American Enterprise Group

Director Data Management- Hybrid- Des Moines, Iowa

American Enterprise Group$135K — $160K *
Finance & Insurance
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Expertise with Azure Data Services including Data Lake, Data Factory, and Synapse.
  • Experience leading teams in defining platform strategy and technical roadmaps.
  • Strong communication and leadership skills to engage stakeholders effectively.
  • Familiarity with DAMA/DMBOK standards and best practices.
  • Knowledge of real-time data ingestion technologies like Kafka and Event Hub is required.
  • 10+ years in data engineering or architecture, with 5+ years in team management, ideally within insurance or financial services.
  • Proven track record in leading large-scale data modernization efforts in Azure, Databricks, or similar cloud platforms.

Responsibilities

  • Define and implement the enterprise data platform strategy focusing on scalability and performance.
  • Oversee the migration from legacy Azure SQL Server to Azure Databricks Lakehouse.
  • Mentor and guide data engineers to foster technical excellence and accountability.
  • Collaborate with architects to ensure data models and pipelines meet business needs.
  • Transform the fragmented data ecosystem to create a single source of truth for insurance domains.
  • Drive cloud-native engineering best practices for data processing and observability.
  • Work with analytics teams to enable advanced analytics and self-service data access.

Benefits

  • Hybrid work model available.
  • 401(k) plan with company match.
  • Comprehensive health insurance coverage.
  • Generous paid time off and holidays.
  • Volunteer time off for community engagement.
  • Lifestyle Spending Account (LSA) for wellness needs.
  • Paternity leave to support new parents.
Full Job Description
Wellabe is looking for a Director of Data Management to join our team. As a Director of Data Management, you will report to Chief Data & Analytics Officer and lead the design, delivery, and modernization of our enterprise data platform. This role will oversee the migration from legacy Azure SQL Server systems to an Azure Databricks Lakehouse using the medallion architecture, establishing a scalable, high-performance single source of truth that powers analytics, reporting, and AI/ML across the insurance value chain.

As a senior leader, you will guide the onsite and remote data engineering team, set data platform strategy, and ensure delivery of cloud-native, reliable, and business-ready data assets. You will partner with architecture, analytics, governance, and business leaders to align the enterprise data platform with business objectives.
Core Responsibilities
  • Define and own the enterprise data platform strategy, ensuring scalability, performance, and cloud optimization.
  • Oversee data modernization efforts, including migration from legacy Azure SQL Server to Azure Databricks Lakehouse.
  • Lead and mentor data engineers, fostering technical excellence and delivery accountability.
  • Partner with enterprise data and solution architects to ensure data models, pipelines, and platform design meet business needs.
  • Transform a fragmented data ecosytem to deliver a single source of truth for insurance domains.
  • Drive cloud-native engineering best practices (ETL/ELT optimization, CI/CD, DevOps, cost efficiency, observability).
  • Ensure data availability, scalability, and reliability for analytics, reporting, and digital initiatives.
  • Collaborate with analytics and data science teams to enable advanced analytics, AI/ML, and self-service data access.
  • Prioritize and manage the enterprise data portfolio, aligning data investments with business value, strategic initiatives, and operational outcomes.
  • Manage budget, resourcing, and vendor relationships to scale platform capabilities.
  • Stay current on emerging technologies (Databricks, streaming, AI/ML enablement) to evolve the platform roadmap.
  • Own the Databricks platform and help guide business users on adoption of the Lakehouse.
Qualifications
  • Expertise with Azure Data Services (Data Lake, Data Factory, Synapse, Event Hub, Key Vault).
  • Ability to lead teams while defining enterprise platform strategy and technical roadmap.
  • Excellent communication and leadership skills influence technical and business stakeholders.
  • Familiarity with the DAMA/DMBOK practice and standards.
  • Familiarity with streaming/real-time ingestion (Kafka, Event Hub) is required.
  • 10+ years of experience in data engineering, architecture, or platform leadership, with at least 5 years in team management. Insurance or financial services experience is required.
  • Proven success leading large-scale data modernization programs in Azure or similar cloud ecosystems in Databricks or Snowflake.
  • Hands-on experience with Databricks Lakehouse (PySpark, Delta Lake, Unity Catalog).
  • Strong background in data modeling, ETL/ELT frameworks, and data warehousing.
  • Experience working with compliance regulations and handling of PHI/PII data.
  • Exposure to AI/ML and data science workloads in Databricks or Snowflake.
  • Experience with DevOps and automation frameworks (Azure DevOps, Terraform, GitHub Actions).
Education
  • Bachelor's degree in computer science, business/data analytics, management information systems, information technology or related field. Combination of education and/or relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of degree
Benefits
  • Hybrid availability
  • 401(k) with company match
  • Health insurance
  • Paid time off, holidays
  • Volunteer time off
  • Lifestyle Spending Account (LSA)
  • Paternity leave
Growth opportunities

We believe each of us has potential to grow and adapt with our business. We take your career as seriously as you do. Helping you develop your skills and talents leads to opportunities - not only for you, but also for our company. That's why we provide:
  • LinkedIn Learning Premium access
  • CliftonStrengths® assessment and coaching
  • On-site and virtual workshops and cohorts featuring world-class content from FranklinCovey, Crucial Learning, Gallup, and more
  • Free world-class insurance acumen courses through AHIP and LOMA
  • Reimbursement and bonus opportunities for professional designations and certifications, including a tuition reimbursement program
  • Opportunities to take part in Wellabe's mentorship programs

About American Enterprise Group

American Enterprise Group is an insurance company that provides life, health, and annuity products. The company was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. American Enterprise Group operates through its subsidiaries, which include American Republic Insurance Company, Medico Insurance Company, and Great Western Insurance Company. The company's mission is to provide financial security and peace of mind to its customers through its insurance products.
Learn more about American Enterprise Group
Size
500 employees
Industry
Founded
1903

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