Digital Platform Architect

USG is an industry-leading manufacturer of building products and innovative solutions. For over 120 years, Chicago-based USG has developed award-winning wall, ceiling, flooring, sheathing, and roofing products that enable customers to build outstanding spaces where people live, work, and play. With over 8,700 employees across North America and operations around the world, we are steadfastly committed to our core values: safety, innovation, quality, integrity, service, diversity, and efficiency.

We’re big enough that our professionals have the resources to make a difference, yet small enough that you’re not just a number. You’ll work on key initiatives and build strong relationships across the company that will position USG for growth into the future.

USG offers work-life balance, specialist and general/managerial career paths, promotion from within, exceptional benefits, and incredible long-term career opportunities for the right professional. Each year, we have hundreds of employees who celebrate milestone anniversaries with us.

OUR DIGITAL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE JOURNEY

Capability transformation

USG is evolving its digital customer experience and translating the objective of being easiest to do business with into a sustainable technology roadmap. The digital transformation includes upgrading our technology stack and augmenting our teams, developing new digital platforms, and integrating a best-in-class eCommerce operating model to deliver exceptional customer experience from design planning to order delivery. The digital services are based on to be improved data and process models and will be provided for all our customers in the US, Canada, and LATAM.

ROLE SUMMARY

The Digital Platform Architect is a hands-on and coding architect, designing and overseeing the development of the foundational technology infrastructure that serves as the backbone for software applications and services. This role values simplicity and is willing to challenge technical constraints and procedures to achieve pragmatic design. The architect is actively involved in running early Proof of Concepts (POCs) for validation and contributes significantly to team commitments, focusing on the most critical problems. This individual is both an executor and the visionary force behind the technical solution, responsible for planning and developing the architectural runway in collaboration with the Director of Data and Platform Architecture. They ensure the scalability, reliability, and efficiency of data systems, enabling seamless data integration, processing, and analysis to drive informed decision-making across the organization.

USG offers a hybrid workplace. The office location is Chicago, IL. Minimal travel may be required.

DEFINITION OF THE TEAM

The Data and Platform Architecture team is a specialized unit within the organization that is responsible for providing cross-platform support and ensuring seamless dataflows across the organization. The team's primary responsibility is to design and maintain the integration approach that aligns with the overall enterprise architecture and product organizations. By doing so, it ensures that data is efficiently and securely integrated, processed, and made available for various business needs.

This team fosters a robust data ecosystem that supports informed decision-making, enhances operational efficiency, and drives business growth through effective data management and analytics. The Data and Platform Architecture team collaborates closely with product teams to understand their data requirements and design solutions that meet those requirements effectively. The team's work is critical to the success of the organization, as it enables data-driven decision-making and supports the overall business strategy.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

System & Architecture design: Design and develop scalable, reliable, and efficient data architectures that support the organization's data needs

Data pipeline management: Oversee the design, development, and maintenance of robust data pipelines. Ensure data pipelines are optimized for performance, reliability, and scalability

Integration and processing: Enable seamless integration of data from various sources, ensuring data consistency and accuracy

Analytics infrastructure: Design and implement analytics infrastructure to support advanced data analytics and business intelligence

Performance and optimization: Identify and resolve bottlenecks and inefficiencies in data processing and storage

Governance and security: Implement data governance frameworks to ensure data quality, integrity, and compliance. Ensure data security measures are in place to protect sensitive information

Collaboration and communication: Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including IT, data science, and business units, to understand data requirements and deliver solutions

POC set-up: Hands on deck coder for POCs, incl. validations, initial integrations, applications, frameworks

KEY QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Data Science, or a related field

Advanced degrees or additional certifications in data architecture, data engineering, or related areas are a plus

Required Skills

7+ years as a developer on a cross-functional agile team and/or platform architect

Proven experience in designing and implementing data architectures

Proficiency in data processing frameworks (e.g., Apache Spark, Apache Kafka)

Experience in API management

Experience in Docker, Kubernetes (AKS), GitHub Actions, ArgoCD, Terraform

Deep understanding of MACH (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, and Headless) architecture

Experience in designing, developing, and maintaining data pipelines

Knowledge of ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes and tools

Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data sets

Excellent problem-solving skills to address data architecture and integration challenges

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Strong collaboration skills with the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams, including IT, data science, and business units

Preferred Skills

Relevant certifications in data architecture, data engineering, or cloud platforms (e.g., AWS Certified Data Analytics, Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer)

Experience with data streaming and the producer/consumer pattern

Knowledge of data governance frameworks and compliance standards

Experience in implementing data security measures to protect sensitive information

Ability to participate in and contribute to Agile ceremonies, including sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and retrospectives

Rate of pay may be adjusted based on the qualifications and experience of the candidate.

USG employees enjoy a number of benefit options for themselves and their families. These include two medical insurance options, as well as vision and dental coverage. The cost of these optional programs varies based on coverage level - employees generally pay 25% of the monthly premium cost, USG pays the rest. These coverage options are offered on the first day of employment with no waiting period.

Additionally, USG employees enjoy both a 401(k) Investment Plan with company match and a pension plan. Beyond these main features, employees may also choose from a number of additional programs like life insurance, accident insurance, legal insurance, even pet insurance, just to name a few. USG also offers Quarterly (hourly) / Annual (salary) bonus potential for all employees based on performance metrics tied to safety, quality, and productivity. USG also provides employees with paid time off and paid holidays.

Since 1902, Chicago-based USG has been a leader in producing innovative, award-winning products and systems to build everything from major commercial developments and residential housing to home improvements. USG's employees are committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and quality in everything we do. Our steadfast commitment to the company's core business values – innovation, quality, integrity, service, diversity, efficiency and safety – have helped us become the company we are today.

EOE including disability/veteran