under time pressure.
Personal accountability for the technical soundness of designs that others depend on, and for troubleshooting support when warehouse problems are reported. Parts of the work are repetitive. No exposure to distress, hostility or conflict is evidenced.
Predominantly seated indoor work at a screen, with repetitive keyboard and mouse motions. No lifting or exertion.

Working conditions

Indoor, environmentally controlled office work without hazard, noise or protective equipment. Contact is with the immediate work group and the warehouse users supported, in person, by telephone and by e-mail. Psychosocial demand comes from accountability for data accuracy and from delivery deadlines in a competitive commercial setting rather than from any physical or emotional exposure.
Works a regular established schedule; almost half of incumbents work beyond a standard week, but no shift, rota or out-of-hours pattern is evidenced. Determines own tasks, priorities and goals with considerable freedom to make decisions inside agreed requirements and the standards the role itself sets, and is accountable for the quality of what is built.

Skills

40% · 249 points▾

KnowledgeLevel 5 of 8
90 of 144 points
Specialised and theoretical knowledge within a field of work and an awareness of the limits of that knowledge. The job requires a comprehensive range of cognitive and practical knowledge to develop creative solutions to abstract problems.
Interpersonal and communication skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Effective communication and interpersonal relationships. The job holder is required to adapt communication to different audiences and foster trust, cooperation and positive working relationships.
Problem-solving skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Variable problems. The job involves dealing with different kinds of problems that require careful thinking, research into different options or adjusting existing ways of doing things. Guidance and resources may be limited.
Planning and organisational skillsLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate organisational skills required. The job requires the organising and prioritising of multiple tasks, with some level of adjustment to plans on the basis of changing circumstances or deadlines.
Physical skillsLevel 0 of 5
0 of 72 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any particular physical skills (although there is likely to be some physical activity).

Responsibility

35% · 150 points▾

PeopleLevel 2 of 5
58 of 144 points
Basic responsibility for people. Provides support, guidance or advice to individuals or small teams. This could include assisting with personal development, providing informal mentoring or guiding others through tasks with minimal decision-making power. It may involve contributing to others' sense of safety and comfort, but with limited decision-making authority or accountability for outcomes.
Goods and equipmentLevel 2 of 5
34 of 84 points
Some responsibility for goods or equipment. The job involves the use and maintenance of equipment or stock, and the job holder is responsible for ensuring resources are used appropriately and safely.
InformationLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Moderate responsibility for information. The job involves managing information to ensure it is accurate, of high quality and secure. The job holder may make decisions about the handling of sensitive data.
Financial resourcesLevel 0 of 5
0 of 96 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any responsibility for financial resources.

Effort

15% · 50 points▾

Mental effortLevel 3 of 5
36 of 60 points
High level of mental effort. The job involves frequent concentration on complex tasks that require considerable mental effort, such as interpreting complex data.
Psychosocial and emotional effortLevel 1 of 5
14 of 72 points
Minimal psychosocial and emotional effort. There is little to no need to manage emotional responses. The job involves minimal exposure to emotionally demanding situations.
Physical effortLevel 0 of 5
0 of 48 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any physical effort.

Working Conditions

10% · 24 points▾

Environment (physical, psychological or emotional)Level 1 of 5
17 of 84 points
Minimal exposure to hazards or stress. The job involves little or no exposure to physical hazards (e.g. chemicals, moving equipment, noise) and minimal emotional or psychological risks (e.g. occasional routine tasks with no emotional burden). There is minor exposure to dust, dirt, fumes, noise, waste, poor lighting, etc.
Organisational environmentLevel 1 of 5
7 of 36 points
Minimal organisational demands. The job requires standard working hours with no night shifts or irregular schedules. There is little or no need for travel or digital connectivity beyond typical working hours.