Head of Engineering - Data Distribution

S&P Global, Inc.; Centreville (VA); On-site; USD 185,000 - 265,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care coverage

Flexible downtime

Continuous learning

Retirement planning

Family-friendly perks

Job summary

S&P Global Dow Jones Indices is seeking a senior engineering leader to oversee a 50+ person data/ML/platform team. You will shape enterprise data governance, implement AI systems with robust data lineage, and drive a multi-cloud lakehouse strategy across AWS services and Databricks platforms.

You will partner with Product, Security and executive leadership to translate requirements into execution roadmaps, while delivering transformational data capabilities and scalable governance at enterprise

Qualifications

• 15+ years of engineering experience with 5+ years directly managing and scaling large engineering teams at Director or Head of Engineering level
• Deep technical expertise in data platform architecture incl. Delta Lake and Apache Iceberg internals
• Experience leading enterprise data management initiatives including data lineage automation, schema management, data governance and security at petabyte scale
• Hands-on experience with cloud data platforms such as AWS services (S3, Glue, Lake Formation, EMR), Databricks Data Intelligence Platform, or similar
• Proven track record integrating operational data catalogs with enterprise metadata platforms and managing data security across multi-cloud environments
• Strong leadership and communication skills with cross-functional collaboration with Product, Security, and executive leadership

Responsibilities

• Lead and scale a large, multi-disciplinary engineering organization of 50+ data engineers, ML engineers, and platform developers across cross-functional teams
• Drive strategic architecture and implementation of enterprise data management and governance with Databricks Unity Catalog and AWS-native services for automated data lineage, security and accuracy at petabyte scale
• Oversee production-grade autonomous AI systems using Databricks Mosaic AI grounded in governed data and robust semantic modeling
• Guide the technical strategy for lakehouse architecture with Delta Lake and Apache Iceberg, integrated with AWS data services like S3, Glue, and Lake Formation
• Partner with Product, Security and executive leadership to translate requirements into actionable engineering roadmaps and foster high-performance culture
• Champion organizational transformation initiatives positioning the company at the forefront of enterprise AI and data platform capabilities

Job description

About the Role:

Grade Level (for internal use): 14

The Team: This team is essential to the division's data strategy, playing a key role in data transformation and leading efforts to replace legacy technical debt. The team embodies a strong commitment to delivering on business needs and demonstrates exceptional collaboration with both product and business partners. They are known for their collaborative approach, strong technical expertise, and the high energy and dedication they bring to their work.

Responsibilities and Impact:

• Lead and scale a large, multi-disciplinary engineering organization of 50+ data engineers, ML engineers, and platform developers, including managing managers and staff-level engineers across cross-functional teams
• Drive the strategic architecture and implementation of enterprise data management and governance, integrating Databricks Unity Catalog with enterprise data catalog systems and AWS-native governance services to ensure automated data lineage, security, and accuracy at petabyte scale
• Oversee the development of production-grade autonomous AI systems using Databricks Mosaic AI, ensuring AI agents are grounded in highly governed, accurate data through robust semantic modeling and RAG architectures
• Guide the technical strategy for zero-copy, multi-platform lakehouse architecture leveraging Delta Lake and Apache Iceberg, with deep integration across AWS cloud data and analytics services including S3, Glue, and Lake Formation
• Partner with Product, Security, and executive leadership to translate business and compliance requirements into actionable engineering roadmaps while fostering a high-performance culture of innovation and engineering excellence
• Champion organizational transformation initiatives that position the company at the forefront of enterprise AI and data platform capabilities, directly impacting business growth and operational excellence

Compensation/Benefits Information:

(This section is only applicable to US candidates) S&P Global states that the anticipated base salary range for this position is $185,000 to $265,000. Final base salary for this role will be based on the individual’s geographic location, as well as experience level, skill set, training, licenses and certifications. In addition to base compensation, this role is eligible for an annual incentive plan. This role is not eligible for additional compensation such as an annual incentive bonus or sales commission plan. This role is eligible to receive additional S&P Global benefits.

What We're Looking For:

Basic Required Qualifications:

• 15+ years of engineering experience with 5+ years directly managing and scaling large engineering teams at Director or Head of Engineering level, including experience managing managers and Staff/Principal-level individual contributors
• Deep technical expertise in data platform architecture including Delta Lake and Apache Iceberg internals, with proven ability to guide senior engineers on complex architectural trade-offs and design decisions
• Demonstrated experience leading enterprise data management initiatives including data lineage automation, schema management, data governance, and security implementations at petabyte scale across distributed platforms
• Hands-on experience with cloud data platforms such as AWS services (S3, Glue, Lake Formation, EMR), Databricks Data Intelligence Platform, or similar enterprise-scale data infrastructure technologies
• Proven track record integrating operational data catalogs with enterprise metadata platforms, implementing complex access controls (RBAC/CBAC/ABAC), and managing data security across multi-cloud environments
• Strong leadership and communication skills with experience driving organizational transformation, building high-performance engineering cultures, and partnering effectively with cross-functional teams including Product, Security, and executive leadership

Additional Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with AI/ML platforms such as Databricks Mosaic AI, Amazon SageMaker, or Amazon Bedrock, with understanding of autonomous AI agent deployment and semantic modeling for LLM grounding
• AWS certifications such as Solutions Architect, Data Analytics, or similar cloud credentials, along with experience in multi-account governance, multi-region deployment strategies, and cost optimization for data-intensive workloads
• Background in enterprise data governance frameworks, compliance requirements, and experience with tools like data.world for enterprise knowledge graphs and metadata management
• Experience partnering with FinOps and cloud platform teams to optimize cloud consumption and platform ROI, with familiarity in multi-cloud data platform strategies spanning various public cloud ecosystems

About S&P Global Dow Jones Indices

At S&P Dow Jones Indices, we provide iconic and innovative index solutions backed by unparalleled expertise across the asset-class spectrum. By bringing transparency to the global capital markets, we empower investors everywhere to make decisions with conviction. We’re the largest global resource for index-based concepts, data and research, and home to iconic financial market indicators, such as the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average. More assets are invested in products based upon our indices than any other index provider in the world. With over USD 7.4 trillion in passively managed assets linked to our indices and over USD 11.3 trillion benchmarked to our indices, our solutions are widely considered indispensable in tracking market performance, evaluating portfolios and developing investment strategies. S&P Dow Jones Indices is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI). S&P Global is the world’s foremost provider of credit ratings, benchmarks, analytics and workflow solutions in the global capital, commodity and automotive markets. With every one of our offerings, we help many of the world’s leading organizations navigate the economic landscape so they can plan for tomorrow, today. For more information, visit www.spglobal.com/spdji.

What’s In It For You?

Our Mission: Advancing Essential Intelligence.

Our People: We're more than 35,000 strong worldwide—so we're able to understand nuances while having a broad perspective. Our team is driven by curiosity and a shared belief that Essential Intelligence can help build a more prosperous future for us all. From finding new ways to measure sustainability to analyzing energy transition across the supply chain to building workflow solutions that make it easy to tap into insight and apply it. We are changing the way people see things and empowering them to make an impact on the world we live in. We’re committed to a more equitable future and to helping our customers find new, sustainable ways of doing business. Join us and help create the critical insights that truly make a difference.

Our Values: Integrity, Discovery, Partnership. Throughout our history, the world's leading organizations have relied on us for the Essential Intelligence they need to make confident decisions about the road ahead. We start with a foundation of integrity in all we do, bring a spirit of discovery to our work, and collaborate in close partnership with each other and our customers to achieve shared goals.

Benefits:

• Health & Wellness: Health care coverage designed for the mind and body.
• Flexible Downtime: Generous time off helps keep you energized for your time on.
• Continuous Learning: Access a wealth of resources to grow your career and learn valuable new skills.
• Invest in Your Future: Secure your financial future through competitive pay, retirement planning, a continuing education program with a company-matched student loan contribution, and financial wellness programs.
• Family Friendly Perks: It’s not just about you. S&P Global has perks for your partners and little ones, too, with some best-in class benefits for families.
• Beyond the Basics: From retail discounts to referral incentive awards—small perks can make a big difference.

Global Hiring and Opportunity at S&P Global:

At S&P Global, we are committed to fostering a connected and engaged workplace where all individuals have access to opportunities based on their skills, experience, and contributions. Our hiring practices emphasize fairness, transparency, and merit, ensuring that we attract and retain top talent. By valuing different perspectives and promoting a culture of respect and collaboration, we drive innovation and power global markets.

Equal Opportunity Employer S&P Global

S&P Global is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race/ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, marital status, military veteran status, unemployment status, or any other status protected by law. Only electronic job submissions will be considered for employment. If you need an accommodation during the application process due to a disability, please send an email to:[e-mail] your request will be forwarded to the appropriate person. US Candidates Only: The EEO is the Law Poster http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdfdescribes discrimination protections under federal law. Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision - https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ofccp/pdf/pay-transp_%20English_formattedESQA508c.pdf