Group Lead, Data Products & Architecture - GCC India

Kraft Heinz; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 3,000,000 - 5,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Kraft Heinz in Bengaluru seeks a senior Data Architecture leader to oversee the GCC India Data Architecture team, ensuring delivery quality across domains while coordinating with onsite leads.

The role focuses on stabilizing operating routines, building playbooks, and mentoring Data Architects, with a matrix reporting line to GCC Director and Global Head of Data. You will shape data governance, AI readiness, and standards to enable scalable, compliant data solutions across the organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field.
• 8–12 years of overall experience managing distributed technical teams.
• Proven track record delivering quality as a leader of a GCC-based data architecture team.
• Knowledge of cloud data platforms (Snowflake Cortex, Azure, AWS, GCP) and data modeling tools (ERWIN/ER/Studio).
• Proficiency in SQL and Python; experience with Power BI.
• Experience with batch and real-time data processing and ERP systems (SAP ECC/S4, BW, HANA).
• Strong governance, standards, and collaboration across onshore and GCC teams.
• Experience in Agile governance tools (Jira, Confluence).

Responsibilities

• Lead the GCC India Data Architecture team across all domains to ensure consistent quality.
• Partner with onsite leads to align staffing and ensure timely delivery.
• Design cadences for stand-ups, governance forums, and progress tracking.
• Develop playbooks, SOPs, and capability frameworks to close maturity gaps.
• Liaise with Director GCC and Global Head of Data Products to align priorities.
• Mentor and develop GCC-based Data Architects and Sr. Data Architects.
• Ensure adherence to data architecture standards and best practices.
• Oversee onboarding, capacity planning, and resource allocation.
• Escalate delivery risks and cross-domain conflicts affecting GCC team.
• Champion data architecture standards including semantic models and AI-readiness.
• Represent the GCC Data Architecture team in governance forums.
• Support performance management, hiring, and workforce planning.
• Foster a cohesive Data Architecture community across distributed teams.

Skills

Data Architecture

Team leadership

GCC operations

Stakeholder management

Cloud data platforms

SQL

Python

Jira

Confluence

Data governance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science/Information Systems

Tools

Snowflake Cortex

Azure

AWS

GCP

ERWIN/ER/Studio

Semantic layer concepts

Power BI

Job description

Position Purpose:

This role leads Kraft Heinz's Data Architecture chapter presence in GCC India, managing all Data Architects and Sr. Data Architects based in that location across every domain the chapter supports. Unlike the domain-facing Group Lead roles, this position carries overall accountability for the GCC team’s collective delivery and quality rather than ownership of any single technical work stream — partnering closely with onsite Data Architecture leads to align staffing and ensure seamless delivery, and driving stabilization of the chapter’s operating routines and progress tracking. This role reports to the Director, Data, AI & Digital Innovation – GCC, with a dotted-line relationship to the Global Head of Data Products & Platforms that functions as the role’s primary day-to-day partnership for chapter priorities.

Job Description

Position Purpose:

This role leads Kraft Heinz's Data Architecture chapter presence in GCC India, managing all Data Architects and Sr. Data Architects based in that location across every domain the chapter supports. Unlike the domain-facing Group Lead roles, this position carries overall accountability for the GCC team’s collective delivery and quality rather than ownership of any single technical work stream — partnering closely with onsite Data Architecture leads to align staffing and ensure seamless delivery, and driving stabilization of the chapter’s operating routines and progress tracking. This role reports to the Director, Data, AI & Digital Innovation – GCC, with a dotted-line relationship to the Global Head of Data Products & Platforms that functions as the role’s primary day-to-day partnership for chapter priorities.

Essential Functions And Responsibilities

• Manage the GCC India Data Architecture team members and their deliverables across all domains, ensuring consistent quality, standards adherence, and career development for each team member.
• Partner closely with onsite Data Architecture leads to assess their staffing needs, allocate GCC resources accordingly, and ensure seamless, timely delivery against each domain’s priorities.
• Diagnose gaps in the chapter’s operating routines — stand-ups, governance forums, progress tracking — across onsite and GCC time zones, and design consistent cadences that keep delivery visible and risks surfaced early.
• Assess the Data Architecture chapter’s operating maturity against target-state practices — standards adoption, onboarding, quality processes — and build the playbooks and feedback loops needed to close the gaps.
• Serve as the primary liaison between the Director, Data, AI & Digital Innovation – GCC, and the Global Head of Data Products & Platforms, aligning GCC operational/administrative requirements with the chapter’s technical and delivery priorities.
• Manage, mentor, and develop the GCC-based Data Architects and Sr. Data Architects, building a strong internal growth pipeline within India.
• Hold the GCC team accountable to the chapter’s established data architecture standards, guidelines, and best practices, even though this role does not personally author domain-specific architecture.
• Coordinate onboarding, capacity planning, and resource allocation for the GCC Data Architecture team, in partnership with the Director, Data, AI & Digital Innovation – GCC, and onsite Data Architecture leads.
• Escalate and help resolve delivery risks, staffing gaps, or cross-domain conflicts affecting GCC team members.
• Champion the chapter’s data architecture standards — including semantic model and AI-readiness practices — within the GCC team, ensuring GCC-delivered work meets what onsite Data Architecture leads expect.
• Represent the GCC Data Architecture team in chapter‑wide governance forums and leadership discussions.
• Support performance management, hiring, and workforce planning for the GCC team, in line with GCC HR policies and processes.
• Build a cohesive Data Architecture community across a distributed onsite + GCC team through knowledge‑sharing rituals and shared practices that prevent the GCC team from operating in isolation.

Recipe for Success

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field
• 8–12 years of overall experience, including significant experience managing distributed or GCC-based technical teams
• Proven track record overseeing a technical team’s collective delivery and quality, rather than hands‑on individual execution
• Working knowledge of the organization’s core data platforms and architecture concepts — cloud lakehouse technologies (Snowflake, including Cortex), cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP), data modeling tools (ERWIN, ER/STUDIO), and semantic layer concepts — sufficient to assess team output and guide standards adherence across domains
• Working proficiency in SQL and Python, and familiarity with BI tools such as Power BI, sufficient to review team output and guide technical standards
• Familiarity with batch and real‑time data processing approaches, and major ERP systems such as SAP (ECC/S4, BW, HANA), sufficient to assess team output across domains
• Working understanding of Data Governance principles and practices, including data quality, security, and compliance
• Experience operating in a matrixed, dual‑reporting GCC/shared‑services model
• Experience designing and running team operating routines — stand‑ups, retrospectives, progress tracking, governance forums — for a technical team, including building these from scratch rather than operating within an already‑established cadence
• Experience assessing team or organizational maturity against target‑state practices and building the playbooks, SOPs, or capability frameworks needed to close the gaps — a track record of maturing a function or team, not just running an already‑mature one
• Experience building culture and community across a distributed or hybrid (onshore/offshore) team — knowledge‑sharing programs, engagement rituals, and practices that keep a geographically split team cohesive rather than isolated
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with experience as a liaison across organizational boundaries
• Strong people leadership: coaching, career development, performance management
• Knowledge of Agile methodologies and tools such as Jira & Confluence

Location(s)

Bengaluru - Brookfield GCC

Kraft Heinz is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Underrepresented Ethnic Minority Groups/Women/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity and other protected classes.