Data Ops Lead NEX

NexTier Completion Solutions; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

NexTier Completion Solutions is seeking a DataOps Lead to own and advance the reliability, quality, and scalability of our cloud-based data platforms, primarily on Google Cloud. You will lead data operations, build automation, and partner with SRE, data engineering, and analytics teams to deliver trusted data for analytics, reporting, and operations.

The role blends hands-on technical work with leadership, focusing on data quality, SLAs/SLOs, and scalable data workflows across batch and

Qualifications

• 7+ years experience in Data Engineering, DataOps, or Data Platform Operations
• 3+ years experience operating cloud-based data platforms in production
• Strong hands-on experience with Google Cloud Platform (GCP) including GKE, Compute Engine, Cloud Storage, Pub/Sub
• Experience with Airflow/Cloud Composer and data orchestration
• Familiarity with Terraform for infrastructure as code
• Proven data incident response and operational improvement experience
• Strong SQL skills for data analysis and troubleshooting

Responsibilities

• Own the day-to-day operational health of cloud-based data pipelines and platforms
• Define and manage data SLAs, SLOs, and reliability metrics
• Lead incident response, triage, remediation, and post-incident reviews
• Build and maintain Python-based automation for data operations
• Develop and maintain runbooks, playbooks, and operational docs
• Collaborate with data engineering, SRE, and analytics stakeholders
• Explore and implement CI/CD practices for data pipelines and governance

Skills

DataOps

Data Engineering

Cloud Data Platforms

Python

SQL

GCP

Kubernetes

Airflow

Terraform

Azure DevOps

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a related field

Tools

Google Cloud Platform

BigQuery

Dataflow

Datastream

Pub/Sub

GKE

Compute Engine

Terraform

Airflow/Cloud Composer

Kubernetes

Cloud Monitoring

Job description

JOB DESCRIPTION

We are seeking a DataOps Lead to own and advance the operational reliability, quality, and scalability of our cloud-based data platforms. This role sits at the intersection of data engineering, platform operations, and reliability, supporting critical data pipelines that power analytics, reporting, and operational decision‑making across oilfield and energy operations. The DataOps Lead will be responsible for ensuring that data is available, accurate, timely, and trustworthy, while leading operational best practices across ingestion, processing, and delivery systems running primarily on Google Cloud Platform (GCP). This is a hands‑on technical leadership role with strong expectations for ownership, cross‑team collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Detailed Description

• Data Platform Operations
  
  
  
  • Own the day-to-day operational health of cloud-based data pipelines and platforms
  
  
  • Ensure high data availability, freshness, accuracy, and completeness
  
  
  • Lead operational support for batch and streaming data workloads
  
  
  
  


• Data Reliability & Quality
  
  
  
  • Define and manage data SLAs, SLOs, and reliability metrics
  
  
  • Implement and maintain data quality checks, validations, and monitoring
  
  
  • Design processes for backfills, reprocessing, and failure recovery
  
  
  
  


• Cloud & Infrastructure
  
  
  
  • Operate and optimize GCP‑based data services, including BigQuery, Cloud Storage, Pub/Sub, and GKE
  
  
  • Partner with platform and SRE teams on scalability, performance, and cost optimization
  
  
  • Manage data infrastructure using Infrastructure as Code (Terraform)
  
  
  
  


• Automation & Tooling
  
  
  
  • Build and maintain Python‑based automation for data operations and monitoring
  
  
  • Improve reliability and repeatability through standardized tooling and workflows
  
  
  • Support and enhance data orchestration platforms (e.g., Airflow / Cloud Composer)
  
  
  
  


• Incident Response & Operational Excellence
  
  
  
  • Lead response to data incidents, including triage, mitigation, and root cause analysis
  
  
  • Drive post‑incident reviews and track corrective actions
  
  
  • Create and maintain runbooks, operational documentation, and playbooks
  
  
  
  


• CI/CD & Governance
  
  
  
  • Implement CI/CD best practices for data pipelines
  
  
  • Promote testing, version control, and deployment standards across data workflows
  
  
  • Ensure data platforms align with security, governance, and access control requirements
  
  
  
  


• Leadership & Collaboration
  
  
  
  • Act as a technical leader within the DataOps function
  
  
  • Partner closely with:
    
    
    
    • Data engineering teams
    
    
    • SRE / platform engineering
    
    
    • Analytics and business stakeholders
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Mentor engineers and help raise the operational maturity of the data organization
  
  
  
  

Required Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• 7+ years experience in Data Engineering, DataOps, or Data Platform Operations


• 3+ years experience operating cloud-based data platforms in production


• Strong hands‑on experience with Google Cloud Platform, including:


• GCP: GKE, Compute Engine, Cloud Storage, Pub/Sub (or equivalents)


• Cloud Monitoring & Logging


• BigQuery


• Dataflow


• Datastream


• IAM and networking


• Composer/AIrflow


• Kubernetes: deployment, scaling, reliability patterns


• Observability: GCP Cloud Monitoring, Logging


• Strong proficiency in Python for data pipelines, automation, and operational tooling


• Experience with data orchestration frameworks (Airflow preferred)


• Experience with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform)


• Experience with Azure Devops


• Proven experience leading data incident response and operational improvements


• Strong SQL skills for data analysis and troubleshooting

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field.


• 7+ years experience in Data Engineering, DataOps, or Data Platform Operations


• 3+ years leading or owning production data platforms in a cloud environment


• Demonstrated technical leadership of data operations initiatives or teams


• Ability to understand and speak English at a level of proficiency allowing employee to issue, receive and respond to both safety and operations‑related directions in English

Preferred Qualifications

• Oil and Gas Industry knowledge


• Technology/Digital Industry knowledge

#NexTierJob

About Us

The Evolving Oil Field Demands Evolving Service Providers NexTier is a leading provider of integrated completions that employs sustainable practices and equipment to support our customers’ ESG goals while accelerating production in the most demanding US land basins. Patterson‑UTI is committed to a workplace free from discrimination and harassment, offering equal employment opportunities to all individuals regardless of personal characteristics protected by law. Employees are encouraged to report any concerns through multiple channels.