Senior Director, Data Platform Engineering

Overview

This is a remote role that may only be hired in the following locations: NC, AZ, GA, NJ, FL

The Senior Director of Data Platform Engineering is a transformational leader tasked with architecting and delivering a robust, scalable, and secure data platform to support the bank's data strategy. The Senior Director will spearhead the design and build-out of the bank's next-generation data platforms, ensuring they are resilient, compliant, and capable of supporting critical business functions, including core banking operations and regulatory reporting. This role requires a visionary leader with expertise in modern data platforms, cloud, and regulatory compliance to enable advanced analytics, real-time decision-making, and innovation. Collaborating with cross-functional teams, this leader will combine strategic vision, technical expertise, and operational excellence to deliver a data platform that drives innovation, enhances decision-making, and positions the organization for growth and a leader in the financial services industry.

• Execute the strategic roadmap for the bank's data platform, ensuring alignment with the data strategy and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with CDAO office and business leaders to build frameworks to implement the data management standards including data governance, quality, data security, privacy and accessibility standards.
• Drive innovation in data engineering and platform development to enable advanced analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) initiatives.

• Lead the development of a scalable, resilient, and secure data platform to support real-time and batch data processing.
• Lead the batch and real time data movement solutions across all operational and analytical application for the bank.
• Implement robust DevSecOps pipeline standards and approaches, data encryption, data masking, data monitoring and observability, and data lifecycle management (which includes data discovery, classification, tagging, etc.).
• Oversee the integration of diverse data sources, including core banking systems, transactional systems, and third-party data, into a unified platform.
• Ensure the platform supports hybrid and multi-cloud environments while optimizing performance and cost efficiency.
• Implement best practices for data storage, ETL/ELT pipelines, and data security.

• Establish processes and tools for monitoring, optimizing, and ensuring the high availability and reliability of data platforms.
• Drive automation in data workflows, platform management, and operational tasks to improve efficiency.
• Ensure compliance with banking regulations (e.g., Dodd Frank, Basel III, AML, GDPR, CCPA, etc.) and industry standards for data security and privacy.
• Develop and maintain disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity plans for data infrastructure.

• Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing team of data engineers, architects, and platform specialists.
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous learning within the team.
• Provide technical direction, guidance, and support to engineering teams to deliver projects on time and within scope.

• Partner with CDAO, analytics, business intelligence, and data science teams to ensure platform capabilities align with analytical requirements.
• Work closely with cybersecurity, compliance, and privacy teams to implement robust security and access controls.
• Engage with external vendors and partners to evaluate tools, solutions, and services.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field (Master's degree preferred).
• 12+ years of experience in data engineering, platform development, or related roles, with at least 5 years in a leadership capacity.
• Proven experience in the financial services or banking sector, preferably in a Large Financial Institution (LFI) with a strong understanding of industry-specific data requirements.

• Expertise in modern data platforms, cloud technologies (e.g., AWS, Azure, Snowflake, Databricks), and distributed computing systems.
• Hands-on experience with ETL/ELT tools, data integration platforms, and streaming technologies (e.g., Fivetran, Qlik, DBT, Informatica, Apache Nifi, Kafka).
• Strong knowledge of database technologies (e.g., SQL, NoSQL, graph databases) and big data frameworks (e.g., Hadoop, Spark).
• Familiarity with data governance frameworks, metadata management, and tools like Collibra, Informatica or Alation.
• Understanding of regulatory requirements in the banking industry, such as PCI DSS, FFIEC, and SOX.

• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive large-scale data platform initiatives.
• Strong strategic planning, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to present complex ideas to both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Certifications in cloud technologies (e.g., AWS Certified Data Analytics, Azure Data Engineer Associate).
• Experience with PaaS on Cloud (e.g. Terraform and BluePrints for Cloud Services)
• Experience implementing data Lakehouse architectures or advanced analytics platforms.
• Experience in Data Modeling technologies (e.g. data vault).
• Knowledge of AI/ML infrastructure and tooling.