Information Architect (Contract – Hybrid – Clark, NJ)

An opportunity has come through our network for an Information Architect at a leading company. This 12-month contract position, with a possible extension up to 24 months, offers a hybrid work model. You’ll work remotely with weekly onsite meetings at 111 Terminal Avenue in Clark, NJ. The pay rate is $57 per hour on W2.

Join a collaborative team supporting diverse North American scientific data initiatives. The Information Architect will be responsible for developing robust data acquisition strategies and supporting critical efforts in data quality, integration, and governance. This pivotal role involves partnering closely with business and data teams to deliver actionable, high-quality insights that drive scientific research and development.

Key Responsibilities: Architecting Data for Scientific Initiatives

As an Information Architect, you’ll be at the heart of the data lifecycle, from initial acquisition to final insight. Your work will blend technical data modeling with strategic governance and collaborative problem-solving, all to ensure data is accurate, accessible, and valuable for scientific research.

• Design and Develop Scalable Data Acquisition Methods: You will be responsible for meticulously designing and developing scalable data acquisition methods. This involves creating robust pipelines and processes to efficiently collect data from various sources, ensuring that the infrastructure can handle large volumes of scientific data without performance degradation. Your work ensures a continuous and reliable flow of data for analysis.
• Model Physical and Logical Data Structures: You will expertly model both physical and logical data structures. This includes creating ER (Entity-Relationship) diagrams to visually represent data relationships and developing detailed data dictionaries to define and standardize data elements. Your meticulous modeling ensures data consistency, clarity, and ease of use for all data-consuming applications and analyses.
• Prepare and Interpret Data Profiling Reports: You will regularly prepare and interpret data profiling reports. This involves analyzing source data to assess its quality, consistency, and completeness. By interpreting these reports, you will identify potential data issues, anomalies, and areas for improvement, providing crucial intelligence for data governance and cleansing efforts.
• Implement Data Quality Controls and Remediation Strategies: You will take a hands-on approach to data integrity by implementing data quality controls and developing effective remediation strategies. This includes creating automated checks, validation rules, and cleansing processes to ensure data accuracy. Your work guarantees that all data used for scientific initiatives is reliable and trustworthy.
• Define and Manage Data Taxonomy, Definitions, and Metrics: You will be instrumental in defining and managing the organization’s data assets. This involves defining and managing data taxonomy (how data is categorized), establishing clear data definitions (what each data element means), and setting up key data metrics. This crucial governance work ensures that data is consistently understood and used across the enterprise.
• Deliver Master and Reference Data Management Services: You will provide essential master and reference data management services. This involves overseeing the creation and maintenance of master data (e.g., customer records, product lists) and reference data (e.g., codes, units of measure). Your work ensures data consistency and standardization across all systems, which is vital for accurate reporting and analytics.
• Perform Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) and Communicate Insights: You will conduct exploratory data analysis (EDA) to gain a deep understanding of datasets and their characteristics. Following your analysis, you will effectively communicate insights and findings to business and data teams, translating complex data patterns into clear, actionable intelligence that drives scientific decisions and business strategies.
• Design and Implement Data Quality Management Procedures: You will be responsible for designing and implementing comprehensive data quality management procedures. This includes establishing the workflows and tools for data validation, cleansing, and remediation, ensuring that data integrity is a continuous, managed process rather than a reactive task.

Key Technical Skills: Your Foundational Expertise

To excel as an Information Architect, you’ll need a robust technical skill set spanning data modeling, quality, integration, and programming.

• Data Modeling: Expert proficiency in Physical & Logical modeling and creating ER Diagrams and Data Dictionaries.
• Data Quality & Cleansing: Hands-on experience with Data Profiling, Quality Control, and Remediation strategies.
• Data Integration & Master Data Management: Experience in Data Integration, managing Hierarchies, and maintaining Reference Data.
• Data Analysis & Visualization: Proficiency with BI tools and various data visualization platforms.
• ETL & Pipelines: Practical experience with ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes for data movement.
• Programming: Strong skills in programming languages such as Python, VBA, XML, or similar scripting languages for automation and data handling.
• Data Governance: Proven ability to implement Data Governance standards, policies, and best practices.
• Methodologies: Familiarity with DevOps and Agile methodologies, with a specific focus on their application in data projects.
• Scientific Data Handling: Experience with scientific or research data systems is crucial, indicating a background in handling specialized and often complex datasets.

Key Soft Skills: Your Collaborative Strengths

• Strong collaboration and interpersonal communication.
• Analytical mindset with critical thinking ability.
• Clear verbal and written communication (English proficiency required).
• Self-starter with strong initiative.
• Problem-solving skills with the ability to offer concise solutions.

Leadership & Additional Desired Skills:

• Project Deliverables Coordination: Experience coordinating and planning project deliverables, demonstrating project management aptitude.
• Innovation: A proactive approach to identifying and promoting innovation within data initiatives.
• Mentoring or Leading: Experience mentoring or leading within a data management team, showcasing leadership potential.

Top Skills to Recruit For:

• Technical: Data Modeling (Physical & Logical), Data Quality & Cleansing, Data Integration & Master Data Management, BI & Data Visualization, Programming (Python, VBA, XML), ETL & Data Pipeline Development, Scientific Data Experience.