Sr Manager Platform Development - Data Services Databricks, AI

Company Overview:

For more than 50 years, NISC has worked to develop technology solutions for our customers, who we call our "Members". Those Members are comprised primarily of 960+ utilities and broadbands across North America. Our mission is to deliver technology solutions and services that are Member-focused, quality driven and valued priced. Our Members have over 18 million end customers (residential and businesses who receive power, internet, television and/or telephone services) that our enterprise software solution enables our Member''s employees to compete effectively in the industry, while excelling in providing customer service to their end customers.

NISC exists to serve our Members and help them serve their communities through our innovative software products, services and outstanding customer support.

Position Overview:

The Senior Manager Platform Development - Data Services leads and evolves a high-performing organization spanning data engineering, change data capture (CDC), business intelligence, and data curation. This leader owns the strategy, execution, development, and continuous improvement of NISC's enterprise data and analytics platforms - a cloud-based data lakehouse that centralizes data from our enterprise software and makes it available for reporting, analytics, applications, and AI.

The ideal candidate is both a technical leader and a strong people manager who can mentor established teams, foster innovation, and align platform capabilities with the needs of NISC's business and the Members it serves.

The Teams You''ll Lead:

• Data Engineering - builds and operates the lakehouse and ingestion pipelines (Databricks, S3, Spark), assists curation through medallion layers.
• Change Data Capture (CDC) - owns the streaming pipeline of microservices that moves near-real-time data from our on-premises operational databases into the cloud lakehouse.
• Business Intelligence - delivers enterprise and embedded reporting and leads the modernization of NISC's BI tooling and strategy.
• Data Curation - designs the customer-facing data layers that make data trustworthy, well-modeled, and ready for self-service analytics. Curates data into medallion architecture.

Essential Functions:

• Lead, develop, and mentor technical teams across Data Engineering, CDC, BI, and Data Curation; own hiring, coaching, performance, career growth, and team health.
• Define and execute the Data Services strategy and operating model, aligned with NISC's business objectives, data-driven decision-making, and AI-enabled solutions for Members.
• Drive continuous improvement of CDC pipelines to enhance the speed, quality, and reliability of data moving from operational systems into the cloud lakehouse.
• Oversee the design, development, and optimization of scalable data pipelines, the lakehouse, and analytics frameworks in AWS and Databricks.
• Lead the BI platform modernization and go-forward BI strategy, including the semantic/curation layer and the self-service "bring your own tool" experience for customers.
• Champion best practices in data governance, data quality, data cataloging, lineage, and reliability; treat security, privacy, and compliance as first-class platform capabilities.
• Establish FinOps practices - cost modeling, forecasting, and optimization across the Databricks/AWS platform and Member usage tiers.
• Identify opportunities to incorporate automation, AI, and advanced analytics into platform workflows and Member-facing products.
• Promote collaboration and alignment between Data Services, Application Development, Product, and business stakeholders; reduce handoffs and clarify ownership.
• Establish and track KPIs for platform performance, pipeline reliability, team productivity, cost, and business/Member impact.
• Manage resource planning, prioritization, and delivery across multiple concurrent initiatives using a single, transparent intake and prioritization process.
• Partner with senior leadership to translate business and Member needs into technical roadmaps and priorities.
• Stay current on emerging data and AI technologies and bring innovative, practical solutions to improve platform capabilities.
• Commitment to NISC's Shared Values and promotion of our cooperative spirit.
• Other duties as assigned

Preferred Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• 6+ years in data engineering, analytics, or data platform roles, with 4+ years in formal people leadership.
• Experience leading a cloud data platform migration or modernization, a BI tool replacement, or a self-service/"bring your own tool" data-access program.
• Experience in utility, broadband, cooperative, or other regulated/Member-focused industries is a plus.

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

• Strong experience with modern cloud data platforms - Databricks, Oracle, and AWS (S3, Lambda, Spark, Aurora/PostgreSQL, etc.).
• Deep understanding of data engineering concepts: ETL/ELT, data modeling, the medallion/lakehouse pattern, streaming and batch processing.
• Hands-on familiarity with Change Data Capture frameworks and streaming (e.g., log-based CDC, Debezium-style approaches, Kafka) and DevOps practices for data pipelines (Terraform, CI/CD).
• Understanding of programming languages such as Python, Scala, or Java.
• Familiarity with BI/reporting tool integration (Power BI, Tableau, AWS QuickSight) and data visualization best practices, plus semantic-layer and self-service analytics concepts.
• Working knowledge of data governance, cataloging, and access control (e.g., Databricks Unity Catalog) and of identity/OAuth-based access patterns.
• Working knowledge of AI/ML and GenAI integration within data ecosystems.

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

• Proven ability to lead, develop, and scale high-performing technical teams - ideally multiple teams or team leads.
• Strong coaching and mentoring skills with a focus on employee growth and engagement.
• Experience managing cross-functional teams and fostering collaboration across disciplines.
• Ability to influence stakeholders and drive alignment at all organizational levels, especially through periods of change.

STRATEGIC & OPERATIONAL SKILLS

• Strong problem-solving and analytical thinking.
• Experience defining and implementing technical strategy and multi-year roadmaps.
• Ability to balance long-term vision with near-term execution and to prioritize amid competing demands.
• Strong project and program management capabilities; experience introducing scalable intake and prioritization processes.
• FinOps / cloud cost-management awareness.

COMMUNICATION & COLLABORATION

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills, including with Members.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• Innovative mindset with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Results-driven, with strong ownership and accountability.
• Adaptable and comfortable leading in a Member-focused, rapidly evolving environment.
• Passion for leveraging data and technology to drive tangible value for NISC and its Members.

Work Schedule:

• Hybrid from one of our office locations:

• Atlanta, GA

• Cedar Rapids, IA

• Lake Saint Louis, MO

• Mandan, ND

• Hybrid Schedule: Minimum of working 3 day per week out of an office location and ability to work up to all 5 days a week from an office location.

• Required Days from an Office Location: Tuesday and Wednesday - the third required day will be up to the candidate and their supervisor to choose.

• Virtual Office: Candidates working from a remote location within approved states will be considered for those who have applicable industry experience.

NISC's Shared Values & Competencies:

We're a cooperative, which means we're owned by the Members we serve. It also means that our focus is on taking care of our Members and our employees, rather than having a big bottom line. Quality service and innovative technology starts with happy and dedicated employees. Join our team and learn for yourself what sets NISC apart.

• Integrity - We are committed to doing the right thing - always.
• Relationships - We are committed to building and preserving lasting relationships.
• Innovation - We promote the spirit of creativity and champion new ideas.
• Teamwork - We exemplify the cooperative spirit by working together.
• Empowerment - We believe individuals have the power to make a difference.
• Personal Development - We believe the free exchange of knowledge and information is absolutely necessary to the success of each individual and the organization.

Education Preferred:

Bachelor's or master's degree in a Computer Science, Information Systems, Data/Analytics and/or related field (or equivalent experience).

Minimum Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the essential functions of this position, employees must be able to see and communicate.  Employees are regularly required to maintain a stationary position, move, and operate computer keyboards or office equipment.

Disclaimer:

Management may modify this job description by assigning or reassigning duties and responsibilities at any time.

Key Words:

Data Engineering | AWS | Databricks | Snowflake | Lakehouse Architecture | Change Data Capture (CDC) | Streaming & Real Time Data Pipelines | Data Curation | Data Modeling | ETL Pipelines | Data Governance | AI | FinOps | Cloud Cost Optimization | Technical Leadership | People Leadership