Director, Data Engineering (Data Platform)

AssetMark is a leading strategic provider of innovative investment and consulting solutions serving independent financial advisors. We provide investment, relationship, and practice management solutions that advisors use in helping clients achieve wealth, independence, and purpose.

The Director of Data Engineering & Platform Strategy is a high-impact leadership role that bridges technical execution, architectural vision, and business strategy. This individual will serve as a hands-on technical leader responsible for the end-to-end delivery and operational health of AssetMark’s data platform. The role includes direct management of data engineering teams and critical oversight of data governance, security, and the enablement of advanced analytics and AI/ML capabilities.

We can consider candidates for this position who are able to accommodate a hybrid work schedule and are close to our Charlotte, NC office.

Key Responsibilities

I. Architecture & Strategic Leadership

• Define and Own Data Architecture: Define and drive the multi-year technical roadmap and architecture for AssetMark’s enterprise data platform (Data Lakehouse, Data Warehouse, and Operational Data Stores). Ensure all data solutions are scalable, secure, resilient, and align with the enterprise vision (e.g., graph.assetmark.com concepts).

• Technical Authority & RFCs: Serve as the final technical authority on data architecture decisions. Lead and author strategic RFCs (Request for Comments) and architectural design reviews (ADRs), ensuring robust, future-proof designs across all data domains.

• Build vs. Buy Decisions: Lead the evaluation, selection, and implementation of new data technologies, frameworks (e.g., dbt, data observability tools, vector databases), and vendor solutions, balancing technical fit with financial cost-effectiveness.

• Pioneer AI/ML Data Enablement: Architect and implement data pipelines and infrastructure that specifically support data science and AI/ML model training, feature engineering, and inference serving, maintaining strong data governance throughout the lifecycle.

II. Hands-On Delivery & Operational Excellence

• Engineering Oversight: Maintain a hands-on role in core design and code reviews, ensuring technical excellence, adherence to coding standards, and best practices across the engineering teams.

• Delivery Management: Oversee the successful, on-time delivery of complex, cross-functional data programs (e.g., major migrations, new product data foundations). Drive agile execution, project planning, and resource alignment for maximum efficiency.

• Governance Implementation: Translate data governance principles (data quality, lineage, classification) into automated, enforceable engineering practices within the CI/CD pipeline. Ensure compliance with financial industry regulations (e.g., PII handling, audit trails).

• Operational Health: Own the operational reliability, performance monitoring (SLAs/SLOs), and cost management of the data platform. Champion DevOps and Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) practices for data services.

III. Stakeholder Management & Team Development

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Act as the primary liaison and technical partner, collaborating closely with Product Managers to define requirements, Software Engineering teams to ensure data service interoperability, and Senior Business Stakeholders to align data initiatives with commercial priorities.

• Partner Management: Manage strategic relationships with critical external vendors, technology partners, and data providers (e.g., custodians, cloud vendors), ensuring favorable contracts and optimizing data acquisition strategies.

• Talent & Mentorship: Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing team of data engineers and architects, fostering a culture of ownership, technical rigor, and continuous learning. Guide career development and succession planning within the data engineering function.

Required Qualifications

• Experience: 10+ years of progressive experience in Data Engineering, Software Architecture, or Technology Leadership, with at least 3+ years in a people management or dedicated technical leadership role.

• Hands-on Depth: Proven ability to remain hands-on in design and code architecture reviews. Deep expertise in Python, SQL, and distributed data processing (e.g., Spark/Databricks).

• Platform Expertise: Expert-level knowledge of modern cloud data platforms, including Snowflake, Azure Synapse, and/or Azure Fabric.

• Financial Domain: Strong preference for experience within the Financial Services, Wealth Management, or FinTech domain, including familiarity with concepts like custodial data, trade processing, and regulatory reporting.

• Leadership: Demonstrated success in setting coding standards, leading technical design reviews, and driving technical consensus across multiple development teams.

Compensation: The Base Salary range for this position is between $215,000-$240,000.

This information reflects a base salary range that AssetMark reasonably expects to pay for the position based on a number of factors which may include job-related knowledge, skills, education, experience, and actual work location. This position will also be eligible for additional variable incentive compensation and competitive benefits.

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the US to be considered.

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Who We Are & What We Offer:

We are AssetMark, a company on the move, shaping the future of financial services. Growth is in our DNA. Every day, we combine technology, insight, and collaboration to create new possibilities for advisors, for our people and for our investors. At AssetMark your ideas matter; they’re heard, valued, and drive meaningful change. Join a team that sets new standards and creates space for you to thrive and do your best work. 

Our Mission 

Our mission is simple: to help our 10,500+ financial advisors make a meaningful difference in their clients’ lives. We do this by combining powerful technology, holistic support, and expert consulting to help advisors run stronger, more efficient businesses. Backed by a comprehensive suite of investment solutions and a trust company that boasts of $150B+ AUM, our platform empowers advisors to deliver exceptional service and an outstanding client experience.

Our Values 

Heart. Client Success. Integrity. Respect. Excellence. Our values are how we show up every day.  

We believe in: 

• Leading with Heart, in truly making a difference in the lives of others: teammates, clients, investors and communities. 

• Obsessing over Client Success, bringing a relentless focus on what matters to clients that sets us apart and creates loyal, lasting relationships. 

• Unyielding Integrity, doing what’s right, always. Even when it’s hard. 

• Collective Respect, in being authentic, inclusive and valuing all voices while winning together. 

• Operating with Excellence, in learning fast, continuously improving, innovating and collaborating to find new and better solutions.  

These values shape our culture, guide our decisions, and define what it means to be part of the AssetMark family. 

Our Culture & Benefits 

Our culture brings our mission and values to life. Here, we do what’s right, embrace diverse ideas, and innovate together. We also offer a wide range of benefits to support you and your family—because thriving at work starts with thriving in life. 

• Flex Time or Paid Time Off and Sick Time Off 

• 401K – 6% Employer Match 

• Medical, Dental, Vision – HDHP or PPO 

• HSA – Employer contribution (HDHP only) 

• Volunteer Time Off 

• Career Development / Recognition 

• Fitness Reimbursement 

• Hybrid Work Schedule 

  
  

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, AssetMark is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued.