Data Platform Operations Lead

UCB; Atlanta (GA); Hybrid; USD 126,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

The Data Platform Operations Lead at UCB's United States headquarters in Atlanta leads the Azure Databricks-based data platform and the Reltio MDM environment to deliver reliable, business-critical capabilities for the US commercial data domain.

In this hybrid role, you will manage vendor performance, define operational processes and KPIs, and partner with Digital Technology, Insights to Impact, and the Chief Data Office to drive continuous improvement and value for patients.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience supporting and managing enterprise data and analytics platforms.
• Hands-on experience with Azure Databricks Platform Operations, Administration, and Data Engineering.
• Experience managing platform operations, technical support, and service delivery within cloud-based environments.
• Experience managing third-party managed service providers and vendor-delivered services.
• Experience working with pharmaceutical or healthcare commercial data domains, including HCP, customer, territory alignment, and IQVIA data sources.
• Experience partnering with cross-functional business and technology stakeholders to deliver data and analytics solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the operational success of UCB's commercial data platforms and ensure reliable, business-critical capabilities.
• Own strategic vendor and service delivery management with oversight over SLAs, budgets, and performance.
• Translate business strategy into platform execution with cross-functional alignment.
• Define operational processes, KPIs, and service management practices for scalability.
• Act as trusted advisor to senior stakeholders and manage expectations.
• Drive product roadmap execution and operationalize new capabilities.
• Leverage data assets to enable better decision-making across the business.
• Champion continuous improvement and stay current with cloud technologies and AI.
• Lead change management and product ownership for enterprise data platforms.

Skills

Azure Databricks Operations

Vendor management

Stakeholder management

Cloud data platforms

Data governance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field

Tools

Reltio MDM

Azure Databricks

Azure Data Factory

ADLS

ITSM tools (ServiceNow)

Job description

Make your mark for patients

We are looking for a Data Platform Operations Lead who is innovative, transversal and self‑motivated to join us in our Commercial Digital Technology Team, based in our United States headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. This hybrid role requires a minimum of 40% on site presence and 5‑10% international /domestic travel.

About The Role

You will lead the operations, performance, and evolution of UCB’s U.S. commercial data platforms, including our Azure Databricks‑based Next‑Gen Data Platform and Reltio Master Data Management environment. Working closely with Digital Technology, Insights to Impact, and Commercial stakeholders, you will drive service excellence, vendor performance, platform reliability, and continuous improvement. This role combines data platform expertise, service delivery leadership, stakeholder management, and strategic thinking to ensure our commercial data capabilities continue to deliver business value and enable better patient outcomes.

Who You’ll Work With

You’ll work closely with cross‑functional partners across Digital Technology, Insights to Impact (I2I), the Chief Data Office, Data Engineering, AI, and Commercial teams to ensure data platforms effectively support business priorities and decision‑making. In this highly collaborative role, you’ll engage regularly with senior business and technology stakeholders to align platform capabilities, operational performance, and strategic objectives.

Externally, you’ll partner with managed service providers, technology vendors, commercial data suppliers to drive service excellence, platform innovation, and continuous improvement. You’ll provide strategic oversight of external partners, ensuring delivery aligns with business needs, service level expectations, and long‑term platform goals.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the operational success of UCB’s commercial data platforms: Drive the performance, stability, and continuous evolution of our Azure Databricks‑based data platform and Reltio Master Data Management (MDM) environment, ensuring they deliver reliable, business‑critical capabilities.
• Own strategic vendor and service delivery management: Provide oversight of managed service partners, ensuring service levels, budgets, resources, and performance metrics are achieved while driving accountability and continuous improvement.
• Translate business strategy into platform execution: Partner with Commercial, Insights to Impact (I2I), and Chief Data Office stakeholders to prioritise initiatives, align platform investments with business goals, and maximise the value delivered through data and analytics.
• Shape platform operations and governance: Define operational processes, KPIs, and service management practices that improve platform performance, scalability, and user satisfaction while enabling long‑term success.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders: Build strong relationships across business and technology teams, proactively managing expectations, influencing decisions, and ensuring resources are focused on the highest‑value opportunities.
• Drive data platform and product roadmap execution: Collaborate with engineering, analytics, and AI teams to operationalise new capabilities, support data democratisation, and ensure solutions are successfully transitioned into production environments.
• Leverage commercial data to enable better decision‑making: Support critical data domains including customer, territory alignment, HCP, and commercial data assets to help deliver meaningful business insights and patient impact.
• Champion continuous improvement and innovation: Stay current with emerging technologies, cloud platforms, AI capabilities, and data management practices to identify opportunities that enhance platform performance, operational efficiency, and business value.
• Drive product strategy and organisational change: Act as the product owner for critical commercial data platforms, balancing business priorities, user needs, and operational objectives to guide platform investments and roadmap decisions. Lead stakeholders through change, challenge low‑value activities, and influence the adoption of capabilities that improve efficiency, scalability, and business outcomes.
• AI/ML and Gen AI Enablement: Facilitate the integration and application of AI/ML and Generative AI use cases.

Minimum Experience/Skills Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience supporting and managing enterprise data and analytics platforms.
• Hands‑on experience with Azure Databricks Platform Operations, Administration, and Data Engineering.
• Experience managing platform operations, technical support, and service delivery within cloud‑based environments.
• Experience managing third‑party managed service providers and vendor‑delivered services.
• Experience working with pharmaceutical or healthcare commercial data domains, including HCP, customer, territory alignment, and healthcare data sources such as IQVIA.
• Experience partnering with cross‑functional business and technology stakeholders to deliver data and analytics solutions.

Preferred Experience/Skills

• Experience with Master Data Management (MDM) platforms, preferably Reltio.
• Azure ecosystem experience (ADLS, Data Factory, Fabric, Entra ID).
• Experience leading product management, stakeholder management, and change management initiatives.
• Experience with IT service management (ITSM) frameworks and tools such as ITIL and ServiceNow.
• Experience establishing, operating, and evolving enterprise data and analytics platforms.

This positions reasonably anticipated base salary range is $ 125,600-164,900. The actual salary offered will take into account related knowledge, skills, experience and location among other factors and may fall outside the expected range.

Are you ready to ‘go beyond’ to create value and make your mark for patients? If this sounds like you, then we would love to hear from you!

About Us

UCB is a global biopharmaceutical company, focusing on neurology and immunology. We are over 9.000 people in all four corners of the globe, inspired by patients and driven by science.

Why work with us?

At UCB, we don’t just complete tasks, we create value. We aren’t afraid to push forward, collaborate, and innovate to make our mark for patients. We have a caring, supportive culture where everyone feels included, respected, and has equal opportunities to do their best work. We ‘go beyond’ to create value for our patients, and always with a human focus, whether that’s on our patients, our employees, or our planet. Working for us, you will discover a place where you can grow, and have the freedom to carve your own career path to achieve your full potential.

At UCB, we’ve embraced a hybrid‑first approach to work, bringing teams together in local hubs to foster collaborative curiosity. Unless explicitly stated in the description or precluded by the nature of the position, roles are hybrid with 40% of your time spent in the office.

UCB is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions will be made without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. UCB invites you to voluntarily self‑identify during the application process. Provision of self‑identification information is entirely voluntary and a decision to provide or not provide such information will not have any effect on your application for employment, your employment with UCB, or otherwise subject you to any adverse treatment. Any information you provide will be considered confidential and will be kept separate from your application and/or personnel file and will only be used in accordance with applicable laws, orders, and regulations.

Should you require any adjustments to our process to assist you in demonstrating your strengths and capabilities contact us on [e-mail] for application to US based roles. Please note should your enquiry not relate to adjustments; we will not be able to support you through this channel.