Data Platform Engineering Strategy Lead

Genesis10 is currently seeking a Data Platform Engineering Strategy Lead for a contract position with a Global Financial Institution located in Charlotte, NC. This is a 12+ month contract opportunity.

The Data Platform Engineering Strategy Lead provides strategic and hands-on leadership to modernize, optimize, and innovate the enterprise data platform. The role unites architecture strategy, AI/ML enablement, and practical engineering guidance to accelerate delivery, improve scalability and cost efficiency, and ensure alignment to enterprise governance, standards, and approved tooling. The Lead partners closely with platform and system teams to define reusable patterns, de-risk delivery, and translate proofs of concept into repeatable, production-grade solutions while championing data literacy and responsible technology adoption.

Responsibilities:

• Define the multi-year data platform engineering strategy and roadmap (cloud-native/Lakehouse, streaming/event-driven, open table formats) that balances near-term delivery constraints with long-term modernization goals
• Translate architecture principles into actionable, implementable guidance for feature teams; ensure roadmaps are credible, cost-aware, and operationally feasible
• Continuously scan and assess emerging technologies for data and analytics (e.g., distributed query engines such as Starburst; graph databases such as TigerGraph; object storage; NoSQL; Oracle 23AI; cloud-native Lakehouse architectures)
• Evaluate AI/ML use cases for technical feasibility, scalability, risk, and business value; advise on appropriate platforms, lifecycle management (MLOps), and integration patterns
• Lead or sponsor proofs of concept in partnership with delivery teams; define success criteria and engineering guardrails
• Industrialize validated patterns into reusable accelerators, templates, and standards; quantify ROI and business impact to inform prioritization and scaling decisions
• Guide migration from legacy warehouses to cloud-ready, Lakehouse style platforms (e.g., Databricks, Snowflake), ensuring the right storage/compute/orchestration services are standardized, secure, and cost efficient
• Partner with Platform ART, CTI, and System Teams to influence platform decisions for performance, resilience, and scalability; champion FinOps aligned cost optimization
• Provide deep expertise across relational databases, NoSQL, open table formats (Iceberg, Delta Lake), streaming frameworks (Kafka), and event-driven architectures
• Define and maintain reusable integration patterns for batch, streaming, APIs, and data services; promote data mesh principles where appropriate
• Align initiatives with enterprise data strategy, governance, and approved tooling (e.g., Collibra Data Quality, SALT, Informatica EDC)
• Embed responsible AI practices, model risk controls, lineage/metadata standards, and regulatory requirements in solution design
• Drive data literacy programs, training sessions, and communities of practice to accelerate cultural adoption of AI, advanced analytics, and modern engineering practices
• Promote best practice usage of BI and analytics tooling (e.g., ThoughtSpot, MicroStrategy, Tableau) and platform capabilities to improve time to insight
• Act as trusted advisor to business, technology, and compliance stakeholders articulating strategic impact, cost/benefit, and delivery implications
• Collaborate with Product Owners and Agile Release Trains to embed platform strategy, AI/innovation, and modernization objectives into delivery workflows

Requirements:

• 10+ years in data engineering/architecture across cloud or hybrid environments, with measurable impact on modernization, scalability, and cost optimization
• Hands-on expertise with cloud-native Lakehouse platforms (Databricks, Snowflake), streaming (Kafka), ETL/ELT (Informatica), BI (MicroStrategy, Tableau, ThoughtSpot), and relational databases
• Programming proficiency in Python and SQL for data engineering, automation, and AI/ML pipelines
• Strong understanding of AI/ML concepts, platform choices, model lifecycle/MLOps, and integration into enterprise data platforms
• Knowledge of metadata, lineage, data quality, and governance tooling (Collibra DQ, SALT, Informatica EDC)
• Familiarity with distributed query engines (Starburst), graph databases (TigerGraph), NoSQL (e.g., MongoDB), open table formats (Iceberg, Delta Lake), and data mesh principles
• Proven ability to translate architecture principles into pragmatic delivery patterns; influence platform decisions and align solutions with business priorities
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and facilitation skills across business, technology, and risk/compliance teams; able to articulate ROI and strategic impact to senior leadership
• Experience operating within Agile/SAFe environments (e.g., collaboration with ARTs, System Teams)

Desired skills:

• Experience in financial services or other regulated industries
• Cloud certifications: AWS, Azure, GCP
• Vendor certifications: Databricks, Snowflake, Oracle
• AI/ML certifications (e.g., AWS ML Specialty, Azure AI Engineer, Google Professional ML Engineer)
• Demonstrated FinOps and cloud cost optimization strategies for data platforms

Pay range: $58.31 - $66.31 per hour

Only candidates available and ready to work directly as Genesis10 employees will be considered for this position.

If you have the described qualifications and are interested in this exciting opportunity, please apply!

Ranked a Top Staffing Firm in the U.S. by Staffing Industry Analysts for six consecutive years, Genesis10 puts thousands of consultants and employees to work across the United States every year in contract, contract-for-hire, and permanent placement roles. With more than 300 active clients, Genesis10 provides access to many of the Fortune 100 firms and a variety of mid-market organizations across the full spectrum of industry verticals.

For contract roles, Genesis10 offers the benefits listed below. If this is a perm-placement opportunity, our recruiter can talk you through the unique benefits offered for that particular client. Benefits of Working with Genesis10:

• Access to hundreds of clients, most who have been working with Genesis10 for 5-20+ years.
• The opportunity to have a career-home in Genesis10; many of our consultants have been working exclusively with Genesis10 for years.
• Access to an experienced, caring recruiting team (more than 7 years of experience, on average.)
• Behavioral Health Platform
• Medical, Dental, Vision
• Health Savings Account
• Voluntary Hospital Indemnity (Critical Illness & Accident)
• Voluntary Term Life Insurance
• 401K
• Sick Pay (for applicable states/municipalities)
• Commuter Benefits (Dallas, NYC, SF, and Illinois)

For multiple years running, Genesis10 has been recognized as a Top Staffing Firm in the U.S., as a Best Company for Work-Life Balance, as a Best Company for Career Growth, for Diversity, and for Leadership, amongst others. To learn more and to view all our available career opportunities, please visit us at our website.

Genesis10 is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Candidates will receive consideration without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.