Director, Data Platform

Credit Acceptance Corporation; United States; Remote; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the automotive finance sector is seeking a Director of Data Platform to provide architectural leadership within their data engineering organization. This remote role involves modernizing data capabilities and leading a strong engineering team. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in data technology and cloud services, ensuring alignment with organizational goals while fostering innovation.

Benefits

Competitive salary and bonus potential

Flexible work arrangements

Comprehensive benefits package

Qualifications

• 15+ years of software engineering experience or equivalent.
• Experience leading data platform architecture and strategy.

Responsibilities

• Lead the technical vision and execution of the data platform.
• Develop scalable data platforms to enable various use cases.
• Collaborate with data and engineering teams on architectural decisions.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Customer Empathy

Engineering Excellence

Owner’s Mindset

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science

Tools

Cloud Computing

Microservices

Distributed Systems

Job description

Credit Acceptance is proud to be an award-winning company with local and national workplace recognition in multiple categories! Our world-class culture is shaped by dedicated Team Members who share a drive to succeed as professionals and together as a company. A great product, amazing people, and our stable financial history have made us one of the largest used car finance companies nationally.

Our Engineering and Analytics Team Members utilize the latest technology to develop, monitor, and maintain complex practices that help optimize our success. Our Team Members value being challenged, are encouraged to express their ideas, and have the flexibility to enjoy work-life balance. We build intrinsic value by partnering with all functions of our business to support their success and make strategic business decisions. We focus on professional development and continuous improvement while enjoying a casual work environment and Great Place to Work culture!

We are seeking a Director of Data Platform to provide technical and architectural leadership within the data engineering organization. This role involves building a modern data platform critical to modernization and growth at Credit Acceptance. Responsibilities include leading the technical vision, strategy, architecture, and execution of the data platform, collaborating across teams to ensure successful delivery, and representing the data team in technical forums. The ideal candidate brings 15+ years of engineering experience with expertise in data technology, distributed systems, and cloud services. You will serve as both a hands-on technical leader and a strategic advisor, establishing scalable foundations for innovation.

Outcomes and Activities:

• This position is primarily remote; occasional travel to our Southfield, Michigan office may be required. You may also work from the Southfield office if preferred.
• Develop and drive the long-term vision for enterprise data platforms and architecture, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Implement data platform strategy across big data, real-time, transactional, governance, observability, integration, and AIML to modernize data capabilities.
• Design and develop scalable data platforms to enable various use cases and facilitate self-serve data success.
• Lead the evolution of robust, scalable, and business-aligned data platforms, adopting modern tools and technologies including cloud-native services and real-time processing.
• Communicate data strategies, roadmaps, and progress to executive leadership and stakeholders.
• Stay informed on industry trends and emerging technologies, translating them into actionable initiatives.
• Build and mentor a strong engineering organization, fostering engineering discipline and innovation.
• Collaborate with data and engineering teams on technology and architectural decisions.
• Contribute to system design, implementation, and operation success, exemplifying technical innovation.
• Establish decision frameworks that embed engineering best practices.
• Align technological initiatives with business processes and outcomes.
• Work with leadership to develop and execute technical and business strategies.
• Perform impact analysis and technical due diligence on third-party solutions.
• Experiment, test, and validate ideas, providing solutions based on needs.
• Document standards, best practices, and engineering artifacts for clarity and consistency.
• Debug critical production issues and implement effective solutions.
• Lead continuous improvement activities and talent development through hiring and mentoring.

Competencies:

• Customer Empathy: Understand and prioritize customer perspectives and needs.
• Engineering Excellence: Deliver high-quality, innovative solutions with high standards.
• One Team: Foster collaboration and shared goals across teams.
• Owner’s Mindset: Demonstrate responsibility, accountability, and strategic thinking.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 15+ years of software engineering experience or equivalent.
• Experience leading data platform architecture and strategy.
• Expertise in modern data technologies, distributed systems, cloud computing, and microservices.
• Proven success in building enterprise data platforms and leading engineering teams.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred:

• Financial services or FinTech industry experience.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary and bonus potential, including equity options.
• Flexible work arrangements, including remote and hybrid options.
• Comprehensive benefits package: 401(k) match, medical/dental/vision, parental leave, tuition reimbursement, and more.

Our Values:

• Positivity, Respect, Insightfulness, Directness, Earnestness.

We prioritize organizational health by focusing on talent, clarity, development, accountability, and trust. We are committed to diversity and inclusion, providing a safe and equitable environment for all employees.