VP IT - Data Operations & Engineering

The VP of Data Operations & Engineering is a senior, hands-on technical and operational owner responsible for managing and optimising scalable data solutions across the enterprise. This role combines deep technical expertise in modern data platforms (especially Microsoft Fabric and Power BI), operational oversight, and a strong focus on governance, quality, and best practice. The SE will drive the evolution of your data environment, ensuring robust solution design, operational reliability, and continuous improvement, while fostering diversity of thought and accountability within the team.
Following our recent transactional announcement, the SE will play a pivotal role in scaling and optimising our data operations and infrastructure. This is a hands-on, managerial oversight position focused on operational excellence, platform reliability, and the implementation of best practices in data engineering and governance. The role works closely with the Data Architect and the wider data and IT teams, ensuring that design, governance, and operational standards are consistently applied, and that operational controls are embedded in daily practice. The SE will help drive the transformation of our data platform to enable trusted, governed, and scalable data-driven insights across the business.
 
 
 

This is an opportunity to make a tangible impact on the scalability, reliability, and efficiency of our data platform. You will drive operational improvements, embed best practice, and ensure that our data solutions are robust, efficient, and future-proofed, reliable and available, supporting the business through a period of significant change and growth. 
 
The opportunity What you need Join our team

Core Responsibilities

Operational Excellence & KTLO

  • Oversee and optimise the daily operations of the data engineering function, with a strong focus on KTLO (Keep The Lights On) activities.

  • Implement and maintain best practice monitoring, alerting, and automation for all data warehouse and reporting pipelines.

  • Drive incident management, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement for data platform operations.

  • Lead the clean-up and migration away from legacy and Excel-based data sources, enforcing modern data platform standards.

  • Drive the wider data & IT team to consistently minimize technical debt.

Data Platform & Pipeline Management

  • Design, build & manage scalable data architectures and pipelines using Microsoft Fabric, Power BI, Azure, and SQL.

  • Develop and optimise ETL/ELT processes to ensure efficient, reliable data movement and transformation.

  • Oversee the design, implementation, and maintenance of data marts to ensure data is organised, accessible, and optimised for reporting and analysis, driving both efficiencies within IT as well as business self-service enablement.

  • Manage and streamline external data feeds, driving efficiency and reuse of central ETLs across the organisation.

Governance & Data Management

  • Ensure data quality, security, and compliance through robust validation and governance frameworks.

  • Drive governed self-service, ensuring data product owners are assigned and repositories are well maintained.

  • Oversee implementation of data management best practices across the data platform pipelines, storage, and compute environments.

  • Build data models when required in SQL or Power BI.

Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement

  • Work closely with business stakeholders, product owners, architects, engineers, and report/application developers to understand requirements and deliver solutions.

  • Facilitate peer review and accountability, supporting a culture of constructive challenge and continuous improvement.

  • Communicate technical concepts effectively to both technical and non-technical teams.

Integration & Master Data Management

  • Manage the design & integration of new systems into the data warehouse, including the infrastructure design for both data warehouse and other system integrations.

  • Ensure that master data management principles are applied across all systems, supporting consistency and integrity of key data entities, all the way through to reporting.

Continuous Improvement & Innovation

  • Identify and implement opportunities for automation, process improvement, and operational efficiency.

  • Support knowledge sharing and skills development across the team.

  • Contribute to the transformation of reporting capabilities and data marts to focus on data-driven insights and AI opportunities.

Qualifications and Experience

Essential:

  • Bachelors's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Data Engineering or related field
  • 7 years + in data engineering, solution engineering, BI architecture or related roles
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Fabric, Power BI (including DAX, Power Query, Service), Azure and SQL.
  • Strong experience with data warehousing concepts, ETL/ELT processes and data modelling
  • Demonstrated ability to implement and enforce data governance frameworks and operational controls.
  • Experience with cloud infrastructure, DevOps and automation tools.
  • Experience with master data management and enterprise architecture
  • Experience optimising operational processes, monitoring and controls for data pipelines.
  • Excellent problem- solving, communication and stakeholder management skills.
  • Experience working in Agile or hybrid delivery environments.

Desirable: 

  • Familiarity with AI, machine learning and Gen AI/LLM technologies
  • Experience in the aircraft leasing, fleet management, banking or treasury/finance sectors.

Critical Behaviours

These embody our culture and are central to how we work together at SMBC Aviation Capital: 

  • Respect: Two-way communication: listen intently, give quieter voices a platform and be conscious of tone. Respect people’s time and be flexible in accommodating others..
  • Trust: Create a psychologically safe space. Do what you say you will do, when you say you will do it. Be honest, communicate openly and be respectful of each other’s needs.
  • Integrity: Always do what is right including when no one is watching; treat people with respect and kindness; be self-aware, compassionate and embrace diversity.
  • Connect: Collaborate to unleash the full potential of our diverse talent. Respect each other’s expertise and perspective and welcome challenge. Foster an inclusive and fun environment where accomplishments are recognised and take pride in winning together.
  • Adapt: Be brave and curious – anticipate the future and be proactive. Have a ‘why not’ attitude, learn from previous experiences. Call out bureaucracy when it is evident in a process or way of working. Be agile to meet and exceed our customers’ needs. Demonstrate resilience and support each other.
  • Achieve: Take accountability and ownership to deliver results, be ambitious and take pride in everything we do. Set each other up for success and share insights. Do what it takes to drive positive change and seek opportunities to innovate and grow our business and people. 

Take your career to new heights – come join us at SMBC Aviation Capital 

At SMBC Aviation Capital we look after one another. Through the SMBC Aviation Capital People Commitment we offer a comprehensive suite of benefits, aligned to your needs as you move through different career and life stages. The SMBC AC People Commitment also includes our people-led culture; reward & recognition; along with our learning, wellbeing, inclusion, engagement, and CSR initiatives.  In return, we ask you to bring your enthusiasm and commitment to your work here at SMBC AC to mutually create an exceptional employee experience. 

A world of opportunity awaits you at SMBC Aviation Capital. Our workplace is one where diversity is welcome, and people of all backgrounds are supported to be at their best. We are an equal opportunities employer and strive to build an ever-inclusive work environment.  We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees. Should you have a reasonable accommodation request please reach out to us at Careers@smbc.aero

 

 

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