New

Director of Data Engineering

Vaco
$180,000.00 - $220,000.00 / yr
401(k), retirement plan
United States, Arizona, Tempe
Mar 04, 2026
Vaco is partnering with a growth-oriented wealth management organization to hire a Director of Data Engineering who will lead the modernization of its enterprise data ecosystem. This is a player-coach leadership role responsible for building a high-performing engineering team while remaining close to architecture, standards, and platform design. The organization is consolidating siloed systems into a unified Azure and Databricks Lakehouse environment to support advanced analytics, AI, and regulatory compliance. This leader will own the data engineering roadmap, elevate governance maturity, and establish scalable, secure pipelines in a highly regulated financial environment. This role reports to the Head of Data, Analytics and AI and partners directly with executive stakeholders across technology and the business. What You'll Be Doing Define and execute the enterprise data engineering strategy aligned to business transformation goals Lead the modernization of legacy and siloed systems into an Azure and Databricks Lakehouse architecture Architect scalable ETL and ELT frameworks, orchestration pipelines, and CI/CD automation standards Guide best practices around Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, and cloud-native data design Build and mentor a high-performing data engineering team, establishing engineering standards and accountability Drive governance initiatives including data quality, lineage, metadata management, and compliance controls Oversee Master Data Management initiatives, with Profisee experience strongly valued Ensure reliability, scalability, and performance of enterprise data platforms with uptime and SLA accountability Partner with business leaders, analytics teams, and data scientists to deliver trusted, production-grade data assets Translate technical architecture decisions into business impact for executive audiences Establish measurable KPIs around reliability, compliance, and delivery excellence Required Experience 12 or more years in data engineering and platform architecture 5 or more years in engineering leadership roles with hands-on architectural involvement Demonstrated experience leading or materially contributing to a Lakehouse transformation on Azure / Databricks (preferred) or similar technology Strong understanding of governance frameworks including data quality, lineage, metadata management, and regulated industry controls Experience building and scaling enterprise-grade data platforms in complex environments Ability to lead technical teams while remaining hands-on with architecture reviews and engineering standards Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related discipline Nice to Have Experience with Master Data Management platforms such as Profisee Exposure to Snowflake or Apache Iceberg in modernization initiatives Background in financial services or other regulated industries with FINRA or SEC oversight Experience supporting analytics and AI enablement at scale Compensation & Benefits Competitive executive-level salary, based on experience Performance-based bonus Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with strong employer premium contribution 401(k) with generous employer match Additional incentive programs and ancillary benefits Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco/Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to the individual's skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, office location and other geographic considerations, as well as other business and organizational needs. With that said, as required by local law in geographies that require salary range disclosure, Vaco/Highspring notes the salary range for the role is noted in this job posting. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, and can participate in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company's 401(k) retirement plan. Additional disclaimer: Unless otherwise noted in the job description, the position Vaco/Highspring is filing for is occupied. Please note, however, that Vaco/Highspring is regularly asked to provide talent to other organizations. By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. Submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase within Vaco/Highspring will be otherwise assessed by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco/Highspring does not have knowledge of the tools used by its clients in making final hiring decisions and cannot opine on their use of AI products. Vaco by Highspring values a diverse workplace and strongly encourages women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply. EEO Notice Vaco by Highspring is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by federal, state or local law. Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact HR@vaco.com . Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal. By submitting to this position, you agree that you will be giving Vaco by Highspring the exclusive right to present your as a candidate for the foregoing employment opportunity. You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. You also agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco by Highspring agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal. Privacy Notice Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries ("we," "our," or "Vaco by Highspring") respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies. California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here. Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here. Residents of all other states may access our policies here. Canadian residents may access our policies in English here and in French here. Residents of countries governed by GDPR may access our policies here. Pay Transparency Notice Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to: the individual's skill sets, experience and training; licensure and certification requirements; office location and other geographic considerations; other business and organizational needs. With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses.