Data Operation Engineer

Why we're hiring:

WPP Media is embarking on a transformative data journey through Databridge - our internal data integration framework - designed to unify our fragmented global data landscape. We are moving from isolated, market-specific implementations to a standardized, scalable, cloud-agnostic, and AI-ready data platform built on a modern tech stack: dbt, Databricks, Python (dlthub), and GitHub Actions.

As a Data Operations Engineer, you will be a foundational member of our new Data Integration & Operations team in Chennai. You will be the bridge between development and production, ensuring data pipelines are delivered reliably, consistently, and securely across global markets.

This is a hands-on technical role focused on operationalizing, automating, and monitoring data workflows. You will implement CI/CD for data pipelines, enforce data quality standards, manage production deployments, respond to incidents, and continuously improve data delivery.

What you'll be doing:

• CI/CD Implementation & Automation
  • Build and maintain automated CI/CD pipelines for data workflows using GitHub Actionsand Databricks Asset Bundles
  • Implement automated testing gates including code quality checks, data quality validation, and pre-commit hooks
  • Configure and manage multiple environments with proper isolation and access controls
  • Automate deployment processes ensuring repeatable, zero-touch releases
• Data Pipeline Operations & Monitoring
  • Monitor daily execution of Databricks Jobs/Workflows, tracking pipeline health, data quality, and SLA compliance
  • Set up comprehensive alerting and notifications for failures, SLA breaches, and cost anomalies
  • Use monitoring dashboards to proactively identify and resolve issues
  • Perform regular health checks on production data products
• Data Quality & Governance
  • Enforce platform-wide data quality standards by creating reusable test macros and validation patterns
  • Review Data Engineer code for proper test coverage, documentation, and adherence to standards
  • Support Databricks Unity Catalogintegration for metadata management, lineage tracking, and access control
• Production Deployment & Incident Management
  • Own production deployment workflows and manage Databricks Jobsconfigurations
  • Maintain version-controlled job definitions in Git for Infrastructure as Code
  • Act as first responder for production incidents, performing triage and root cause analysis
  • Use operational runbooks to diagnose and resolve common issues
  • Escalate to Data Engineers or DevOps when needed and document incidents with detailed RCA
  • Participate in on-call rotation for operational coverage
• Documentation & Continuous Improvement
  • Create and maintain operational runbooks detailing schedules, troubleshooting steps, escalation paths, and recovery procedures
  • Document standards, guidelines, and workflows in Confluence
  • Contribute to the Central Data Solution Repositorywith reusable templates and patterns
  • Analyze incident trends and participate in retrospectives to drive platform optimization

What you'll need:

• Experience
  • 5+ yearsof hands-on experience in data operations, data engineering, or platform engineering
  • Proven track record supporting production data pipelines and operational workflows
• Technical Expertise
  • Databricks Platform:
    • Practical experience with Databricks SQL Warehouses, Jobs/Workflows, and CLI
    • Understanding of Unity Catalogfor governance, access control, and lineage
    • Knowledge of Delta Lakeand performance tuning
    • Familiarity with Databricks Asset Bundlesfor Infrastructure as Code

• • Data Transformation Pipeline - Operational Proficiency:
    • Strong working knowledge of SQL-based transformation frameworksfor operational purposes (e.g., dbt, Dataform, SQLMesh, or orchestrated transformation pipelines)
    • Understanding transformation project structure, dependency management, testing frameworks, and documentation standards
    • Reading and understanding SQL transformations for validation and troubleshooting
    • Running transformation commands/workflows for CI/CD and production operations
    • CI/CD integration, environment management, and automated deployment
    • Troubleshooting production transformation pipeline issues using logs and error messages
    • Production experience with data quality testing and validation at scale

• • CI/CD & Automation:
    • Proficiency with GitHub Actionsincluding workflows, secrets management, and environment configuration
    • Understanding of Git workflows and code review processes
    • Familiarity with pre-commit hooks, linting, and automated testing
    • Basic knowledge of Infrastructure as Code principles

• • Python & SQL:
    • Proficient in Pythonfor scripting and automation (experience with dlthub is a plus)
    • Strong SQLskills for data validation and troubleshooting
    • Ability to read and understand complex data transformation logic

• • Cloud & Operational Skills:
    • Solid understanding of core cloud services in Azure and/or GCP
    • Experience with production monitoring, alerting, and incident response
    • Understanding of SLA management and operational metrics
    • Strong problem-solving skills for diagnosing distributed system issues
    • Excellent communication and documentation skills
    • Detail-oriented with commitment to operational excellence

• Preferred Skills
  • Production operational experience with dbt Core (our primary transformation framework) including project structure, models, tests, macros, and CLI operations
  • Understanding of FinOps practices for cloud cost optimization
  • Exposure to Power BI or similar BI tools
  • Experience with Terraform or other Infrastructure as Code tools
  • Familiarity with Confluence and Jira

Who you are: