Data Platform Lead

Cognizant; Boston (MA); Remote; USD 119,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance

Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off

401(k) plan and contributions

Long-term/Short-term Disability

Paid Parental Leave

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Job summary

Cognizant is seeking a Data Platform Lead to drive the strategy, modernization, and ongoing evolution of enterprise data platforms supporting analytics, AI, and critical data initiatives.

You will lead cross-functional teams with architects, governance, security, and engineering partners to deliver scalable data solutions and optimize performance and costs. Remote US-based role with visa sponsorship not available.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in data engineering, data platform leadership, or cloud data architecture roles.
• Hands-on experience with Databricks and modern cloud platforms such as Azure and/or AWS.
• Proven experience leading enterprise data modernization, migration, or transformation programs.
• Strong knowledge of data architecture, ETL/ELT frameworks, DataOps practices, data governance, and platform operations.
• Experience managing enterprise-scale data platforms focused on reliability, performance, security, and scalability.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence stakeholders across business and technology functions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the implementation, enhancement, and operation of enterprise data platforms, including Databricks and cloud data services.
• Define and enforce platform standards, engineering best practices, security controls, and operational governance processes.
• Oversee the design and delivery of scalable data ingestion, transformation, orchestration, and data consumption pipelines.
• Partner with business, analytics, AI, governance, and architecture teams to prioritize and execute strategic platform initiatives.
• Drive platform reliability, scalability, performance, cost optimization, and modernization efforts, including migration from legacy data environments.

Skills

Databricks

Cloud data platforms

Data architecture

ETL/ELT

DataOps

Data governance

Platform operations

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related discipline

Tools

Databricks

Snowflake

Azure

AWS

Job description

"Please note, this role is not able to offer visa transfer or sponsorship now or in the future."

About the role

As a Data Platform Lead, you will make an impact by leading the strategy, implementation, modernization, and ongoing evolution of enterprise data platforms that support analytics, AI, and business-critical data initiatives. You will be a valued member of the Data & Analytics team and work collaboratively with business stakeholders, architects, governance teams, analytics leaders, security teams, and engineering partners to deliver scalable and reliable data solutions.

In this role, you will:

• Lead the implementation, enhancement, and operation of enterprise data platforms, including Databricks, cloud data services, integration frameworks, and storage technologies.
• Define and enforce platform standards, engineering best practices, security controls, and operational governance processes.
• Oversee the design and delivery of scalable data ingestion, transformation, orchestration, and data consumption pipelines.
• Partner with business, analytics, AI, governance, and architecture teams to prioritize and execute strategic platform initiatives.
• Drive platform reliability, scalability, performance, cost optimization, and modernization efforts, including migration from legacy data environments.

Work model

We strive to provide flexibility wherever possible. Based on this role’s business requirements, this is a remote position open to qualified applicants in USA. Regardless of your working arrangement, we are here to support a healthy work-life balance through our various wellbeing programs.

The working arrangements for this role are accurate as of the date of posting. This may change based on the project you're engaged in, as well as business and client requirements. Rest assured, we will always be clear about role expectations.

What you need to have to be considered

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in data engineering, data platform leadership, or cloud data architecture roles.
• Hands-on experience with Databricks and modern cloud platforms such as Azure and/or AWS.
• Proven experience leading enterprise data modernization, migration, or transformation programs.
• Strong knowledge of data architecture, ETL/ELT frameworks, DataOps practices, data governance, and platform operations.
• Experience managing enterprise-scale data platforms focused on reliability, performance, security, and scalability.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence stakeholders across business and technology functions.

These will help you stand out

• Experience with Snowflake and modern cloud-native analytics ecosystems.
• Expertise in data governance, lineage, auditability, and regulatory compliance frameworks.
• Experience building and scaling high-performing data engineering and platform operations teams.
• Strong understanding of AI, advanced analytics, and data product enablement strategies.
• Experience establishing platform SLAs, operational monitoring, and cloud cost management practices.
• Certifications in Databricks, AWS, Azure, or related cloud technologies.

We're excited to meet people who share our mission and can make an impact in a variety of ways.

Applications will be accepted until September 10th, 2025.

Salary and Other Compensation:

The annual salary for this position is between $119.000 - $135.000 depending on experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.

This position is also eligible for Cognizant’s discretionary annual incentive program, based on performance and subject to the terms of Cognizant’s applicable plans.

Benefits: Cognizant offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:

• Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance
• Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off
• 401(k) plan and contributions
• Long-term/Short-term Disability
• Paid Parental Leave
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Disclaimer: The salary, other compensation, and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.