Lead DataOps Engineer (Hybrid)

Selective Insurance; Millburn (NJ); On-site; USD 130,000 - 176,000; Full time

Job summary

Selective Insurance is seeking an energetic Data Engineering Team Lead to guide data, analytics, and DataOps initiatives within the Information Management group in Millburn, NJ. You will lead a high-performing team delivering key data components and establishing best practices across the organization.

The role partners with Data Architecture, Analytics, AI/ML, and Platform teams to operationalize data products end-to-end, ensuring reliability, change management, and consistent data consumption

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in data engineering, analytics engineering, or platform engineering.
• Strong experience with cloud data platforms (Azure, AWS, or GCP).
• Experience with Databricks, or modern lakehouse architecture.
• Proficient with Data pipelines and orchestration (e.g., Airflow, ADF, Dagster, dbt)
• Proficient with CI/CD tools (Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, GitLab, etc.)
• Proficient in Data modeling, PySpark and SQL
• Proficient in modern data architecture
• Experience with DataOps or other automation frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead a high performing team in the delivery of key components and business deliverables.
• Lead the design and implementation of DataOps frameworks, standards, and best practices across the organization.
• Partner with Data Architecture, Analytics, AI/ML, and Platform teams to operationalize data products endtoend.
• Establish operational expectations for data products/data contracts, including reliability targets, change management, and consistency of consumption for analytics and AI use cases.
• Drive adoption of automation, orchestration, and observability capabilities for data pipelines.
• Ensure both on-time successful delivery, and the technical and architectural quality of the solutions.
• Collaborate with individuals from all areas of the business and IT organizations to develop accurate business requirements and design architectural solutions.
• Resolve and escalatie technical and project delivery issues as needed.
• Drive process improvements within the team and across the department to improve efficiency and quality.
• Work directly with the architecture group to coordinate new design patterns and technology.
• Assist in prioritizing new development projects, enhancement projects for existing systems, and system maintenance requests.
• Act as a key contributor in planning and estimation of projects
• Support development of talent within the organization through coaching and mentoring of team members.
• Ensure design, code, and test plan reviews are conducted as appropriate.

Skills

Data engineering

Analytics engineering

Platform engineering

Cloud data platforms

Databricks / lakehouse

Data pipelines / orchestration

CI/CD tools

PySpark / SQL

Data modeling

DataOps

Education

College degree in Computer Science or MIS

Tools

Azure

AWS

GCP

Airflow

Dagster

dbt

Azure DevOps

GitHub Actions

Job description

About Us

At Selective, we don't just insure uniquely, we employ uniqueness. Selective is a midsized U.S. domestic property and casualty insurance company with a history of strong, consistent financial performance for nearly 100 years. Selective's unique position as both a leading insurance group and an employer of choice is recognized in a wide variety of awards and honors, including listing in Forbes Best Midsize Employers in 2025 and certification as a Great Place to Work in 2025 for the sixth consecutive year. Employees are empowered and encouraged to Be Uniquely You by being their true, unique selves and contributing their diverse talents, experiences, and perspectives to our shared success. Together, we are a high-performing team working to serve our customers responsibly by helping to mitigate loss, keep them safe, and restore their lives and businesses after an insured loss occurs.

Overview

Selective Insurance is seeking an energetic and collaborative Data Engineering Team lead to work on data, analytics and DataOps projects supporting the Information Management group. This group is responsible for technology support of all Data Engineering, Analytics and Reporting for specific business areas. This includes Data Engineering services, Enterprise reporting support and ML Ops Engineering operations for these groups. An ideal candidate will leverage their technical proficiency and leadership competencies to drive the delivery of key objectives.

Responsibilities

• Lead a high performing team in the delivery of key components and business deliverables.
• Lead the design and implementation of DataOps frameworks, standards, and best practices across the organization.
• Partner with Data Architecture, Analytics, AI/ML, and Platform teams to operationalize data products endtoend.
• Establish operational expectations for data products/data contracts, including reliability targets, change management, and consistency of consumption for analytics and AI use cases.
• Drive adoption of automation, orchestration, and observability capabilities for data pipelines.
• Ensure both on-time successful delivery, and the technical and architectural quality of the solutions.
• Collaborate with individuals from all areas of the business and IT organizations to develop accurate business requirements and design architectural solutions.
• Resolve and escalatie technical and project delivery issues as needed.
• Drive process improvements within the team and across the department to improve efficiency and quality.
• Work directly with the architecture group to coordinate new design patterns and technology.
• Assist in prioritizing new development projects, enhancement projects for existing systems, and system maintenance requests.
• Act as a key contributor in planning and estimation of projects
• Support development of talent within the organization through coaching and mentoring of team members.
• Ensure design, code, and test plan reviews are conducted as appropriate.

Qualifications

• Required:
  • Proven history of owning and taking accountability for leading others to complete complex deliverables.
  • Excellent communication skills
  • 8+ years of experience in data engineering, analytics engineering, or platform engineering.
  • Strong experience with cloud data platforms (Azure, AWS, or GCP).
  • Experience with Databricks, or modern lakehouse architecture.
  • Proficient with Data pipelines and orchestration (e.g., Airflow, ADF, Dagster, dbt)
  • Proficient with CI/CD tools (Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, GitLab, etc.)
  • Proficient in Data modeling, PySpark and SQL
  • Proficient in modern data architecture
  • Experience with DataOps or other automation frameworks.

• Preferred:
  • SAFe agile work experience or similar agile process
  • College degree in Computer Science or Management Information systems
  • Familiarity with streaming platforms (Event Hubs, Kafka, Kinesis).
  • Experience supporting machine learning or AI workloads in production.
  • Property Casualty Insurance experience
  • Experience working within Azure ecosystem

Total Rewards

Selective Insurance offers a total rewards package that includes a competitive base salary, incentive plan eligibility at all levels, and a wide array of benefits designed to help you and your family stay healthy, achieve your financial goals, and balance the demands of your work and personal life. These benefits include comprehensive health care plans, retirement savings plan with company match, discounted Employee Stock Purchase Program, tuition assistance and reimbursement programs, and 20 days of paid time off. Additional details about our total rewards package can be found by visiting our benefits page. The actual base salary is based on geographic location, and the range is representative of salaries for this role throughout Selective's footprint. Additional considerations include relevant education, qualifications, experience, skills, performance, and business needs.

Pay Range

USD $130,000.00 - USD $176,000.00 /Yr.

Additional Information

Selective is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. That means we respect and value every individual's unique opinions, beliefs, abilities, and perspectives. We are committed to promoting a welcoming culture that celebrates diverse talent, individual identity, different points of view and experiences - and empowers employees to contribute new ideas that support our continued and growing success. Building a highly engaged team is one of our core strategic imperatives, which we believe is enhanced by diversity, equity, and inclusion. We expect and encourage all employees and all of our business partners to embrace, practice, and monitor the attitudes, values, and goals of acceptance; address biases; and foster diversity of viewpoints and opinions. For Massachusetts Applicants It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.