Data Architect

New York, New York; San Francisco, California; Washington, District of Columbia.

ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU seeks applicants for a full‑time position of Data Architect in the Product & Engineering division of the Technology Department at the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY; Washington, DC; or San Francisco, CA . This is a hybrid role that requires in‑office attendance two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month.

The ACLU Technology Department covers Analytics and Product & Engineering teams, delivering trusted analytics, engineering, and product design to advance the ACLU’s mission.

We look for an experienced data architect or principal engineer with a strong record of designing large‑scale, high‑performance enterprise data solutions, architectural designs addressing complex compliance and governance needs, and expertise in conceptual, logical, and physical data modeling. The candidate will also demonstrate a capacity to build trust with technical and business stakeholders, translate complex data concepts for non‑technical audiences, and navigate competing priorities to drive shared outcomes.

This position is part of a collective bargaining unit, represented by ACLU Staff United (ASU).

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Reporting to the Director of Engineering, Data, you will join the Data Pod and lead the ACLU’s operational data engineering efforts. Your work will design scalable data architecture solutions, support governance initiatives, ensure compliance with privacy regulations, and collaborate with cross‑functional teams to support fundraising, advocacy, and engagement strategies while prioritizing data privacy and security.

YOUR DAY TO DAY

• Build, optimize, and maintain conceptual and logical data models and database architecture in support of operational and analytics systems.
• Partner with technical and non‑technical stakeholders to document, understand, and optimize data flows across the ACLU ecosystem, facilitating working sessions and presenting trade‑offs.
• Architect and build a consent‑management data model and data flows to ensure compliance with privacy legislation and constituent preferences.
• Design and evolve enterprise data architectural efforts, defining resilient and scalable data models, integration patterns and governance standards that are performant, secure by design, and highly reliable.
• Lead the migration of the primary fundraising CRM, co‑architecting future state with analytics and fundraising stakeholders.
• Work with business leaders to document and deliver on compliance, performance, and security requirements; help define and execute an organizational data governance strategy.
• Provide technical leadership within the operational data engineering team, partnering with data and analytics engineering teams to establish best practices, review solution designs and RFCs, guide implementation decisions, and ensure consistency across the technology team.
• Partner with privacy engineering to ensure data retention, deletion and access requests are compliant and performant.
• Improve overall data reliability, quality, accessibility and security; anticipate potential issues and propose right‑sized solutions.
• Write clear, concise documentation—including architecture diagrams, reference architecture, data flows, data models, design, and implementation plans—for technical and business audiences.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to peers, fostering the team’s technical expertise.
• Build a culture of growth and learning, staying ahead of industry trends to propose innovative solutions that improve organizational data capabilities.
• Tag in to perform data engineering tasks when appropriate; work in Python, SQL, dbt, and Dagster.
• Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned.

FUTURE ACLU'ERS WILL

• Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU.
• Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives.
• Be committed to working collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflicts.

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

• Significant professional experience as a data architect or in a similar role, working on large‑scale data management solutions and constituent data.
• A proven track record of developing and implementing data strategies that support organizational goals and business processes.
• Capacity to manage large, complex projects and lead or mentor engineers to foster technical growth.
• Experience partnering with technical and non‑technical stakeholders to translate strategic work plans into data architecture roadmaps and ensure solutions deliver measurable value. Deep experience with SQL databases and familiarity with cloud‑based data platforms such as Redshift, Snowflake, Azure Data Warehouse, or BigQuery.
• Strong understanding of data architecture concepts, including MDM, enterprise architecture standards, data curation, ETL/ELT, data pipelines, and data security best practices.
• Ability to work collaboratively with a cross‑functional team of peers and stakeholders, navigating complex decision‑making in a rapidly changing environment.
• Comfortable diving into technical work required in modern data practices, such as exploring API‑driven architectures, discovering limitations, learning independently, and sharing learnings with others.
• Strong problem‑solving mindset to navigate complex data structures and environments to solve data integration and quality issues.
• Excellent thought leadership, alignment‑building, and communication skills, including a demonstrated ability to build trust and influence outcomes with senior leadership and cross‑functional stakeholders in ambiguous or fast‑changing environments.

NICE TO HAVE

• Experience implementing privacy compliance products and/or consent management.
• Experience implementing master data management solutions.
• Some familiarity with BI tools such as Tableau and machine learning frameworks.
• Some familiarity with recent privacy regulations (CCPA, etc.) and standards.

COMPENSATION

The annual salary for this position is $196,369 (Level D), based on geographic work location. Salaries are subject to a regional pay adjustment if authorization is granted to work outside the listed location.

Benefits include:

• Generous paid time‑off policy.
• Comprehensive healthcare benefits (medical, dental, vision, parental leave, gender‑affirming care and fertility treatment).
• 401(k) plan and employer match.
• Annual professional development funds, internal programs and workshops to support employee growth and development.

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY, EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Accessibility, equity, diversity and inclusion are core values of the ACLU. We are committed to creating a culture of belonging that respects and embraces difference, treats everyone equitably, and empowers colleagues to do the best work possible.

We strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status or record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please complete the Accommodation Request Form.

The Department of Education has determined that employment in this position at the ACLU does not qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.