Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. NISC is a technology solutions provider dedicated to serving over 960 utilities and broadband members across North America. The Senior Manager Platform Development - Data Services will lead a high-performing organization in data engineering, business intelligence, and data curation, focusing on the strategy and execution of NISC's enterprise data and analytics platforms.
Responsibilities
- Lead, develop, and mentor technical teams across Data Engineering, CDC, BI, and Data Curation; own hiring, coaching, performance, career growth, and team health
- Define and execute the Data Services strategy and operating model, aligned with NISC’s business objectives, data-driven decision-making, and AI-enabled solutions for Members
- Drive continuous improvement of CDC pipelines to enhance the speed, quality, and reliability of data moving from operational systems into the cloud lakehouse
- Oversee the design, development, and optimization of scalable data pipelines, the lakehouse, and analytics frameworks in AWS and Databricks
- Lead the BI platform modernization and go-forward BI strategy, including the semantic/curation layer and the self-service “bring your own tool” experience for customers
- Champion best practices in data governance, data quality, data cataloging, lineage, and reliability; treat security, privacy, and compliance as first-class platform capabilities
- Establish FinOps practices — cost modeling, forecasting, and optimization across the Databricks/AWS platform and Member usage tiers
- Identify opportunities to incorporate automation, AI, and advanced analytics into platform workflows and Member-facing products
- Promote collaboration and alignment between Data Services, Application Development, Product, and business stakeholders; reduce handoffs and clarify ownership
- Establish and track KPIs for platform performance, pipeline reliability, team productivity, cost, and business/Member impact
- Manage resource planning, prioritization, and delivery across multiple concurrent initiatives using a single, transparent intake and prioritization process
- Partner with senior leadership to translate business and Member needs into technical roadmaps and priorities
- Stay current on emerging data and AI technologies and bring innovative, practical solutions to improve platform capabilities
- Commitment to NISC’s Shared Values and promotion of our cooperative spirit
- Other duties as assigned
Skills
- Lead, develop, and mentor technical teams across Data Engineering, CDC, BI, and Data Curation; own hiring, coaching, performance, career growth, and team health
- Define and execute the Data Services strategy and operating model, aligned with NISC's business objectives, data-driven decision-making, and AI-enabled solutions for Members
- Drive continuous improvement of CDC pipelines to enhance the speed, quality, and reliability of data moving from operational systems into the cloud lakehouse
- Oversee the design, development, and optimization of scalable data pipelines, the lakehouse, and analytics frameworks in AWS and Databricks
- Lead the BI platform modernization and go-forward BI strategy, including the semantic/curation layer and the self-service 'bring your own tool' experience for customers
- Champion best practices in data governance, data quality, data cataloging, lineage, and reliability; treat security, privacy, and compliance as first-class platform capabilities
- Establish FinOps practices — cost modeling, forecasting, and optimization across the Databricks/AWS platform and Member usage tiers
- Identify opportunities to incorporate automation, AI, and advanced analytics into platform workflows and Member-facing products
- Promote collaboration and alignment between Data Services, Application Development, Product, and business stakeholders; reduce handoffs and clarify ownership
- Establish and track KPIs for platform performance, pipeline reliability, team productivity, cost, and business/Member impact
- Manage resource planning, prioritization, and delivery across multiple concurrent initiatives using a single, transparent intake and prioritization process
- Partner with senior leadership to translate business and Member needs into technical roadmaps and priorities
- Stay current on emerging data and AI technologies and bring innovative, practical solutions to improve platform capabilities
- Commitment to NISC's Shared Values and promotion of our cooperative spirit
- Strong experience with modern cloud data platforms — Databricks, Oracle, and AWS (S3, Lambda, Spark, Aurora/PostgreSQL, etc.)
- Deep understanding of data engineering concepts: ETL/ELT, data modeling, the medallion/lakehouse pattern, streaming and batch processing
- Hands-on familiarity with Change Data Capture frameworks and streaming (e.g., log-based CDC, Debezium-style approaches, Kafka) and DevOps practices for data pipelines (Terraform, CI/CD)
- Understanding of programming languages such as Python, Scala, or Java
- Familiarity with BI/reporting tool integration (Power BI, Tableau, AWS QuickSight) and data visualization best practices, plus semantic-layer and self-service analytics concepts
- Working knowledge of data governance, cataloging, and access control (e.g., Databricks Unity Catalog) and of identity/OAuth-based access patterns
- Working knowledge of AI/ML and GenAI integration within data ecosystems
- Proven ability to lead, develop, and scale high-performing technical teams — ideally multiple teams or team leads
- Strong coaching and mentoring skills with a focus on employee growth and engagement
- Experience managing cross-functional teams and fostering collaboration across disciplines
- Ability to influence stakeholders and drive alignment at all organizational levels, especially through periods of change
- Strong problem-solving and analytical thinking
- Experience defining and implementing technical strategy and multi-year roadmaps
- Ability to balance long-term vision with near-term execution and to prioritize amid competing demands
- Strong project and program management capabilities; experience introducing scalable intake and prioritization processes
- FinOps / cloud cost-management awareness
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills, including with Members
- Innovative mindset with a focus on continuous improvement
- Results-driven, with strong ownership and accountability
- Adaptable and comfortable leading in a Member-focused, rapidly evolving environment
- Passion for leveraging data and technology to drive tangible value for NISC and its Members
- 6+ years in data engineering, analytics, or data platform roles, with 4+ years in formal people leadership
- Experience leading a cloud data platform migration or modernization, a BI tool replacement, or a self-service/“bring your own tool” data-access program
- Experience in utility, broadband, cooperative, or other regulated/Member-focused industries is a plus
- Bachelor's or master's degree in a Computer Science, Information Systems, Data/Analytics and/or related field (or equivalent experience)
Benefits
- Hybrid from one of our office locations: Atlanta, GA, Cedar Rapids, IA, Lake Saint Louis, MO, Mandan, ND
- Hybrid Schedule: Minimum of working 3 day per week out of an office location and ability to work up to all 5 days a week from an office location
- Required Days from an Office Location: Tuesday and Wednesday - the third required day will be up to the candidate and their supervisor to choose
- Virtual Office: Candidates working from a remote location within approved states will be considered for those who have applicable industry experience
Company Overview