Sr Director, Data and Application Engineering

Overview 

We are seeking a highly strategic and execution-focused Sr Director, Data and Application Engineering to lead a broad portfolio of technical teams driving the organization's most critical engineering initiatives. Reporting directly to the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), this leader will oversee four core practice areas — DevOps, Application Development, Data Engineering, and Internal AI Development — and will be responsible for aligning these teams to deliver on the department's strategic goals. 

 As a 1,000-person Managed Services Provider (MSP) serving financial services and healthcare clients, we operate in highly regulated environments that demand secure, compliant, and reliable engineering practices. This leader will ensure all teams operate with the rigor, velocity, and collaboration required to build enterprise-grade platforms and solutions. 

 Reporting Structure 

• Reports to: Chief Technology Officer (CTO) 

• Direct Reports: Engineering leads across DevOps, Application Development, Data Engineering, and AI Development 

 

Teams Overseen 

DevOps 

Responsible for the infrastructure, CI/CD pipelines, and internal automation capabilities of the organization. This team supports development velocity, reliability, and the continued expansion of automation tooling across internal operations. 

 

Application Development 

Owns the design, development, and ongoing maintenance of internally built applications — most notably the Abacus portal — and supports service delivery initiatives including development and configuration work within ServiceNow. 

 

Data Engineering 

Leads the architecture, construction, and operation of the organization's enterprise data platform, enabling reliable, governed, and scalable data infrastructure across business units. 

 

Internal AI Development 

Drives the development and deployment of AI-powered tools and agents that deliver measurable efficiency gains across the organization. Partners with internal stakeholders to identify, prioritize, and implement AI solutions aligned to business needs. 

 

Departmental Goals 

This role is accountable for organizing and directing all four teams toward the following high-level department objectives: 

• Build and mature the organization's enterprise data platform to support scalable, governed, and insight-ready data infrastructure 

• Assist the service delivery team with the continued development and configuration of ServiceNow to improve ITSM capabilities and operational workflows 

• Expand and integrate the DevOps team's scope to encompass internal automation initiatives, reducing manual effort and improving engineering efficiency across the organization 

• Own the roadmap, development, and ongoing evolution of the internally developed Abacus portal 

• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to identify, prioritize, and deliver AI solutions that drive organizational efficiency and support strategic business outcomes 

 

Key Responsibilities 

Strategic Leadership & Team Alignment 

• Partner with the CTO to define and execute the engineering department's strategy across all four practice areas 

• Develop and maintain a unified engineering roadmap that balances platform investment, product delivery, and operational improvement 

• Establish cross-team priorities, resource allocation, and delivery cadences aligned to departmental goals 

• Serve as an escalation point and executive sponsor for critical engineering initiatives 

 

DevOps & Automation 

• Oversee the reliability, scalability, and continuous improvement of infrastructure and CI/CD tooling 

• Drive the expansion of the DevOps practice into internal automation — identifying and implementing automation opportunities that reduce toil and increase throughput 

• Ensure engineering teams operate with modern DevOps practices including infrastructure-as-code, observability, and automated testing 

 

Application Development & Platform Ownership 

• Own the technical direction and delivery roadmap for the Abacus portal, ensuring it meets evolving business requirements 

• Partner with the service delivery team to support ServiceNow development and configuration needs 

• Champion engineering best practices including code quality, security, and maintainability across all application development efforts 

 

Data Engineering & Enterprise Data Platform 

• Lead the build-out of the organization's enterprise data platform, ensuring it is scalable, governed, and fit for enterprise use 

• Ensure data pipelines, storage, and access patterns are designed for reliability and compliance in regulated industries 

• Collaborate with business stakeholders to ensure the platform supports analytics, reporting, and AI/ML workloads 

 

AI Development & Innovation 

• Lead the design, development, and rollout of internal AI agents and automation tools 

• Work directly with internal stakeholders to surface efficiency opportunities addressable through AI 

• Ensure AI solutions are scalable, secure, and compliant with regulatory requirements (e.g., HIPAA, financial data controls) 

• Oversee integration of AI systems with existing platforms and workflows 

• Serve as a subject matter expert on AI trends, tools, and best practices relevant to the MSP and regulated services space 

 

People Leadership & Culture 

• Build, mentor, and develop high-performing engineering teams across all four practice areas 

• Establish consistent engineering standards, development practices, and delivery governance 

• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement 

• Attract and retain top engineering talent; support career development at all levels 

 

Metrics, Reporting & Governance 

• Define and track KPIs across teams (e.g., deployment frequency, platform uptime, data quality, AI adoption, development velocity) 

• Regularly report progress, risks, and outcomes to the CTO and executive leadership 

• Ensure all engineering practices meet governance, compliance, and security standards for regulated environments 

 

Qualifications 

Required 

• 12+ years of experience in software engineering, data engineering, DevOps, or related technical disciplines 

• 7+ years in progressive engineering leadership roles, including managing managers or multi-team organizations 

• Demonstrated experience overseeing multiple, diverse technical teams simultaneously 

• Proven track record of delivering enterprise-scale platforms and applications in production environments 

• Experience working in regulated industries such as financial services, healthcare, or similar 

• Strong ability to translate business objectives into technical strategy and measurable delivery outcomes 

• Excellent executive communication and stakeholder management skills 

 

Preferred 

• Experience within a Managed Services Provider (MSP) or services-based technology organization 

• Familiarity with ITSM platforms, particularly ServiceNow development and configuration 

• Hands-on background in one or more of: data platform architecture, AI/ML engineering, or DevOps automation 

• Experience with AI governance, risk management, and compliance frameworks 

• Exposure to enterprise data platform design (e.g., data lakes, lakehouses, data mesh architectures) 

 

Key Competencies 

• Strategic vision balanced with pragmatic execution 

• Cross-functional collaboration and executive stakeholder management 

• Organizational design and team development across multiple disciplines 

• Data-driven decision-making and outcomes orientation 

• Clear, compelling communication with both technical and non-technical audiences 

• Ability to lead through ambiguity in a fast-paced, evolving environment 

 

Success Metrics (First 12–18 Months) 

• Enterprise data platform foundation is architected, resourced, and delivering initial capabilities 

• ServiceNow development backlog is structured, prioritized, and progressing in partnership with service delivery 

• DevOps automation initiatives are identified, scoped, and delivering measurable efficiency gains 

• Abacus portal roadmap is owned, communicated, and actively progressing 

• At least 2–3 AI solutions are deployed and delivering measurable business value 

• All four engineering teams operate with clear charters, goals, and delivery metrics 

• Engineering culture reflects strong cross-team collaboration and consistent delivery practices 

 

Why This Role Matters 

This role sits at the intersection of platform, product, data, and AI — and is central to the organization's ability to scale, innovate, and operate with excellence. The Senior Director of Engineering will unify four critical engineering functions under a shared vision, accelerating the delivery of the enterprise data platform, modernizing internal tooling, and embedding AI-driven efficiency into the organization's core operations. This is a high-visibility, high-impact leadership role with direct line of sight to the CTO and meaningful influence over the company's long-term technical direction. 

 

Benefits of Working for Abacus:

• Exposure to diverse array of technologies
• Part of a team of experienced engineers who aim to deliver exceptional service
• Competitive compensation
• Performance bonus
• Robust benefits package: medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, 401k, and PTO
• Opportunities to further technical education through online courses
• Positive, friendly, supportive work environment