Data Engineer Relocation Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

We're looking for a Senior Analyst who can own the reporting layer for a set of client accounts, building, maintaining, and evolving dashboards and performance reports that translate media data into actionable intelligence. You're fluent in SQL, comfortable in a modern BI/dashboarding tool, and have firsthand experience working with the messy, multi-platform reality of paid media data.
This is a client-facing role, which means you'll be on calls, in meetings, and occasionally explaining methodology to people who care deeply about the numbers. You'll work closely with analytics leads, media strategists, and platform specialists to make sure the reporting picture is accurate, complete, and useful.
We are unable to sponsor employment VISA's at this time for this position.
Please do not apply if you require VISA sponsorship now or in the future.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Reporting & Visualization

• Build and maintain client-facing dashboards in our BI/dashboarding environment, translating multi-platform media data into clean, navigable performance views
• Own the reporting cadence for assigned accounts: weekly pacing reports, monthly performance summaries, and ad hoc analyses as needed
• Design reporting frameworks that scale - not one-off builds that only you can maintain
• Document data logic, calculated fields, and methodology so outputs are auditable and explainable

Data Engineering & Pipeline Work

• Write and maintain SQL queries against our cloud data warehouse to pull, clean, and structure media performance data for reporting
• Contribute to the ongoing work of streamlining and centralizing our reporting pipelines
• Use Python for data transformation, automation, or light analytical tasks where SQL alone isn't the right tool
• QA your own work and flag data integrity issues proactively - you're a first line of defense before numbers reach clients

Media Data & Platform Fluency

• Work directly with data from major ad platforms across paid social, paid search, programmatic, and emerging channels
• Understand the measurement nuances of paid media data - attribution windows, modeled vs. observed conversions, platform discrepancies
• Collaborate with activation and strategy teams to ensure reporting reflects actual media executions accurately
• Stay current on platform reporting changes (API updates, measurement shifts, new ad types) and adjust accordingly

Client Engagement

• Participate in client calls and reporting presentations, fielding questions about data sources, methodology, and performance trends
• Translate technical data issues into plain-language explanations for non-technical stakeholders
• Identify patterns in performance data worth flagging or investigating, not just reporting what's already obvious

REQUIREMENTS:

• 2-3 years of experience in a data, analytics, or reporting role, ideally at a media agency, ad tech company, or in-house media team
• Proficiency in a modern BI/dashboarding tool: you can build production-quality dashboards from scratch, not just modify existing templates
• Strong SQL skills: comfortable with joins, aggregations, window functions, and debugging queries against large tables
• Hands-on experience with paid media data from at least two major advertising platforms (across paid social, paid search, programmatic, or similar)
• Working knowledge of Python for data wrangling, automation, or analysis
• Understanding of core media metrics and how they are measured differently across platforms (impressions, CPM, ROAS, CPA, viewability, etc.)
• Strong attention to detail and a compulsion to QA your own work before it goes out the door
• Comfortable communicating directly with clients and explaining data clearly

PREFERRED:

• Experience with Snowflake or another cloud data warehouse
• Familiarity with Alteryx, dbt, or similar data prep or transformation tools
• Exposure to attribution and measurement platforms (e.g., Northbeam, Triple Whale, Measured, Nielsen)
• Experience with data visualization tools such as Tableau
• Comfort using AI coding tools (Claude, Copilot, ChatGPT) to accelerate SQL writing, debugging, or Python work

Please Note: This is a hybrid position requiring a combination of in-office work at our Chicago location and remote work from home. The specific schedule will be finalized upon hire. We are only looking for candidates in/around the Chicago Metro Area and do not offer relocation assistance.
WHY WORK AT NOVUS:
We Bring Brands To Where People Live Their Lives.
NOVUS is an independent local media planning and buying agency. We are focused on local media of all types including video, audio, OOH, digital, and print. We have carved out a unique position in the marketplace; with comprehensive data sets, proprietary tools and some of the best strategists in the industry, NOVUS builds and executes plans that achieve remarkable results.
NOVUS provides a collaborative work environment, with career advancement potential and offers an array of benefits as well as considerable time off allowances. Additionally, as a mid-sized agency, team members have direct exposure to senior management on a regular basis and they get the opportunity to work on a range of assignments with significant responsibilities. By joining one of the premier media companies in the industry, you'll be part of a team that is passionate, engaged, forward-thinking and seizing opportunities daily.
Position Salary
We are committed to providing salary ranges for all open positions. Please note that the specific compensation for this role will be determined based on your experience, qualifications, location, and internal equity considerations. The salary range for this position is: $75,000 - $100,000. This range reflects the base salary for this position.
NOVUS Benefits
NOVUS offers a full array of health care and wellness benefits, which currently includes medical, prescription, dental, vision, life and accidental death & dismemberment insurances, short and long-term disability, pre-tax flexible spending accounts, a health savings account, legal services, identity theft protection and an employee assistance program. Eligible employees are those that are full-time salaried or part-time salaried employees working 30 hours per week or more, as well as those whose eligibility is required by applicable state law. A group retirement savings plan is also available to all salaried employees. While the Company continually seeks to improve upon and add to its current benefits suite, it believes you will find the benefit programs as comprehensive as any in the industry.
A Word on Diversity
Novus Media is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate against and applicant or employee of the Company, on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, marital or family status, age, gender identity or expression, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. Our agency is committed to creating a workplace where every employee feels welcomed, respected, and valued. We embrace diversity in all its forms, and we strongly encourage people from a variety of backgrounds to apply.
Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.