Data Platform Lead

• Full-Time

• Hybrid (Northeast Ohio based candidates preferred)

Playaway Products is a company built on a simple belief: that everyone should have access to the joy of stories and learning, without barriers.

For more than 20 years, we’ve created thoughtfully designed technology that connects people to high-quality content from the world’s best publishers, developers, and studios. What started with a single pre-loaded audiobook player has grown into a family of products built for institutional circulation, where reliability, ease of use, and trust matter as much as innovation. We design for real-world conditions and make deliberate tradeoffs to prioritize access, durability, and ease of use over flash or novelty.

Today, we serve public libraries, schools, the military, and other institutional circulation markets. The work we do shows up every day in the lives of readers and learners, often in places where equitable access to technology and learning matters most.

As our products and partnerships grow, so does the opportunity to shape what access to learning looks like next. At Playaway, discovery begins with curiosity, and our culture values ownership, collaboration, and responsibility. This is a place for people who care about impact, are comfortable navigating ambiguity, and want to help build what comes next.

Playaway Products is based in Solon, Ohio, with a flexible work environment that supports how people do their best work, wherever they do it.

https://www.playaway.com

The Data Platform Lead is responsible for the reliability, integrity, and day-to-day operation of Playaway’s data platform, with Microsoft SQL Server at its core. This role serves as the technical steward of data across the organization, ensuring that upstream system changes, particularly within NetSuite, are evaluated and coordinated to prevent downstream disruptions.

The Data Platform Lead partners closely with application developers, system owners, and the Principal Solutions Architect to support the systems and applications that depend on the data platform. This role brings discipline to how data changes occur, establishes governance and standards, and helps mature the platform over time through improved reliability, performance, and operational consistency.

This is a hands-on, individual contributor role with ownership of the data layer and cross-functional leadership responsibility. While experience with integration platforms is important, prior Dell Boomi expertise is not required. The ideal candidate brings strong SQL fundamentals, exposure to ETL or middleware concepts, and the aptitude and willingness to learn and own new systems as part of the role.

Duties and Responsibilities

Data Platform Ownership & Governance

• Serve as the technical owner and steward of data integrity across business systems
• Act as the data stakeholder in business process and system discussions, particularly when NetSuite or other upstream changes are proposed
• Assess, communicate, and help mitigate downstream impact of data-affecting changes before implementation
• Establish and maintain data governance, standards, and change management practices
• Partner with the NetSuite Administrator to coordinate ERP changes with integration and application needs
• Communicate proposed changes clearly to development and business stakeholders
• Serve as an escalation point for data-related issues

Database Operations & Application Support

• Own the operational health of the SQL Server platform, including performance, availability, and capacity
• Monitor database health and proactively address issues
• Optimize queries, indexes, and stored procedures to support internal applications and reporting
• Partner with application developers on database design, schema evolution, and data modeling
• Support database deployments, migrations, and environment management
• Maintain backup, restore, and recovery procedures
• Ensure database security, permissions, and access controls are properly configured

Integration Reliability & Oversight

• Be accountable for the reliability, correctness, and continuity of integrations between NetSuite and SQL Server
• Develop working expertise in Dell Boomi through hands-on ownership, leveraging prior experience with ETL, integrations, or middleware platforms; prior Boomi experience is helpful but not required
• Be hands-on initially to stabilize integrations, document processes, and reduce operational risk
• Troubleshoot and resolve integration failures when upstream changes or system issues occur
• Maintain and evolve integration mappings, scripts, and configurations as source systems change
• Establish standards, documentation, and resiliency patterns to reduce long-term reactivity
• Partner with internal teams and external resources as appropriate to ensure sustainable integration operations

Documentation & Standards

• Maintain clear documentation of data structures, integrations, dependencies, and operational procedures
• Establish and enforce standards for data structure, naming conventions, and change management
• Create and maintain runbooks and troubleshooting guides to reduce reliance on tribal knowledge

Required Qualifications

• Strong expertise in Microsoft SQL Server, including T-SQL, stored procedures, and query optimization
• Experience owning and supporting production SQL Server environments
• Solid understanding of database performance tuning, backup and recovery, and security best practices
• Experience working with ETL, integrations, or middleware platforms; Dell Boomi experience is a plus, but demonstrated aptitude and willingness to learn is required
• Ability to work independently while managing multiple priorities and owning outcomes
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate across technical and non-technical teams

Preferred Experience

• 5+ years of experience working with SQL Server in a production environment
• Experience supporting data platforms that serve multiple internal applications or business functions
• Familiarity with NetSuite or other ERP systems
• Exposure to integration platforms or middleware tools (such as Boomi)
• PowerShell and/or Groovy scripting exposure
• Experience with Azure SQL or other cloud-based data platforms
• Background supporting custom-built internal applications
• Exposure to data governance, change management, or platform standardization efforts

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Full-time and qualified part-time employees are eligible for our comprehensive benefits program. Our range of benefits include, but are not limited to, Medical/Prescription drug insurance, Dental, Vision, Health Care/Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, Health Savings Account, Pre-Tax and Roth 401(k), Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance, Life/AD&D Insurance, Student Loan Repayment Program, Educational Assistance & generous paid time off.

Playaway Products is a subsidiary of Penguin Random House.  Playaway Products and Penguin Random House values the array of talents and perspectives that a diverse workforce brings. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status.