Big Data Analyst - AI Delivery

The People of Southwest Airlines come together to deliver on our Purpose, which is to connect People to what's important in their lives through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel. This Big Data Analyst helps Southwest deliver on our Purpose by working with all Data Science, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence Teams across the enterprise to enable model deployment, implement and maintain model accuracy, and monitor data drift. This role will have a primarily focus on the Technical Operations (Tech Ops) side of our operation, with opportunities to expand into Network Operations, Ground Operations, Crew, and more. This Big Data Analyst is excited to join this important space, have the opportunity to continually develop their expertise, and help pilot the future of Southwest Airlines.

Additional details:

• The culture of Southwest Airlines means we value the camaraderie, collaboration, and innovation that occurs when we come together and interact face-to-face at our vibrant Corporate Campus. Due to the nature of this role, you would be required to work from our Dallas, TX Headquarters facility during business hours.
• U.S. citizenship or current authorization to work in the U.S. required and no current or future work authorization sponsorship available.

Southwest Airlines is an Equal Opportunity Employer.We continue to look for opportunities to reflect the communities we serve, and welcome applicants with diverse thoughts, backgrounds, and experiences.

Job Summary

• A Big Data Analyst serves as an intermediate level internal consultant, responsible for driving the end-to-end life cycle of data management on various platforms, volumes, variety, and velocity of data. This role is responsible for understanding complex business problems and helping to translate business outcomes into data needs. This role is also responsible for developing plans and leading complex data integration projects including acting as a functional leader in stakeholder meetings, solution definition, and planning for traditional AI, machine learning, and generative AI products.

• Drive the analysis of complex data sets, design and implement data architectures for analysis, development of data visualizations, and communicate insights through data storytelling to support business decisions.
• Drives complex data integration projects that bring together big structured and unstructured data from disparate sources in order to make it available for use in traditional AI, machine learning, and generative AI use cases
• Drives exploratory data analysis to both understanding existing features as well as engineer new features to facilitate the creation of traditional AI, machine learning, and generative AI products
• Drives formulation and communication of solutions and options for the architecture of data sources to be used in model training and production deployment
• Serves as a subject matter expert for monitoring the ongoing effectiveness of traditional AI, machine learning, and generative AI products in production
• Supports the development of the Southwest Airlines AI community, contributes to the development of code standards, and conducts code reviews
• Must be able to meet any physical ability requirements listed on this description
• May perform other job duties as directed by Employee's Leaders

• Intermediate knowledge of the key concepts and components of traditional AI, machine learning, and generative AI
• Intermediate Knowledge of data architecture concepts for traditional AI, machine learning, and generative AI model training, query optimization techniques, partitioning strategies, and selecting the optimal data models
• Intermediate Knowledge in developing plans and leading moderately or highly complex data integration projects including acting as a functional leader in stakeholder meetings, solution definition and planning, detailed task and deliverable definition and creation, and project schedule creation
• Intermediate knowledge of integrating, storing, and processing large datasets, including the use of relational, column-based, graph, vector/embeddings, and NoSQL databases for use in traditional and generative AI modeling.
• Skilled in one or more data programing languages and open source tools
• Skilled in one or more data integration and business intelligence tools
• Skilled in cloud technology platforms and architectures applicable to developing AI solutions
• Skilled in critical thinking and project management skills
• Ability to communicate in an engaging way with strong verbal and written communication skills for technical and non-technical audiences
• Ability to adjust well to a variety of situations and change approaches/methodology if necessary in order to effectively and successfully meet objectives

• Required: High School Diploma or GED
• Required: Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics, Computer or Data Sciences, Information Technology or similar fields of study; or equivalent advance level experience

• Intermediate level experience, fully functioning broad knowledge in:
  • Data analysis, advanced analytics, data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, or optimization project experience
  • Data pipeline, data science and/or relevant programming
  • Visualization and presentation development and delivery
  • Solving ambiguous and complex problems through a systems thinking approach
• Preferred: Experience with AWS - Sage Maker, Model Monitor, Redshift, Dynamodb, Aurora
• Preferred: Experience with Python, SQL, Alteryx, Tableau, Teradata, Oracle, Postgress Database, NOSQL, Linux, Gitlab, Cloudwatch, Quicksight

• N/A

• Ability to perform work duties from [limited space workstation/desk/office area] for extended periods of time
• Ability to communicate and interact with others in the English language to meet the demands of the job
• Ability to use a computer and other office productivity tools with sufficient speed and accuracy to meet the demands of the job

• Must maintain a well-groomed appearance per Company appearance standards as described in established guidelines
• Must be a U.S. citizen or have authorization to work in the United States as defined by the Immigration Reform Act of 1986
• Must be at least 18 years of age
• Must be able to comply with Company attendance standards as described in established guidelines
• Must meet confidentiality expectations as to confidential, proprietary and sensitive Company information

Pay & Benefits:

• Competitive market salary from $116,350 per year to $129,300 per year* depending on qualifications and experience. For eligible Leadership and individual contributor roles, additional bonus opportunities are available and awarded at the discretion of the company.

Benefits you'll love:

• Fly for free, as a privilege, on any open seat on all Southwest flights (your eligible dependents too)
• Southwest will help fund your Retirement Savings Plan with Company contributions up to 9.3% of your eligible earnings**
• Potential for annual ProfitSharing contribution in the Southwest Retirement Savings Plan- when Southwest profits, you profit***
• Competitive health insurance for you and your eligible dependents (including pets)
• Southwest offers health plan coverage options that start from the very first day of employment. You will have 30 days to select and enroll in your health plan with coverage retroactively available to your first day of employment.
• Explore more Benefits you'll love: https://careers.southwestair.com/benefits

*Pay amount does not guarantee employment for any particular period of time.

**401(k) match contributions are subject to the plan's vesting schedule and applicable IRS limits

***ProfitSharing contributions are subject to plan's vesting schedule and are made at the discretion of the Company