Data Solutions Engineer

Basic Fun! is a dynamic global designer and marketer of classic, innovative children’s entertainment products that bring smiles to people of all ages. Our iconic brands and robust product portfolio are sold by leading retailers and distributors in over 60 countries around the world. Basic Fun! has an omni-channel go-to market strategy with a strong presence online, in- store as well as in family entertainment venues.

The Company is proud to have long-standing, valued product partnerships with A-List Licensors, including Hasbro, Disney, Mattel, Nintendo, Pokémon, Netflix, Coca Cola, Universal, Paramount, Warner Brothers, Cloudco Entertainment, NFL and NBA. Basic Fun! manages a portfolio of iconic powerhouse brands that include Care Bears™, Tonka®, Lite Brite®, K’nex®, Lincoln Logs®, Tinker Toys®, Playhut®, Uncle Milton®, Fisher Price Classics®, Mash’ems® and Littlest Pet Shop®, and many other trusted brands. All of us at Basic Fun! are dedicated to enriching lives and creating unforgettable moments through imaginative play.

Position Overview:

Reporting directly to the Director of IT and working closely with the Lead Software Engineer, the Data Solutions Engineer will design, build, and optimize scalable data architecture, backend services, and system integrations that power enterprise reporting and automation initiatives.

This role operates independently in production environments and thinks beyond dashboards. While Power BI is required, it is a requirement within the role not the primary identity. The focus is on strong data architecture, backend engineering, and systems thinking.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Design and optimize scalable SQL-based data architecture
• Build and maintain ETL pipelines and staging layers
• Develop and consume REST APIs for system integrations
• Build lightweight backend services (C# / .NET preferred)
• Improve system performance through indexing, tuning, and execution plan analysis
• Replace manual workflows with automated backend processes
• Design reusable data services across ERP, WMS, and external vendor systems
• Build and optimize Power BI semantic models with strong DAX logic
• Ensure clean separation between data modeling and visualization layers

Skills, knowledge and abilities:

Education: Bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, or a related field.

Experience:

• • • • 7+ years of professional experience in data development, backend development, or data engineering
      • 5+ years of advanced SQL Server development
      • 3+ years working with APIs and system integrations
      • 3+ years building BI semantic models (Power BI or similar tools)
      • Experience operating independently in production environments

Core Technical Requirements:

1. Advanced SQL & Data Architecture (Primary Focus)

• Strong T-SQL skills (stored procedures, CTEs, window functions, indexing strategies)
• Performance tuning and execution plan analysis
• Experience designing star schema and hybrid models
• ETL and staging layer design
• Experience handling medium-to-large datasets (10M+ rows)
• Understanding normalization vs. denormalization trade-offs

2. API & Backend Development

• Experience consuming REST APIs (JSON-based)
• Backend development experience (C# / .NET preferred)
• Familiarity with OAuth, token-based authentication, API keys
• Error logging, retry logic, and resilient integration design
• Ability to design lightweight integration services
• Understanding asynchronous processing concepts

3. Automation & Systems Thinking

• Experience replacing manual processes with automated workflows
• Ability to design reusable backend data services
• Understanding of cross-system dependencies (ERP, WMS, external vendors)
• Strong architectural thinking and problem-solving ability

4. Business Intelligence & Power BI

• Advanced DAX knowledge (row vs filter context, CALCULATE, SUMX, DATEADD, time intelligence)
• Experience building reusable semantic models
• Power BI performance optimization
• Understanding incremental refresh and dataset sizing
• Ability to separate data modeling from visualization design
• Power BI experience required, with emphasis on modeling and DAX rather than visual design

Preferred Certifications:

• Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate (PL-300)
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Engineer Associate (DP-203)
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204)
• SQL Server certifications (e.g., legacy MCSA SQL track)
• API/backend-related certifications
• Certifications alone will not qualify a candidate but help validate technical depth

Location:

Full-time on-site position located at our company’s headquarter offices in Boca Raton, Florida.

We believe strongly in the philosophy that we are Better Together and that the collaboration and teamwork of being with each other in the office supports our culture the best. Travel expected as necessary to meet with customers, sales team and attend trade shows to drive the business.

OUR CORE VALUES!

• We Love Delivering WOW!
• Act with Integrity and Do the Right Thing.
• Inspire Passion for Creativity and Innovation.
• Be Disciplined to Create Lasting Impact.
• Play, Have Fun and Laugh Together.
• Embrace Humility.
• Pursue Growth and Learning.
• Hustle and Act with a Sense of Urgency.
• Commit to Excellence.
• Gratitude Keeps Us Grounded.

Basic Fun! is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We are committed to creating a diverse environment and are proud of our inclusive culture.