Data Engineering Director

Why we're hiring:

The Lead Data Architect is a critical senior leadership role responsible for providing the central strategic direction, governance, and vision for data architecture across all of WPP Open. This role is essential for unifying the efforts of data engineers and architects who are distributed across various global workstreams. You will ensure a cohesive, scalable, and secure data ecosystem that prevents data silos and enables the development of advanced, AI-driven marketing solutions. You will be the authority on data architecture, driving consistency and best practices across the entire organisation.

 

What you'll be doing:

• Develop and own the long-term strategic roadmap for WPP Open's enterprise data architecture, anticipating future challenges and opportunities.
• Directly lead a central team of senior data architects while providing strategic oversight and technical governance for all distributed data engineering and architecture talent across WPP Open.
• Harmonise data architecture practices and technology choices across disparate workstreams to ensure interoperability, reusability, and efficiency.
• Establish and enforce enterprise-wide data governance policies, data quality standards, and best practices across all teams and projects to ensure data integrity and security.
• Drive process improvements and introduce new, innovative approaches to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of data management and consumption.
• Serve as the primary subject matter expert and final point of escalation on data architecture, providing thought leadership to resolve highly complex, cross-functional issues.
• Manage the budget and resource allocation for the central data architecture function, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities.
• Partner with executive leadership and workstream leads globally to ensure the data architecture strategy supports and aligns with broader organisational goals.
• Act as the primary architectural liaison between various workstreams, fostering a community of practice and ensuring alignment with the central data vision across different time zones.
• Actively share best practices and foster a culture of data literacy and collaboration across the organisation.
• Ensure the team's contributions and architectural decisions align with the commercial and operational models of WPP Open.

 

What you'll need:

• University Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience. A graduate-level degree is preferred.
• Prior relevant experience in data architecture, data engineering, or a similar field, with a proven track record of operating at a strategic level.
• Deep, mastery-level knowledge of data architecture principles, data modeling, and database design in complex, large-scale environments.
• Proven ability to lead and influence effectively in a global, distributed, and multi-time-zone environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading and influencing in a complex, matrixed, or federated organisational structure, driving consensus and enforcing standards across distributed teams.
• Extensive experience with cloud data platforms (e.g., Google Cloud, AWS, Azure) and modern data stack technologies (e.g., Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery).
• Strong conflict resolution, change management, and senior stakeholder management skills.

 

Who you are:

You're open: We are inclusive and collaborative; we encourage the free exchange of ideas; we respect and celebrate diverse views. We are open-minded: to new ideas, new partnerships, new ways of working.

You're optimistic: We believe in the power of creativity, technology and talent to create brighter futures or our people, our clients and our communities. We approach all that we do with conviction: to try the new and to seek the unexpected.

You're extraordinary: we are stronger together: through collaboration we achieve the amazing. We are creative leaders and pioneers of our industry; we provide extraordinary every day.

 

What we'll give you:

Passionate, inspired people – We aim to create a culture in which people can do extraordinary work.

Scale and opportunity – We offer the opportunity to create, influence and complete projects at a scale that is unparalleled in the industry.

Challenging and stimulating work – Unique work and the opportunity to join a group of creative problem solvers. Are you up for the challenge?

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