Enterprise Data & Analytics Platforms Director

Mars Wrigley Confectionery UK (SLO, WAL, ISB &PAD); Maidenhead; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the confectionery sector is seeking a visionary Director of Data Platforms and Architecture. This strategic role involves overseeing the design and governance of data platforms, ensuring alignment with business goals, and fostering innovation. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in data engineering and architecture, with a strong focus on modern data technologies and governance practices. Join a purpose-driven organization committed to building a better tomorrow, with access to world-class learning and competitive benefits.

Benefits

World-class learning and development

Competitive salary and benefits

Bonuses

Qualifications

• 10+ years in data engineering, architecture, or platform management.
• 5+ years in leadership positions.

Responsibilities

• Develop and drive the long-term vision for enterprise data platforms.
• Oversee the design, implementation, and maintenance of modern data platforms.
• Establish and enforce robust data governance practices.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Stakeholder Management

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science

Tools

Azure

AWS

Google Cloud

Spark

Kafka

Hadoop

Job description

We are seeking a highly skilled and visionary Director of Data Platforms and Architecture to lead the design, development, and governance of our enterprise-wide Snacking data platform ecosystem. This individual will be responsible for driving platform strategy, fostering innovation, and ensuring a robust data architecture that empowers multiple products and capabilities to support business decisions, scalability, and operational excellence.

As a strategic leader, the Director of Data Platforms and Architecture will oversee the implementation and optimization of cutting-edge data technologies & solutions, establish best practices in data platforms and governance, and provide technical leadership to multidisciplinary teams. You will work closely with stakeholders across business, IT, and analytics teams to align data architecture with organizational goals, enabling seamless data acquisition and advanced analytics capabilities.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Leadership: Develop and drive the long-term vision for enterprise data platforms and architecture, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and priorities. Collaborate with C-level executives and business leaders to identify opportunities for leveraging data as a strategic asset.
2. Data Platform Oversight: Oversee the design, implementation, and maintenance of modern data platforms, including cloud-native solutions, data lakes, data warehouses, and real-time processing systems. Ensure scalability, reliability, and high availability of the data ecosystem to support growing business needs.
3. Architecture Design: Define and implement enterprise data architecture standards, including data modeling, integration, and API frameworks. Optimize workflows and pipelines for efficient and secure data ingestion, processing, storage, and access. Foster a data-driven culture by ensuring architecture supports self-service analytics and business intelligence tools.
4. Data Governance & Security: Establish and enforce robust data governance practices, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and company policies. Partner with IT security teams to implement secure-by-design data architectures that protect sensitive information and mitigate risks.
5. Team Management: Lead and mentor a team of data architects, platform engineers, and data governance professionals. Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning within the team.
6. Emerging Technologies: Stay abreast of emerging technologies, tools, and industry trends in data platforms, AI/ML, and big data. Evaluate and recommend new technologies that enhance data capabilities and drive business innovation.
7. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with IT, analytics, and business teams to identify data needs and translate them into actionable platform solutions. Advocate for data democratization by enabling access to clean, high-quality data for decision-making.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in data engineering, architecture, or platform management roles, with 5+ years in leadership positions.
• Expertise in modern data platforms (e.g., Azure, AWS, Google Cloud) and big data technologies (e.g., Spark, Kafka, Hadoop).
• Strong knowledge of data governance frameworks, regulatory compliance (e.g., GDPR, CCPA), and data security best practices.
• Proven experience in enterprise-level architecture design and implementation.
• Hands-on knowledge of database systems (SQL/NoSQL), ETL/ELT processes, and data modeling techniques.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work in fast-paced, agile environments and balance long-term strategy with short-term execution.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Certifications in cloud platforms (e.g., AWS Certified Data Analytics, Azure Data Engineer).
• Experience with AI/ML technologies and data science platforms.
• Familiarity with DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, and Infrastructure as Code (IaC).

What to Expect from Mars:

• Work with diverse and talented associates, guided by the Five Principles.
• Join a purpose-driven company committed to building the world we want tomorrow, today.
• Access to world-class learning and development, including Mars University.
• Competitive salary and benefits, including bonuses.

Mars is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Assistance and accommodations are available upon request for applicants with disabilities. No applicant will be penalized for requesting such assistance.