Director, Data Platforms Engineering

Yum! Brands is seeking a strategic and technically accomplished Director to lead the Data Architecture, Engineering, and Operations functions within the AI, Data & Analytics organization.

This role is responsible for defining the vision, strategy, operating model, and execution framework for enterprise data platforms that power analytics, AI, and business operations across Yum! Brands. As a key member of the DP&E leadership team, this individual will lead globally distributed teams, oversee strategic technology investments and vendor partnerships, partner with executive stakeholders, and drive alignment between platform capabilities and enterprise objectives. 

The ideal candidate combines proven experience leading large-scale technical organizations with deep expertise in modern cloud data platforms, data architecture, and engineering practices. They will be equally comfortable influencing enterprise strategy, building high-performing teams, communicating with senior leadership, and guiding technical decisions that drive scalability, reliability, and innovation. 

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Organizational Excellence 

• Serve as a primary representative of Data Platforms & Engineering within Yum! to executive leadership, building trusted relationships with senior business, technology, and market leaders while influencing enterprise strategy, technology investments, and platform priorities. 

• Develop and deliver executive-level communications, business cases, strategic roadmaps, and operational reviews, translating complex technical concepts into clear business outcomes and actionable recommendations for senior leadership and C-level stakeholders. 

• Lead a globally distributed organization supporting enterprise data platforms, establishing operating models, execution frameworks, and accountability mechanisms that support Yum!’s AI, Data & Analytics strategy. 

• Build high-performing technical teams through coaching, succession planning, and organizational development while driving prioritization across competing business and technology demands. 

• Own budget planning and financial stewardship across assigned platforms, tooling, vendor relationships, and delivery functions. 

Modern Data Stack Ownership 

• Own the strategy, roadmap, and continuous evolution of the modern cloud data stack, including Snowflake, dbt Core, Airflow/Astronomer, Monte Carlo, AWS, and related technologies. 

• Establish engineering standards across CI/CD, automated testing, modular pipeline design, semantic modeling, and observability. 

• Evaluate and introduce emerging technologies, including AI-driven automation, to improve platform scalability, operational efficiency, and speed of delivery. 

Enterprise Data Platform Strategy 

• Define and execute the long-term vision, roadmap, and operating model for enterprise data platforms in partnership with AIDA leadership. 

• Drive platform standardization and modernization efforts across brands, functions, and technology teams while influencing investment decisions and technical priorities. 

• Lead strategic vendor partnerships, contract negotiations, and commercial discussions while evaluating build-versus-buy decisions. 

Data Platform Leadership 

• Lead globally distributed teams across Data Architecture, Engineering, and Operations, providing strategic direction, organizational leadership, and technical oversight for enterprise data platforms. 

• Establish enterprise architecture patterns, engineering practices, and operational processes that improve platform quality, resiliency, maintainability, and speed of delivery. 

• Oversee delivery and support of enterprise data products, platform capabilities, and foundational datasets that power analytics, AI, and operational decision-making. 

• Drive continuous improvement through automation, observability, performance optimization, and operational excellence. 

• Serve as the senior authority for platform architecture and engineering decisions, guiding complex technical tradeoffs and influencing enterprise technology standards. 

Business Partnership & Data Product Enablement 

• Partner with business, product, technology, and BYTE Engineering leaders to translate strategic priorities into scalable data products and platform capabilities. 

• Act as a trusted advisor on platform capabilities, architecture decisions, and data strategy, ensuring alignment between technical investments and business outcomes. 

• Drive adoption and measurable value of enterprise data products while ensuring solutions are scalable, reusable, and aligned with broader enterprise technology roadmaps. 

Talent & Organizational Development 

• Lead, mentor, and scale global teams by defining talent strategies, organizational structures, and capability development plans that support long-term growth and evolving business needs. 

• Build and sustain a heart-led, high-performance culture focused on ownership, innovation, collaboration, and delivery excellence. 

Qualifications & Requirements

Experience 

• 12+ years of experience in data engineering, data platforms, or data architecture. 

• 5+ years of experience leading global, distributed technical teams. 

• Proven track record of owning and delivering enterprise-scale data platforms and architecture. 

• Experience operating effectively in complex, matrixed organizations. 

Technical Skills 

• Deep expertise in modern data platforms, including Snowflake, dbt Core, Airflow/Astronomer, and AWS. Informatica IICS experience is a plus. 

• Experience with data observability tools such as Monte Carlo or similar platforms. 

• Strong background in data modeling, including physical, semantic, and domain-oriented approaches. 

• Proven experience designing and building scalable batch and real-time data pipelines. 

• Solid understanding of distributed data systems, platform operations, observability, and data quality practices. 

Leadership Skills 

• Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and shape technical and business strategy. 

• Strong capability to translate business needs into scalable technical solutions. 

• Proven experience building and leading high-performing technical teams. 

• Excellent communication, presentation, stakeholder management, and executive relationship-building skills. 

Education 

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Salary range: $218,600 - $273,100 + eligible bonus + comprehensive benefits