Data Engineering Senior Manager

Sidley Austin; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 148,000 - 211,000; Full time

Job summary

Sidley Austin LLP seeks an experienced Data Engineering Senior Manager to lead the design, build, and optimization of scalable data platforms powering analytics, ML, and AI across the firm. The role is hands-on with leadership, directing a high-performing team and setting technical direction while ensuring data privacy and governance.

You will translate strategy into execution, decompose roadmaps into epics and sprints, and mentor architects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or related field.
• Minimum 10 years in data engineering.
• At least 3 years in technical leadership or team management.
• Advanced knowledge of big-data architectures and distributed processing (Spark, Kafka).
• Proficient in SQL and Python; strong ELT/ETL tooling (dbt) and orchestration (Airflow).
• Strong data modeling skills; set modeling standards and guide architects.

Responsibilities

• Translate data strategy into execution with data quality, security, and performance.
• Decompose strategy into epics, stories, and sprint-ready deliverables in Jira.
• Own scalable data architectures powering analytics, ML, and AI.
• Lead and mentor data teams; promote cloud-native tooling and real-time streaming.
• Consolidate fragmented data into a single source of truth for analytics.
• Design data visibility and observability processes; govern data integrity and privacy.

Skills

Big-data architecture

Distributed processing

SQL

Python

Leadership

Mentoring

Data governance

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering/Data Science

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Spark

Kafka

dbt

Airflow

Databricks

Terraform

Unity Catalog

Collibra

Job description

Reporting to the Data Platform and Engineering Director, the Data Engineering Senior Manager leads the design, build, and optimization of the scalable data platforms that power analytics, machine learning, and AI across the firm. As a hands-on leadership role, it will set technical direction, grow a high-performing engineering team, and deliver the secure, reliable, high-performing data products that make better decisions possible firmwide. Partnering closely with colleagues in AI, business intelligence, product, and operations, this role will turn the Firm’s data strategy into working systems while upholding rigorous data privacy and governance standards.Duties and Responsibilities:Translate the Firm’s data strategy into execution, delivering initiatives that hold data quality, security, and performance to a high standard and keep them aligned with business objectives.Decompose high-level data strategy and roadmap into clearly scoped epics, user stories, and sprint-ready deliverables, driving execution and prioritization through the team’s Jira backlog.Own the implementation and ongoing enhancement of scalable data architectures that power analytics, machine learning, and AI capabilities.Shape the firm’s conceptual and logical data models, contributing hands-on while providing technical direction and mentorship to data architects on modeling standards and best practices.Lead the development and continuous evolution of robust, business-aligned data platforms and pipelines, championing modern tooling such as cloud-native services, distributed computing, orchestration, and real-time streaming.Drive the consolidation of fragmented, siloed data into a single, trusted source of truth that powers enterprise analytics and reporting.Partner with teams across AI, BI, Product, Operations, and support to align on priorities and deliver integrated, dependable execution.Design and implement the processes and tooling that give the firm clear data visibility and observability, turning raw data into actionable, trusted insight.Strengthen data governance practices that safeguard data integrity, accessibility, and compliance with applicable regulations such as GDPR and CCPA.Communicate technical concepts and progress clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, keeping work aligned with broader data and technology goals.Evaluate third-party tools, services, and vendors, recommending choices that fit the firm’s technical direction and budget.undefinedHire, develop, coach, and supervise direct reports, and conduct annual performance reviews.Education and/or Experience:Required:Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or a related fieldA minimum of 10 years of experience in data engineeringA minimum of 3 years in a technical leadership or team management roleAdvanced knowledge of big-data architecture and distributed processing, including tools such as Spark and Kafka and Lakehouse or Data Lake patternsAdvanced proficiency in SQL and Python, with strong command of ELT/ETL tooling (e.g., dbt) and workflow orchestration (e.g., Airflow)Strong conceptual and logical data modeling skills, with the ability to set modeling standards and guide architect-level staffSkilled at crafting compelling data narratives through tables, reports, dashboards, and other visualization toolsDemonstrated leadership abilities in building, mentoring, and scaling high-performing, cross-functional data engineering teams in a dynamic environmentProven experience building and scaling data platforms in a major cloud environment (AWS, Azure, or GCP) with a focus on scalability, security, and performanceProven experience leading large-scale data migrations and consolidating disparate systems into a single source of truth for enterprise analyticsPreferred:Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or MBAExperience implementing and operating Databricks at scaleFamiliarity with data cataloging and governance tooling (e.g., Unity Catalog, Collibra) and with data-observability platformsWorking knowledge of CI/CD and infrastructure-as-code (e.g., Terraform) for application and infrastructure deploymentExperience delivering the data infrastructure behind machine learning and AI workloads, such as feature pipelines and model-ready datasetsExperience working in an Agile delivery modelundefinedOther Skills and Abilities:The following will also be required of the successful candidate:Strong organizational skillsStrong attention to detailGood judgmentStrong interpersonal communication skillsStrong analytical and problem-solving skillsAble to work harmoniously and effectively with othersAble to preserve confidentiality and exercise discretionAble to work under pressureAble to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines and priorities#LI-OE1#LI-HybridApplicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship, now or in the futureThe target salary range for this role is:$148,200 - $211,200 if located in Illinois.Salaries vary by location and are based on numerous factors, including, but not limited to, the relevant market, skills, experience, and education of the selected candidate. Our compensation package also includes bonus eligibility and a comprehensive benefits program. Benefits information can be found at Sidley.com/Benefits .To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the Duties and Responsibilities above satisfactorily and meet the requirements. The requirements listed above are representative of the minimum knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. If you need such an accommodation, please email [e-mail] (current employees should contact Human Resources).Sidley Austin LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer.