Director of Enterprise Data Management & Engineering

Job Description

Faegre Drinker is seeking a Director of Enterprise Data Management and Engineering to lead the buildout and operationalization of the firm's enterprise data program. This role is based in New York City, Philadelphia, or Washington D.C.

• Builds and operates cloud-based data lake and data platform environments, with experience on Databricks.
• Designs, builds, and operates production-grade data pipelines across enterprise source systems.
• Delivers analytics and reporting products, including executive dashboards, operational reporting, and self-service BI.
• Manages data security and privacy obligations, including data classification, encryption, and access management.
• Develops and maintains a high-performing multidisciplinary team.

What You Would Do

Oversees the buildout and operationalization of the firm’s enterprise data lake on Databricks, applying a Bronze/Silver/Gold medallion architecture (including Delta Lake and Unity Catalog) across data ingestion, transformation, and consumption.

Establishes the architecture, standards, and reference patterns that govern how raw data is progressively refined into curated, trusted, and AI-ready data products.

Ensures the data lake is designed for security, matter-level data isolation, and privilege-aware access controls appropriate to a professional services environment.

Designs, builds, and maintains scalable, reliable ingestion and transformation pipelines across structured and unstructured firm data sources.

Integrates data from Finance (Elite 3e), HR (Workday), DMS (iManage), and CRM (Legal 360), and other enterprise systems into the data lake.

Collaborates with the CTIO to define and execute the firm’s enterprise data, analytics, and data products roadmap aligned to business priorities, practice needs, client expectations, and the firm’s technology strategy.

Establishes the operating model for intake, prioritization, delivery, adoption, and support of data and analytics initiatives, with clear governance, ownership, metrics, and risk controls.

Evaluates and manages strategic data platform and service vendors, balancing speed, capability, economics, and long-term platform fit.

Ledges the design and delivery of executive-level dashboards, operational reporting, and self-service analytics, delivered in Microsoft Power BI, that drive firm decision-making.

Supports the CTIO in establishing data governance, data quality, and metadata management standards across all firm data domains and then independently oversees same.

Leads and develops a high-performing multidisciplinary team spanning data engineering, analytics, business intelligence, data governance, and data product management.

Contributes as a technical data resource to the Catalyst Studio, the firm’s shared engineering and automation build team, which is owned by the Senior Director of Innovation.

Performs special projects and other duties as assigned.

What Is Expected

• Strong analytical, problem-solving and diplomacy skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively in a virtual environment.
• Demonstrated ability to use good judgment in taking initiative while asking for direction or clarification and consulting others, as appropriate.
• Willingness to be flexible with time and adjust to a changing work environment.
• Ability to build and maintain positive relationships, both internally and externally, while maintaining a client service orientation in a collaborative environment.
• Sound judgment and discretion in dealing with highly confidential information.
• Ability to work independently, organize and accurately prioritize work, be detail-oriented, understand when urgency is required and use good judgment in varied situations.

What We Offer

• Flexible working environment for work-life success.
• Opportunity to participate in firm-sponsored volunteer events.
• Wellness programming with personalized content and activities.
• Professional environment and the opportunity to work with experts at the top of their fields.
• Variety of health plan options, as well as dental, vision and 401(k) plans.
• Generous paid time off.

Pay and Benefits

The anticipated initial annual salary range for someone who is hired into this position is $251,400 – $293,300. Actual initial salary may be above or below the above-identified range and will be based on the relevant skills, training, experience, and other job-related factors, including the location where the position is filled, in all cases consistent with applicable law. This is an exempt role and the initial salary range listed above is just one component of Faegre Drinker's total compensation and benefits package for professional staff, which includes, but is not limited to, a discretionary bonus; life, health, accident, and disability insurance; and a 401(k) plan.