Director, Data Platforms at Farm Credit Financial Partners, Inc.

Brief Description

POSITION SUMMARY: The Director of Data Platforms is the technology leader responsible for the vision, strategy, operations, and continuous improvement of Farm Credit Financial Partners’ enterprise data ecosystem.

This role defines and drives FPI’s Lakehouse strategy, Databricks adoption, data engineering direction, observability, AI enablement, data availability, and platform modernization, ensuring secure, accurate, and timely data delivery for all ACA customers and internal stakeholders. The Director of Data Platforms owns the strategic roadmap for data ingestion, transformation, quality, integration, lineage, metadata, storage, and platform reliability. This leader ensures FPI's data systems meet financial services–grade SLAs, are ready for AI and advanced analytics, and support the evolving needs of Farm Credit institutions.

Duties And Responsibilities

Strategic Platform Vision & Architecture

• Define the multi-year data platform strategy, including modernization, AI enablement, governance integration, and cloud-native capabilities.
• Own the technical strategy of the Lakehouse environment
• Ensure platform design meets financial-sector requirements for availability, resiliency, auditability, and scale.
• Drive the adoption of modern data engineering patterns (streaming, automation, MLOps, domain-oriented modeling, Data Lake best practices).
  
  

Leadership of Data Engineering & Platform Operations

• Lead and manage data engineering and data governance teams.
• Ensure robust monitoring, observability, alerting, and incident management across all data flows.
• Oversee the performance and daily operational SLAs, including the critical ACA data availability window.
• Serve as the organizational owner of Databricks strategy, engineering standards, and optimization.
• Ensure secure, well-governed, cost-optimized use of compute and storage.
• Build platform capabilities to support advanced analytics and enterprise AI (GenAI and ML).
  
  

Governance, Risk, Security, and Compliance Integration

• Partner closely with Data Governance, Security, and Compliance teams to embed controls into platform design.
• Ensure platforms support end-to-end lineage, metadata accuracy, and audit-ready documentation.
• Oversee access management, data contracts, schema controls, and segregation-of-duties policies.
• Build scalable governance automation into engineering workflows.
  
  

Organizational & Cultural Leadership

• Develop talent pipelines and succession plans for data engineering and platform roles.
• Establish a culture of reliability, automation-first engineering, operational excellence, and innovation.
• Drive transformation from legacy approaches to modern, cloud-based, AI-enabled data platform methods.
  
  

Requirements

MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field (Master’s preferred).
• 12+ years of experience in data engineering, data platforms, or cloud architecture with at least 5 years leading multi-team organizations.
• Deep expertise with Databricks technologies, including Spark, workflows, cluster management, and Unity Catalog.
• Proven experience running mission-critical data platforms with strict SLAs and monitoring.
• Strong understanding of AI/ML engineering and enabling infrastructure
• Experience with data governance integration (lineage, metadata, schema management, Collibra or similar).
• Demonstrated success in leading modernization programs and large-scale cloud platform initiatives.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills with technical and executive stakeholders.
• Experience working in financial services or other regulated industries highly preferred.
  
  

Managerial Functions

• Oversee daily team operations to ensure alignment with organizational policies while facilitating effective communication, collaboration, continual improvement, and knowledge sharing within the team and across organization.
• Provide clear direction, goals, and priorities to direct report(s) while mentoring them to enhance their skills and support their professional development
• Foster a positive and inclusive work environment that supports employee engagement.
• Address conflicts with professionalism and fairness, serving as the first point of contact for employee(s) communication and escalating issues appropriately in collaboration with HR when necessary.
• Ensure employee(s) adherence to organizational policies and procedures by promoting and modeling compliance with labor laws, workplace standards, and ethical practices in all people management activities.
• Manage administrative responsibilities, including reviewing and approving weekly timecards, processing time-off requests, tracking compliance tasks, and supporting team adherence to organizational policies and deadlines.
• Conduct performance reviews by setting and communicating clear expectations and objectives, monitoring performance against goals, providing continuous feedback, and addressing performance issues promptly and effectively.
• Oversee talent management processes for reports, including hiring, termination, performance evaluations, and pay reviews, ensuring alignment with unit objectives and adherence to company policies and procedures.
  
  

Essential Functions

• Ability to report to work in person and to attend work-related functions/activities.
• Ability to work at a desk and use a computer for extended periods.
• Ability to lift, carry, and move objects up to 10 pounds occasionally.
• Ability to occasionally travel as required.
• Ability to type and utilize various software programs efficiently and operate general office equipment.
• Ability to work in an office setting with moderate noise levels.
• Additional physical demands include, but may not be limited to, frequent talking or hearing, occasional push/pull, stoop/kneel, bend/twist, and reach to retrieve or move items in a typical office environment.
• Ability to concentrate and focus on details when reviewing documents, analyzing data, and performing computer-based tasks.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines while maintaining accuracy and efficiency.
• Ability to problem-solve efficiently and make sound decisions.
• Ability to manage job-related stress and interactions with clients, colleagues, or external parties.
• Ability to communicate ideas clearly in both verbal and written form.
• Ability to work with others in a collegial and collaborative manner
• Must be able to work scheduled hours and overtime as needed.
• Hybrid or remote work arrangements
• This role has been designated as a Hybrid role, which gives employees the opportunity to work from home on Mondays and Fridays and working in the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
• Please note that the Company retains the right to change a position’s designation at any time.
• Exceptions to the designated work arrangement may be made based on business needs
  
  

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION: Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their position.

Summary

• All roles require periodic travel to Springfield, MA for company meetings, events, and team activities***
  
  

For over 25 years, Farm Credit Financial Partners, Inc. (FPI) has provided technology products and services to the Farm Credit System. We care deeply about the agricultural credit associations (ACAs) we serve through our mission of delivering trusted technology solutions to help American agriculture thrive. As a customer-owned service organization, we support ACAs from Maine to California with over 62,000 customer-members and over $40 billion in loan volume. Everyone here contributes to the success of our customers, and to the vibrant culture that makes FPI a great place to work. Throughout the year, you will find us having fun and jamming out to FPI’s band, coming together to support local charities, and celebrating our wins together.

We offer a robust benefits package that includes competitive earnings, hybrid and remote work options, tuition reimbursement, generous 401(k) matching, and development opportunities through company-sponsored trainings and certifications.

Come grow with us: financialpartners.com.

Salary is determined based on a range of factors, including relevant experience, specific skills, demonstrated knowledge, and abilities. We strive to offer equitable and competitive compensation that reflects each candidate’s unique qualifications. Compensation ranges are subject to change based on factors such as market data, industry trends, and internal equity considerations.

Farm Credit Financial Partners, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, national origin, sex or gender, religion, pregnancy, marital status, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. EEO / Disabilities / Veterans

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