Data Modeler

Role Overview

The Data Modeler is responsible for creating and managing conceptual, logical, and physical data models within a lakehouse environment. This person ensures that business concepts are accurately transformed into performant, governed, and sustainable data models aligned with organizational standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with business analysts and data owners to define subject areas, entities, relationships, business keys, and definitions, capturing these in conceptual and logical data models.
• Design physical data models for the Silver (conformed) and Gold (curated) layers of the lakehouse, including star/snowflake dimensional models, data marts, and Data Vault structures as needed.
• Enforce and maintain company-wide modelling standards concerning naming conventions, data types, keys, normalization, referential integrity, historization, and Slowly Changing Dimensions.
• Develop and upkeep source-to-target mappings and transformation rules for implementation and quality assurance.
• Define and maintain master and reference data entity models, hierarchies, code sets, and ensure alignment with the Master Data Management platform and golden records.
• Create semantic models for Power BI and analytics, including measures, hierarchies, and KPIs consistent with business rules.
• Publish data models and associated metadata to Microsoft Purview, ensuring alignment with the business glossary and critical data elements.
• Manage version control, review changes, assess impact downstream, and obtain required approvals within architecture and governance forums.
• Apply data classification tags such as sensitivity and Personally Identifiable Information markers to support compliance with UAE PDPL, Dubai Data Law, and DESC ISR.
• Provide training and knowledge transfer on modelling standards and tool usage to analysts and engineers for ongoing model extension.

Qualifications and Experience

• Over 6 years of experience in data modelling for data warehouses, lakehouses, or analytics projects, ideally within UAE government or similarly regulated sectors.
• Expertise in conceptual, logical, and physical modelling techniques including Kimball dimensional design, normalization, Data Vault, and canonical models.
• Strong proficiency in SQL and practical knowledge of implementing models using Spark/Delta on Azure, Microsoft Fabric, Databricks, or Synapse platforms.
• Hands-on experience with data modelling tools like Erwin, ER/Studio, SqlDBM, and publishing capabilities in Microsoft Purview.
• Good understanding of master and reference data modelling, semantic layers, and how Power BI data models function.
• Awareness of DAMA-DMBOK2 standards and familiarity with UAE-specific data regulations such as PDPL, Dubai Data Law, and DESC ISR.
• Relevant certifications, like DAMA CDMP or Fabric Analytics Engineer, are beneficial.
• Excellent skills in English communication and comprehensive documentation; Arabic language skills are a plus due to bilingual stakeholder needs.