Director, Data Engineering

Ready to lead a major data transformation?We are seeking a Director of Data Engineering for our client in Des Moines, Iowa. This is an opportunity to lead a data engineering team, shape the future of an enterprise data platform, and help drive the modernization of a legacy data environment into a modern cloud and Lakehouse architecture.We’re looking for someone who brings the best of both worlds: deep, hands-on data engineering experience and proven people leadership.What You Must Bring8+ years of hands-on data engineering experience5+ years of formal people leadership experienceMust have previously held a formal leadership title with responsibility for leading a teamStrong hands-on experience with Databricks and/or Snowflake (Preferably Databricks)Experience leading significant data modernization or cloud data platform initiativesStrong experience with Microsoft Azure data technologiesStrong background in data modeling, ETL/ELT, data pipelines, data warehousing, and modern Lakehouse architectureExperience with streaming/real-time data ingestion, such as Kafka or Azure Event HubsInsurance or financial services experienceExperience working with PII and/or PHI data in a regulated environmentWhat You'll LeadLead, mentor, and develop a team of data engineersSet the strategy and technical roadmap for the enterprise data platformDrive modernization from legacy data environments to a modern cloud/Lakehouse architectureOwn and drive adoption of the Databricks platformPartner across architecture, analytics, data science, governance, and business teamsBuild scalable, reliable data solutions that support reporting, analytics, AI/ML, and self-service dataChampion modern engineering practices across ETL/ELT, DevOps, CI/CD, automation, observability, performance, and cloud optimizationHelp create a trusted enterprise source of data across the organizationManage platform priorities, resources, vendors, and investmentsAdditional Experience We'd Love to SeeExperience with technologies and practices such as PySpark, Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, Azure Data Factory, Azure Data Lake, Azure Synapse, Azure DevOps, Terraform, GitHub Actions, AI/ML workloads, and DAMA/DMBOK is a plus.EducationBachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, Management Information Systems, Business/Data Analytics, or a related field preferred. Relevant professional experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.