Director of Enterprise Data Management & Engineering

Job Description

Faegre Drinker is seeking a Director of Enterprise Data Management and Engineering to lead the firm's data lake buildout and operationalization. This role requires strong leadership, technical expertise, and a commitment to data governance and privacy.

• Builds and operates cloud-based data lake and data platform environments on Databricks, applying medallion architecture (Bronze/Silver/Gold), Delta Lake, and Unity Catalog.
• Designs, builds, and maintains scalable, reliable ingestion and transformation pipelines across structured and unstructured firm data sources.
• Integrates data from various enterprise systems into the data lake.
• Defines and executes the firm’s enterprise data, analytics, and data products roadmap aligned with 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.
• Supports the CTIO in establishing data governance, data quality, and metadata management standards across all firm data domains.
• 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.

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

• A 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 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.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Science, or a related technical discipline; or equivalent years of professional experience.
• Minimum of 10+ years of leadership and management experience in technology and data within a complex professional services, legal, or similarly regulated environment, including a demonstrated history of developing team members professionally.
• Proven, hands-on experience building and operating cloud-based data lake and data platform environments, with experience on Databricks (the firm’s selected data platform) strongly preferred, including direct application of medallion architecture (Bronze/Silver/Gold), Delta Lake, and Unity Catalog.
• Extensive, demonstrated hands-on experience designing, building, and operating production-grade data pipelines is a key requirement of this role, including data ingestion, transformation, orchestration, and integration across enterprise source systems.
• Deep expertise in data governance frameworks, data quality, metadata management, and master and reference data management.
• Hands-on experience delivering analytics and reporting products, including executive dashboards, operational reporting, and self-service BI, with deep, hands-on expertise in Microsoft Power BI, the firm’s business intelligence platform of choice, including data modeling, DAX, and enterprise report and dashboard delivery.
• General familiarity with AI/ML and enterprise automation platforms (e.g., UiPath), and an understanding of how curated, AI-ready data products support AI platform use cases.
• Deep, demonstrable command of the data security and privacy obligations specific to this role’s data domain, including data security and privilege risk, matter-level data isolation, and privilege-aware access controls; data governance and privacy frameworks; PII handling and data classification; and encryption and access management within the Databricks data lake (including Unity Catalog governance).
• Strong understanding of applicable confidentiality and privacy obligations and the implications of operating in a risk-sensitive, privilege-aware legal environment.