Alation Automation Engineer
NJ | Hybrid 3 days a week
Duration: 12+ Months
Key Responsibilities
• Define target-state Alation architecture: deployment model (Alation Cloud Service vs. customer-managed), sizing, HA/DR, upgrade strategy, and environment topology
• Design and govern metadata ingestion — MDE, query log ingestion (QLI), profiling schedules — across warehouses, lakes, BI tools, and ETL platforms
• Build and maintain connectivity using OCF connectors and the Alation Agent; develop custom connectors and API-based ingestion where native support is absent
• Architect end-to-end lineage, including automated lineage plus custom lineage via the Lineage API for gaps in the pipeline chain
• Design the catalog information model: custom fields, templates, object hierarchies, business glossary, and Data Governance App / Policy Center configuration
• Implement security architecture: SSO/SAML, SCIM/LDAP provisioning, RBAC, service accounts, credential management, and data source authentication
• Establish integration patterns with Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery, dbt, Tableau/Power BI, and downstream consumers via REST APIs and Alation Analytics
• Define standards, reference patterns, and guardrails; review and approve platform changes
• Monitor platform health, performance, and adoption; troubleshoot escalated issues with Alation support
• Advise governance leadership on stewardship workflows, curation strategy, and adoption roadmaps
Required Qualifications
• 8+ years in data platform/architecture roles, with 3+ years hands-on Alation implementation and administration
• Deep knowledge of Alation architecture, OCF, MDE/QLI, lineage, and the REST API/SDK
• Strong SQL and experience with at least one major cloud data platform (Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery, Redshift)
• Python or equivalent scripting for automation, bulk metadata loads, and custom connectors
• Working knowledge of data governance frameworks (DAMA/DMBOK), data quality, and privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA as applicable)
• Proven ability to translate governance requirements into platform design and drive cross-functional adoption
Preferred
• Alation certifications (Admin, Architect, or Connector Development)
• Experience migrating from on-premises Alation to Alation Cloud Service
• Exposure to Collibra, Purview, or other catalogs for comparative architecture
• Infrastructure-as-code (Terraform), Kubernetes, and CI/CD for platform automation
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