Managing Director, Head of Data, Storage and Middleware Services

Managing Director, Head of Data, Storage and Middleware Services

This senior leadership role is situated within the
CTS Data Services group
, a global team of over 2,000 professionals. This group is a key division of
Cloud Technology Services
, which has a global workforce of more than 8,000 people, and is part of the broader
Technology and Business Enablement (T&BE) organization.

The CTS Data. Storage and Middleware Services group is the central organization tasked with defining and executing the firm-wide data, storage and middleware strategy. The group engineers, certifies, and operates core data and storage platforms for the bank, including databases, data lakes (on-prem and in public cloud), Block and file storage infrastructure, Web app, messaging middleware infrastructures, data analytics and reporting tools and Citi’s AI infrastructure.

Position Summary

The Head of Data, Storage and Middleware Services will be a transformative leader responsible for designing, delivering, and managing the foundational data & storage capabilities that will underpin the firm's future. This executive will lead the creation of Storage platform strategy, oversee the firm's overall data platform design, and direct the data architecture and middleware strategy. A key focus of this role is enabling the firm's Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategy by providing the robust data platforms required for advanced analytics and machine learning.

This position requires a leader with comprehensive, hands‑on experience in a wide array of Infrastructure (Storage, Middleware) and data technologies, a deep understanding of data architecture theory and practice, and a proven track record of implementing large‑scale designs in the financial services industry. The successful candidate will manage multiple teams of senior professionals, influence a wide range of senior stakeholders, and drive the firm's commercial objectives through strategic data management.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic & Architectural Leadership:

• Develop and execute the comprehensive Data , Storage and Middleware Services strategy for the firm, encompassing relational databases, big data, Storage, Backup, middleware, data curation, and security both on-prem and in public cloud.
• Design a large-scale, enterprise-wide data architecture that covers all aspects of data management, data governance, Middleware ( Webapp, Messaging and ETL) ,Storage (Block and File), backup, retention, Archival, and data security.
• Define and select implementation methodologies, platforms, and technologies for system build-out and integration.
• Lead the design of foundational data capabilities, including data warehousing, data lineage, data transformation, document management, public/private cloud storage, and data analytics.
• Drive innovation by leading the prototyping and execution of proof‑of‑concepts for new technologies and platforms.
• Enable the firm's Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategy by architecting and delivering robust, scalable data platforms to support advanced analytics and machine learning initiatives.

Management & Execution:

• Manage a large, multi-layered architectural function, leading teams of senior professionals through other senior managers.
• Assume full management responsibility, including strategic workforce planning, performance counselling, career development, and compensation decisions.
• Oversee the full spectrum of the group's activities, from Product Strategy, Architecture, and Engineering to Automation and Quality Assurance.
• Direct the service offerings of the group, including Enterprise Analytic Services (EAP), Big Data platforms (Hadoop), Database as a Service (DBaaS), public cloud data platforms (Databricks, Snowflake) and Software defined storage, object storage, Messaging as a service, Streaming as a service and containerized web offering.
• Provide significant business management oversight, strategically planning and managing headcount, productivity, and investment across all services.

Stakeholder Engagement & Influence:

• Act as a key influencer, advising senior leaders across technology and data management on architectural patterns and strategic decisions.
• Foster key…