Director of Data Engineering & AI Platforms

Black & Veatch Family of Companies•Olathe, KS

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Digital & Information Technology organization is advancing enterprise data and AI foundations to enable scalable analytics, automation, and intelligent applications. This Director sets the vision, strategy, and operating model for enterprise Data Engineering & AI Platforms. This role has enterprise accountability for all data and AI platforms—including strategy, delivery, operations, governance, and performance. The Director leads an organization of 20–25 engineers and architects and is responsible for ensuring these platforms are secure, reliable, scalable, and delivering measurable business value across the enterprise. This leader partners with executive stakeholders to prioritize investment, shape enterprise data & AI architecture, and accelerate AI-enabled outcomes, while enforcing strong governance, responsible AI practices, and platform standardization.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree
18+ years of experience
All applicants must be able to complete pre-employment onboarding requirements (if selected) which may include any/all of the following: criminal/civil background check, drug screen, and motor vehicle records search, in compliance with any applicable laws and regulations.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Data Engineering, Analytics, or related field; or equivalent relevant experience.
15+ years of progressive experience in data engineering, cloud platforms, analytics platforms, AI/ML platforms, or related enterprise technology disciplines.
10+ years of leadership experience managing technical teams, external partners, or complex delivery organizations.
Proven track record of owning enterprise platforms with full accountability for outcomes.
Demonstrated leadership in enterprise data platform strategy, cloud engineering, and AI enablement in a complex, matrixed environment.
Deep experience with Azure data services, Microsoft Fabric, Azure AI Foundry, and model lifecycle management.
Experience leading blended teams across onshore/offshore models and managing MSP or strategic partner performance.
Strong understanding of modern data architecture, integration patterns, governance, and secure platform design.
Ability to balance strategic thinking with execution discipline and a "roll-up-your-sleeves" leadership style.
Microsoft Azure, Fabric, AI, or architecture certifications preferred.
Experience in EPC, engineering, construction, or other asset-intensive industries is a plus.

Responsibilities

Own enterprise-wide accountability for all data and AI platforms, including performance, reliability, scalability, cost, and business value realization.
Set and drive the enterprise platform strategy and roadmap aligned to business priorities, architecture, cybersecurity, and AI/GenAI enablement.
Lead and scale a high-performing organization (20–25 professionals) across data engineering, platform engineering, and AI platform delivery.
Establish clear platform ownership and operating model, ensuring consistency, accountability, and transparency across all platform services.
Own end-to-end lifecycle management—from platform design and build to operations, optimization, and retirement.
Establish and enforce enterprise data & AI engineering standards.
Drive platform product mindset, delivering reusable, enterprise-grade services for data ingestion, transformation, orchestration, storage, and model lifecycle management.
Partner with Architecture, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure, and business leaders to align on platform direction and investment priorities.
Lead financial accountability, including budget ownership, cost optimization, and vendor/MSP performance management.
Ensure enterprise governance, security, and Responsible AI controls are embedded across all data and AI platforms.
Drive innovation across analytics, machine learning, generative AI, and agentic AI, enabling next-generation digital capabilities.
Build a culture of ownership, accountability, and engineering excellence, including hiring, coaching, and succession planning.