Data & Systems Lead role
Acumen is looking for a bilingual Data & Systems Lead to build and strengthen its global Salesforce and connected data systems. The role combines technical leadership with team enablement — overseeing architecture, integrations, data governance, and reporting. It also includes building and training a distributed data operations team to foster long-term adoption and data excellence. This role will be hybrid with three days in-person at the Bogota office.
About Acumen
Acumen is a global force of entrepreneurs, investors, philanthropists, and social innovators working together to build a world based on dignity. We were founded by Jacqueline Novogratz on the radical idea that business, when cultivated with moral imagination, can break the cycle of poverty. We invest in transformational companies, build sustainable markets, and prepare leaders with the tools they need to create a more just and inclusive future. Since 2001, we have scaled companies and shaped markets in some of the hardest-to-reach communities on the planet, impacting over half-a-billion lives. Through our investment adviser Acumen Capital Partners, we are responsible for $166 million in assets under management via our returnable pooled investment funds which have impacted 238 million lives and offset 48 million metric tons of CO2. To learn more visit acumen.org.
About Acumen Academy
Acumen Academy provides transformative, cohort-based leadership programs for entrepreneurs who want to solve and scale solutions to poverty. We support a global community of more than 1,800 alumni who are building businesses and organizations that redefine the future of food, education, healthcare, workforce development, and more. We provide online courses (Founders Hub) which are for anyone, anywhere seeking to create a positive impact in their communities. Acumen Academy is part of the wider Acumen organization. This role will not focus on data systems like finance, HR, grant management etc. It is specific to Impact and delivery data.
About the Role
Acumen Academy is seeking a English/Spanish fluency Data & Systems Lead for a Global Role that entails working with team members across the world, with a track record and experience in designing, developing, implementing, and scaling robust data systems across Salesforce and connected platforms.
- The data management framework needs to be developed further to address some challenges (data systems adoption, data quality and system design) and align with operational and impact reporting requirements
- An internal distributed data team needs to be built (with existing and potentially new staff) to manage day to day data operations (data entry, cleaning and help-desk support - very low level of requests).
You will combine technical leadership (design, project management, build/build yourself) with capacity building (a distributed team, training, governance, process design). Prior Salesforce experience is essential - to administrator level. Experience on development would be welcome.
This role will report to the Associate Director of Impact for Acumen Academy who is based in London, and will require the ability and willingness to work effectively across multiple time zones in a hybrid work environment.
Key Responsibilities
Systems Architecture & Implementation
- Understanding and defining the requirements of the new data management architecture and ensuring alignment with Impact needs.
- Design and lead project management of build of redevelopment of existing or creation of new Salesforce objects and architecture for current and new datasets in collaboration with Salesforce consultants and other stakeholders
- Project manage the migration and integration of legacy data into new structures
- Ensure smooth integration between Salesforce and other platforms (LMS, event systems, marketing tools, etc.)
- Establish governance for system access, including user roles, permissions, and platform security
- Develop bilingual user experience strategies and training and support, and documentation (English/Spanish)
- Oversee data system requests for support (low level of requests) and build capacity amongst distributed staff team to deal with these tasks themselves
- Continually identify improvement opportunities
Data Quality, Reporting & Governance
- Establish and manage data governance frameworks and quality assurance processes in partnership with Legal and Compliance team
- Create and champion best practices in data stewardship, security, and compliance and liaise with Legal to ensure alignment
Undertake data analyses and visualization activities
- Using Salesforce and Airtable - build dashboards for routine reporting
- Build capacity of teams to undertake data analyses and visualization activities.
- Set and oversee data cleaning and validation schedules
- Provide or enable access to regular program and institutional reports (weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual)
- Collaborate with Business Development to supply impact data for grant reporting
Team Enablement & Capacity Building
- Build and mentor a distributed data operations team across regions
- Onboard new staff to systems and design inhouse onboarding process; orient current staff to new architecture
- Lead bilingual training to develop data capacity across teams
- Provide leadership to global staff responsible for data tasks and operations
- Develop regional capacity to deliver on data cleaning, data entry and data analyses task
- Identify resource gaps and needs in staffing of data function
- Lead in budgeting realistically for data function
Qualifications & Experience
- Minimum of 7 years of experience in designing, project managing or implementing data architecture and data systems
- Proven experience creating or developing/project management the design and implementation of new Salesforce objects or system configurations
- Experience integrating multiple platforms and workflows (e.g. Airtable, Power BI, Zapier)
- Experience in working on Impact Management and Measurement or Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning teams in investment, ESG, INGO organizations
- Project management experience in delivering data and systems transformation projects
- Data analysis and visualization experience
- Degree in a quantitative field (preferred, not required)
- Interest in AI and how we can adopt it to improve internal processes
Skills
- Strong systems thinking, meticulous attention to detail, and ability to balance technical depth with user needs
- Ability to build technology systems to produce effective impact and data analyses and insights for Academy
- Widespread stakeholder engagement
- Experience training or enabling non-technical users
- Ability to build a team
- Ability to build and develop a data function within a not for profit organization
- Ability to work independently
- Problem solver in a high paced environment
- Self-reflective and aligned with Acumen’s values
- English and Spanish fluency required
- Bonus Technical Experience:
SurveyMonkey Apply, FormAssembly, HubSpot, Google Suite, Google Looker Studio, Airtable, Power BI, Salesforce dashboards
- Authorized to work in Colombia
Location
Bogota
Travel may be required
Deadline
Apply as soon as possible. Candidates will be screened and interviews scheduled on a rolling basis.
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