Head of Enterprise Data Platform

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This is part of the senior leadership role within Met Life's Data and Analytics organization. This role will directly report to the Head of Enterprise Data Engineering and will be working closely with the regional Chief data and Analytics officers and Senior Business leaders to assist them with their data engineering vision and challenges.

To lead the strategic design, development, simplification, modernization and governance of Met Life's enterprise data platforms and data acquisition/transformation capabilities, ensuring it serves as a robust, scalable, and secure foundation for data-driven decision-making, advanced analytics, AI & agentic initiatives. The role is pivotal in enabling the company's digital transformation by delivering a modern data architecture that supports real-time insights, multi-disciplinary autonomous AI agents, regulatory compliance, and innovation across all business units.

• Define and execute the enterprise data platform strategy in alignment with Met Life's growth objectives.
• Lead the design and implementation of a modern, cloud-based data architecture e.g. Data Mesh or Federated Datalake.
• Strategize, lead and execute the data estate simplification agenda and seamlessly decommission the redundant, obsolete and non-scalable legacy data platforms and duplicate tooling.
• Oversee the integration of structured and unstructured data sources across the enterprise.
• Ensure high availability, scalability, resiliency, and performance of the data platform.
• Establish and enforce data governance, metadata management, and data lineage practices alongside the Data Governance unit.
• Collaborate with data science, analytics, and Chief Data Office / OPS teams to enable self-service data access and advanced analytics.
• Drive the adoption of Dev Ops and Data Ops practices for continuous delivery and automation.
• Manage vendor relationships and evaluate emerging technologies for platform enhancement.
• Conduct/Lead POCs and Pilot for various platform evaluations.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of data engineers, architects, and platform specialists.
• Develop and manage the data platform budget, ensuring cost-effective operations.
• Report on platform performance, adoption/usage metrics, and value delivery to executive leadership.
• Foster a culture of innovation, agility, and continuous improvement within the data function.
• Represent Met Life in industry forums and contribute to thought leadership in data platform strategy.

• Strategic Thinking & Vision – Ability to align data platform strategy with business goals, platform-based architecture, data estate modernization and digital transformation initiatives for AI enablement.
• Technical Expertise – Deep knowledge of cloud-native data platforms (Azure Cloud Platform), data lake houses (Databricks or similar), data mesh, and data acquisition tools (CDC, Streaming, batch). Hands‑on experience with Python, PySpark and other data processing/transformation software is highly recommended.
• Leadership & Influence – Proven experience in leading cross‑functional teams and influencing senior stakeholders.
• Data Governance & Security – Good understanding of data privacy regulations, data quality frameworks, and security best practices.
• Program & Change Management – Expertise in managing large‑scale data platform programs and driving organizational change.
• Collaboration & Communication – Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to work across business, IT, and regulatory functions.
• TCO & Operational Efficiency Mindset – Proven track record in optimizing TCO for data estate with FINOPS implementation and tooling simplification strategies and execution.
• Educational background – B.S. in Computer Science or equivalent, 4 years of Bachelor's degree.
• Work Experience – 12‑15+ years of data engineering and 3‑5+ years in cloud native data modernization experience is recommended.

Recognized on Fortune magazine's list of the "World's Most Admired Companies" and Fortune World’s 25 Best Workplaces™, Met Life, through its…