Senior Manager API and Data Service Engineering

Cetera • Dallas, TX

14d • $151,000 - $211,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

We are at the forefront of transforming the future of technology in the financial industry, and we seek curious, practical individuals to help us pave the way. Our team is not intimidated by taking calculated risks, as they relish a good challenge and are eager to engage in problem-solving. As a member of our team, you will work alongside like-minded experts in a culture that is deeply rooted in innovation and progression. Join us to be part of a transformative journey that can shape the industry's future.
The Senior Manager of API & Data Services Engineering will lead the design, development, and operation of the enterprise data distribution layer for Cetera’s Moderized Event-Driven Data Platform and related operational data platforms. This role is responsible for delivering secure, scalable, and high-performance data access through APIs, caching layers, and data services that serve both operational and analytical consumers.
This position plays a critical role in decoupling data producers from consumers, enabling technology stack simplification while ensuring data is delivered in a consistent, governed, and reliable manner. The Senior Manager will oversee business-critical, near-real-time and batch data services, enforce data access contracts, and partner closely with Data Architecture, Ingestion, Mastering, and Integrated Data teams to ensure end-to-end data platform coherence.
The ideal candidate brings strong experience in API-first platforms, distributed systems, and financial services, with a preference for broker-dealer or wealth management environments where performance, security, and auditability are paramount.
This opportunity offer a Hybrid work schedule from our Dallas , Texas office.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, or a related field; Master’s degree is preferred.
• Minimum of 8 years in software engineering or data engineering, with at least 3 years in a leadership or managerial role.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex data integration/ data engineering projects, including ODS implementation and operational data management.
• Demonstrated experience owning API platforms or data services at scale.
• Hands-on expertise with AWS streaming technologies and cloud-based data engineering tools.
• Proven track record of managing business-critical 24x7 operational data systems, including support and monitoring processes.
• Financial services experience required, with preferred experience in broker-dealer and wealth management operations.
• Technical Expertise Required:
• Experience and understanding with REST as well as GraphQL federation or schema management.
• Familiarity with data contracts and versioning strategies.
• Knowledge of event-driven architectures and their interaction with API layers.
• Experience supporting analytics and AI/ML consumers via governed APIs.
• Exposure to data mesh or domain-oriented data access models.
• Knowledge of emerging trends and technologies in real-time data processing and architecture.
• Hands-on experience with data migration, modernization efforts, and cloud-native data solutions

Nice To Haves

• Technical Certifications preferred :
• related to AWS Technology Stack (e.g. AWS Certified Solutions Architecture (preferred), AWS Certified Data Analytics, Open AP/ Swagger Training, REST/ API/ GraphQL Certifications)

Responsibilities

• Team Leadership and Development:
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing API and Data Services Engineering team.
• Foster a culture of ownership, reliability, and continuous improvement.
• Establish clear performance expectations and support career development for team members.
• API & Data Service Engineering:
• Oversee the design and implementation of API-first data access patterns (REST, GraphQL) for operational and analytical use cases.
• Lead the development of data services that expose canonical data the Cetera modernized event-driven data platform in a secure, performant, and consumable manner.
• Implement caching and performance optimization strategies to meet low-latency access requirements without duplicating data logic.
• Enforce contract-driven access patterns to ensure consistent schemas, versioning, and backward compatibility.
• Leverage AWS streaming technologies (e.g., Kinesis, Kafka on AWS) to enable real-time data processing, particularly for broker-dealer and wealth management transactions.
• API & Data Service Engineering:
• Oversee the design and implementation of API-first data access patterns (REST, GraphQL) for operational and analytical use cases.
• Lead the development of data services that expose canonical data the Cetera modernized event-driven data platform in a secure, performant, and consumable manner.
• Implement caching and performance optimization strategies to meet low-latency access requirements without duplicating data logic.
• Enforce contract-driven access patterns to ensure consistent schemas, versioning, and backward compatibility.
• Leverage AWS streaming technologies (e.g., Kinesis, Kafka on AWS) to enable real-time data processing, particularly for broker-dealer and wealth management transactions.
• Security, Governance & Access Control:
• Implement and manage role-based access control (RBAC) and entitlement-aware data access.
• Ensure APIs and data services comply with security, privacy, and regulatory requirements.
• Partner with Data Governance and Architecture teams to ensure consistent enforcement of enterprise standards.
• Ensure APIs and data services comply with security, privacy, and regulatory requirements.
• Partner with Data Governance and Architecture teams to ensure consistent enforcement of enterprise standards.
• Project and Resource Management:
• Plan, prioritize, and manage multiple API engineering projects to ensure timely and within-budget delivery.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to gather requirements specific to financial services, including regulatory and compliance needs.
• Manage team resources effectively, balancing development and operational support needs.
• Stakeholder Collaboration and Communication:
• Serve as the primary point of contact for data access and distribution capabilities.
• Partner with application teams, analytics teams, and external consumers to onboard use cases efficiently.
• Partner with the Data Architecture function to align engineering efforts with organizational data strategy.
• Translate consumer needs into scalable platform capabilities rather than one-off solutions.
• Translate complex technical challenges into actionable insights for leadership and non-technical teams.
• Stakeholder Collaboration and Communication:
• Serve as the primary point of contact for data access and distribution capabilities.
• Partner with application teams, analytics teams, and external consumers to onboard use cases efficiently.
• Partner with the Data Architecture function to align engineering efforts with organizational data strategy.
• Translate consumer needs into scalable platform capabilities rather than one-off solutions.
• Translate complex technical challenges into actionable insights for leadership and non-technical teams.
• Operational Excellence:
• Own the reliability and performance of business-critical 24x7 data services supporting near-real-time and batch workloads.
• Establish monitoring, alerting, and incident management processes for APIs and caching layers.
• Ensure SLAs, availability targets, and performance benchmarks are consistently met.
• Experience designing and managing support and monitoring frameworks for 24x7 operational data systems.
• Proven ability to establish incident management processes and escalation protocols.
• Strong background in optimizing API performance, availability, and reliability at scale.
• Interpersonal & Communication Skills:
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical capabilities, especially in high-pressure environments.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey technical concepts to business stakeholders effectively.
• Platform Alignment & Simplification:
• Work closely with Data Architecture to align API and distribution patterns with Celera's data platform modernization Project and modernized enterprise data

Benefits

• Inclusive health, dental, vision and life insurance plans built to support diverse lifestyles, offer preventative care, and protect against hardship.
• Easy access to mental health benefits to meet our team members and their families where they are.
• 20+ days of paid time off (PTO), paid holidays, and 2 paid wellness days to give our employees the time they need to stay close with their loved ones, recharge, and give back to their communities.
• 401(k) Savings plan with a generous company contribution (up to 5%), and access to a financial professional to offer our employees the opportunity to plan-ahead for a strong financial future well beyond their working years.
• Paid parental leave to support all team members with birth, adoption, and foster.
• Health Savings and Flexible Spending Account options to help you save money on healthcare, daycare, commuting, and more.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP), LifeLock, Pet Insurance and more.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior