Group Manager-Data Ops and Data Governance

Job Description:

Group Manager - Data Ops and Data Governance

*Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S.; Sponsorship is not available for this position.

At Milwaukee Tool we firmly believe that our People and our Culture are the secrets to our success -- so we give you unlimited access to everything you need to provide support to your business unit.

Behind our doors you'll be empowered every day to own it, drive it, and do what it takes to support the biggest breakthroughs in the industry. Meanwhile, you'll have the support and resources of the fastest-growing brand in the construction industry to make it happen.

Your Role on Our Team:

As the Group Manager for Data Operations and Data Governance, you will be a hands-on leader responsible for running a team of 11-15 engineers and analysts who keep our Databricks lakehouse platform operating at the highest level. You will own the reliability, performance, and governance of our data platform - from L1/L2/L3 support operations to enterprise data governance frameworks to FinOps and cost management. This is not a delegating-from-a-distance role. You will be expected to understand what your team is building, hold them accountable to delivering it, and step in when things need to move faster. You will report to the VP of Data & AI and partner closely with engineering, commercial, and operations leaders across the business.

You will lead with Extreme Ownership. When something breaks, you own the response. When a process is not working, you fix it. When your team needs direction, you provide it. This role requires a leader who moves with speed and urgency, makes decisions with the information available, and continuously raises the bar for their team and their platform.

You'll be DISRUPTIVE through these duties and responsibilities:

Data Operations:

Own the end-to-end reliability of L1/L2/L3 support operations for the Databricks lakehouse platform, including on-call escalation processes, incident response, and root cause analysis

Build and continuously improve operational processes, runbooks, and escalation frameworks so that the team can respond to issues independently and effectively

Hold direct reports accountable to their work, their priorities, and the outcomes they are responsible for delivering

Drive FinOps discipline - establish cost visibility, governance, and optimization across all Databricks workspaces and compute resources

Monitor platform performance and proactively identify and resolve bottlenecks before they become incidents

Manage contractor and vendor relationships with a focus on outcomes and accountability

Data Governance:

Establish and maintain an enterprise-wide data governance framework using Databricks Unity Catalog, including data classification, access controls, lineage, and quality standards

Define and enforce policies for data ownership, stewardship, and accountability across source systems and data products

Ensure compliance with data security, privacy, and regulatory requirements

Partner with business and technology stakeholders to drive adoption of governance standards and build a data-literate, accountable culture

Maintain a catalog of enterprise data assets with clear ownership and quality metrics

Leadership:

Lead, develop, and hold accountable a team of 11-15 direct and indirect reports spanning data operations, governance, and platform engineering

Be present and engaged - available when your team needs you, visible during incidents, and proactive in surfacing and resolving issues

Communicate clearly and with candor up, down, and across the organization

Drive PI planning participation and ensure your team's work is aligned to organizational priorities

Continuously improve team processes, tooling, and ways of working

Performs other duties as assigned.

The TOOLS you'll bring with you:

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Engineering, or related field; Master's preferred

5+ years of experience in data engineering, data operations, or platform engineering, with at least 3 years in a leadership role managing teams

Demonstrated ability to lead with ownership - you have a track record of building accountable teams, not just managing individuals

Hands-on experience with Databricks, including Unity Catalog, Delta Lake, and workspace administration

Strong understanding of L1/L2/L3 support operations, on-call processes, incident management, and root cause analysis

Experience building and enforcing data governance frameworks, including data classification, access controls, and data quality management

Working knowledge of FinOps principles and Databricks cost management tools

Proven ability to make decisions with urgency and move quickly - you do not wait for perfect information

Strong communicator who can manage up, across, and down with clarity and candor

Experience managing contractors and vendor relationships with accountability to outcomes

Other TOOLS we prefer you to have:

Experience in a manufacturing, industrial, or product-driven company where data directly supports operational and commercial outcomes

Databricks certifications or equivalent demonstrated expertise

Familiarity with PagerDuty or similar on-call management tools

Experience with Terraform or infrastructure-as-code tooling for data platform provisioning

Advanced certifications in data management (e.g., CDMP) or cloud platforms

Working Conditions:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Frequently required to stand, walk, bend, stretch, reach, and effectively communicate with others in the workplace

Sitting for prolonged periods of time

Prolonged exposure to computer screens

Repetitive use of hands and fingers to operate office equipment, machinery, hand tools and/or power tools

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus

May require to wear personal protective equipment which includes, but is not limited to, safety glasses, gloves, and hearing protection

May work in laboratories and/or controlled, enclosed, restricted areas

Noise levels range from moderate to loud

Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds at a time

May require travel dependent on company needs

We provide these great perks and benefits:

Robust health, dental and vision insurance plans

Generous 401 (K) savings plan

Education assistance

On-site wellness, fitness center, food, and coffee service

And many more, check out our benefits site HERE.

Milwaukee Tool is an equal opportunity employer.