Data Engineering Director

McLane Company - Temple, TX

Full-time - Senior

Hybrid - Temple, TX

Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods

About the position

The Data Engineering Director at McLane Company is responsible for leading the development of data architecture and executing the analytics strategy within the organization. This role combines strategic leadership with hands-on execution, driving data-driven decision-making across various departments. The director will collaborate with IT, cloud providers, and product teams to enhance analytics capabilities while implementing best practices in data engineering. This hybrid position requires the candidate to work from the office three days a week, necessitating proximity to Temple, TX.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of data architecture and execute the analytics strategy.
• Select, train, and supervise Information Systems resources and staff support resources.
• Develop plans for the group consistent with the development/maintenance planning cycle.
• Conduct performance appraisals for personnel and initiate salary administration actions when appropriate.
• Review project control information regularly to ensure projects are on schedule and institute corrective actions when required.
• Allocate development resources to support project schedules.
• Interface with management to establish project priorities and resolve systems development issues.
• Develop and implement the data engineering strategy aligned with company goals.
• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of data engineers, fostering innovation and collaboration.
• Oversee the migration to the Fabric platform, ensuring minimal downtime and data integrity.
• Design, develop, and implement data pipelines using Azure/Fabric, integrating tools like dbt, Airflow, and PowerBI.
• Work closely with Data Science, Analytics, Product Development, and IT teams to support business objectives.
• Ensure data quality, security, and compliance with industry standards.
• Implement best practices for data governance and metadata management.
• Stay current with emerging technologies and continuously optimize data engineering processes.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree; Master's degree preferred.
• 10 years of broad-based experience in related disciplines, including at least 5 years of progressive leadership experience.
• Proficiency in Azure cloud technologies, including Azure Data Factory and Microsoft Fabric Data Platform.
• Experience with Python and PySpark.
• Experience with Airflow and PowerBI is highly desirable.
• Heavy industry experience in grocery, convenience, or fast-food sectors.
• Experience with AI/ML, including building or working with machine learning models and data pipelines.
• Knowledge of NLP, Deep Learning, and Knowledge Graphs is a plus.
• Strong leadership skills with experience building and scaling high-performing teams.
• Excellent critical thinking skills with a focus on innovation.
• Exceptional ability to communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs).
• Knowledge of Microsoft Visio or other flowcharting tools.

Benefits

• Health savings account
• Paid holidays
• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance
• 401(k) matching
• Life insurance