Who you are

• 10+ years of experience implementing and managing cloud-native data platforms and solutions (8 years with Masters Degree)
• 8+ years of experience with DataOps (DevOps for data) principles and methodologies
• 6+ years of experience implementing and maintaining robust CI/CD pipelines for data platforms and products
• 6+ years of experience with deployment strategies, environment management, and testing best practices for data products, with a focus on automation and quality
• 4+ years of experience with core data platforms and orchestration tools, such as Snowflake, dbt, Airflow, & FiveTran, for the purpose of integrating these tools into CI/CD pipeline automations
• High level understanding of data modeling, ETL/ELT processes, and data warehousing best practices
• Strong technical problem-solving skills at the implementation level, including debugging failed tests and CICD pipeline issues
• Passion for automation and a track record of implementing solutions to improve efficiency and reduce manual effort
• Experience working with agile methodologies and their application to the implementation of DataOps/DevOps tasks
• Excellent communication and social skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with technical and non-technical team members
• Familiarity with data cataloging, data lineage, and data quality solutions (e.g., Atlan, Acceldata) is a plus
• Strong knowledge of data security best practices and ability to implement security measures, including security testing within pipelines

What the job involves

• In 2024, Workday launched an Enterprise Data and Analytics team with a mission to transform and optimize the way Workday creates and shares trusted data to drive actionable insights and data-led innovation across the enterprise. The team has introduced a new, cloud based technical stack, a Data Product methodology anchored in the principles of DataOps, an active Data Governance methodology to manage the quality and discovery of data, and a series of modern analytics tools that facilitate discovery, analysis, visualization, machine learning, and AI
• The team’s goal is to lead high value multi-functional data and analytics work and to establish and support the broader Workday analytics community by establishing modern, common ways of working, facilitating training and communication, and creating secure data and analytics brokering capability across business units
• We are seeking a hands-on Principal of DataOps Engineering to help optimize our data cloud-based platform by implementing CI/CD automation that drives technical and business processes. This would include establishing thought leadership for a small team of 4 DataOps engineers, coordinating with IT and Analytics Engineering, implementing the CI/CD for our data workflows, and helping to establish critical integrations between platforms to power those CI/CD workflows
• The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of DataOps/DevOps principles, experience on teams that manage data as a product and leverage modern DataOps tools, and a passion for automation and efficiency. This role will be instrumental in building and scaling our data platform to support data-driven decision-making across the organization
• Implement and maintain DataOps CI/CD pipelines for rapid, reliable infrastructure and data product deployment, encompassing automated environment provisioning and management, testing, and linting stages
• Implement and optimize monitoring and alerting systems, especially in CI/CD pipelines, to proactively identify and resolve issues
• Configure ED&A’s data platform with industry best practices, robust security standards, & data governance
• Collaborate across the organization, including with IT and Analytics Engineering
• Implement test-driven development principles in CI/CD pipelines specialized to the data space
• Implement DataOps CI/CD best practices in CI/CD pipelines via integration with ED&A’s data tech stack (Snowflake, dbt, Atlan, Acceldata, Airflow, and GitHub)
• Measure adoption and look for continuous improvement opportunities related to technology, process, and skills
• Drive and, to the extent possible, automate the creation of detailed documentation for implemented CI/CD pipelines and operating procedures
• Implement automation and performance optimization to enhance ED&A data platform capabilities
• Continuously tune developed solutions for optimal performance
• Drive thought leadership in DataOps and adjacent spaces within Workday