Lead, Data Operations - Strategic Programs

Lead, Data Operations - Strategic Programs

$81,120 - $133,380

The base salary range represents a good faith salary range for this position. This position is eligible for annual incentive pay and has the opportunity for continued salary growth. If you are hired at American Water your base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as market, geography, skills, education and/or experience. At American Water, we are committed to pay equity.

In addition to compensation, you will be offered a comprehensive benefits package including 401(k), Defined Contribution Plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, medical, prescription, dental and vision coverage, plus disability, paid time off, life insurance, voluntary benefits, health and wellness programs and much more!

American Water is also proud to offer employees learning opportunities and work experiences to grow professionally!

As part of the AW2030 program, the Data Operations Lead is accountable for supporting the design, build, and operations of the enterprise data platform ecosystem that underpins American Water’s evolving data strategy. This role oversees the availability, reliability, scalability, and security of foundational data platforms (e.g., data pipelines, data lake, data warehouse, data quality management, analytics environments, integration platforms, and associated tools).

The Data Operations Lead works closely with IT, business stakeholders, and data governance teams to establish platform standards, modernize legacy environments, migrate legacy data, and enable consistent access to high‑quality, trusted data across the enterprise.

• This role for the AW2030 Program will be full time, and you will be committed to this program for a minimum of one year. We are invested in your development and supporting your career with American Water.
• The career band/level designated for this role has been intentionally designed with flexibility. Candidates whose combination of experience and/or qualifications that are not a match to the designated level may be considered, provided they meet the qualifications and expectations of the role. In unique or exceptional cases, deviations beyond this two-level range may be evaluated individually.

• Oversee the design and implementation of enterprise data platforms, including pipelines, storage, integration, quality, and analytics environments, as defined by the AW2030 roadmap
• Define data platform strategy, standards, and roadmap aligned with AW2030 program objectives.
• Ensure data platforms support scalability, performance, security, and cost‑effectiveness.
• Support data platform administration, monitoring, incident management, and disaster recovery practices.
• Collaborate with data governance and security teams to integrate governance policies and controls into platform operations.
• Partner with business and IT teams to ensure platforms meet data consumption needs across reporting, analytics, and regulatory use cases.
• Evaluate emerging technologies to evolve platform capabilities.
• Establish best practices for data engineering, integration, and platform management.
• Support migration of legacy systems and data to new platforms.
• Help define roles, processes, and operating models related to platform management.
• Identify and implement process enhancements to reduce data errors, improve automation, and increase operational efficiency.

• Strategic thinking.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and decision‑making capabilities.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to translate complex technical concepts into business language.
• Innovation mindset with a continuous learning approach.
• Highest personal and professional integrity and strong work ethic.
• Resilience and adaptability in a fast‑changing environment.
• Ability to articulate and champion a vision for data platform modernization as part of the AW2030 transformation.
• Effectiveness in building trust, respect, and cooperation among teams.

Knowledge: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to execute each duty with accuracy and consistency. The…