Sr. Specialist, Data Reporting

Operates as a senior technical lead responsible for the design, maintenance, and optimization of enterprise data pipelines, SQL environments, and reporting infrastructure supporting Acosta Canada’s Data Intelligence function. This role ensures the reliability, scalability, and accuracy of data across multiple client and internal platforms by managing end-to-end ETL workflows, database performance, and automated data quality processes. The incumbent partners closely with Business Intelligence, Client Insights, and Retail teams to enable timely delivery of high-quality reporting solutions through governed data models and standardized pipelines. A key focus of this role is the transition from manual data processing and QA practices to automated, scalable workflows leveraging modern tools (e.g., KNIME, SQL Server, Power BI, Power Automate, AI), ensuring proactive issue detection, reduced operational risk, and improved time-to-value for reporting assets Core Data Engineering & Platform Ownership Design, develop, and maintain scalable ETL pipelines integrating data from multiple sources including SQL databases, retailer feeds, SharePoint, and external files. Own and manage SQL database environments, including performance tuning, optimization, backup processes, and data integrity. Develop and maintain governed data models and transformation logic supporting enterprise reporting and analytics. Data Quality, QA Automation & Monitoring Implement and manage automated data quality frameworks, including validation checks, anomaly detection, and proactive alerting. Troubleshoot data issues across ingestion, transformation, and reporting layers, identifying root causes and implementing sustainable fixes (e.g., missing retailer data, feed inconsistencies). Reporting & BI Enablement Enable and support Power BI reporting through optimization of data pipelines, semantic models, and backend structures. Partner with BI developers and business stakeholders to ensure data availability, accuracy, and performance aligned to reporting requirements. Automation & Innovation Lead the implementation and adoption of ETL, automation tools and AI to reduce manual effort and improve scalability of data workflows. Continuously identify opportunities to standardize, automate, and improve data processes across the organization. Collaboration & Technical Leadership Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Retail, Client Insights, Operations) to support data-driven initiatives and new project onboarding. Provide technical guidance and support to BI and reporting team members on data architecture, SQL development, and troubleshooting. Testing & Deployment Perform system validation, user acceptance testing (UAT), and deployment support for data and reporting solutions. Other duties and assignments as outlined by Acosta Business Intelligence Management. Minimum Education Requirements: High School Diploma/GED Associate in Science Degree Graduate Degree Some College Bachelor of Arts Degree or equivalent work experience Certified Public Accountant Associate in Arts Degree Bachelor of Science Degree Other (Enter) Experience Requirement: Must have a college degree or three years experience in syndicated data reporting or experience in client service management. Knowledge, Skill and Ability Requirements: Must be able to demonstrate an advanced degree of proficiency in Windows and related software applications including Excel, PowerPoint, and Access. Knowledge of Visual Basic and advanced macros would be a strong asset. Experience with IRI Xlerate Plus and/or Nielsen Nitro would be an asset. Experience with syndicated, POS and store level data and formats.