Manager, Data Leader

If you're passionate about innovation and love working in an environment where you can constantly improve and adopt new technologies to drive business results, then Nationwide's Information Technology team could be the place for you At Nationwide, "on your side" goes beyond just words. Our customers are at the center of everything we do and we're looking for associates who are passionate about delivering extraordinary care.

If you are passionate about the importance of data in meeting our Enterprise business objectives and in driving the adoption of newer technologies and data capabilities, then we have a great opportunity for you. As a member of the Enterprise Data Office, the Data Leader partners with our Technology and Business teams to successfully implement key data initiatives across Nationwide. In addition to supporting data pipeline development for structured data consumed by multiple downstream customers, the Data Leader is also responsible for creating and standing up data pipelines supporting use of unstructured data and machine learning models. In this role, you will also provision and procure internal and external data engineers with needed skills to deliver on our partners' complex data initiatives. And in the spirit of ensuring we have a future-ready workforce, the Data Leader continuously executes plans to upskill our resource pool on niche data skills and evolving technologies.

A successful candidate should possess the following skills and/or experiences:

• Successful history of project delivery accomplishments, with first-hand experience in scoping, estimating, and leading data efforts.

• Practitioner-level experience with one or more data tools and technologies (e.g. data querying, data analysis & profiling, data wrangling, data integration, and/or data visualization) is required. Intermediate or higher skill developing custom SQL queries is required.

• Successful history of coaching and uplifting both technical and soft skills of assigned team. Measures and manages the quality and timeliness of work of direct reports.

• Experience optimizing costs and managing use of external vendor resources in alignment with Procurement policies and project execution 'follow-the-sun' models.

• Knowledge of data governance tools, processes and policies, as well as influencing their adoption on projects driven by our IT and business partners.

• Supports maturing Nationwide IT capabilities and promotes reusable processes and work products. Demonstrated success at applying standardized automation, secure data practices, and quality routines to data pipelines and information reporting solutions.

• Proven communication skills illustrating ability to effectively interact with people at all levels of business and technology organizations.

• Ability to cultivate strong relationships and influence others in direct and matrixed work alignments.

• Demonstrated skill working directly with business partners, SMEs, and systems peers to elicit details related to pain points and gaps, as well as functional and/or data requirements needed to achieve desired capabilities.

• Identification of innovation opportunities involving application of Data Ops and Generative AI capabilities for both business enablement and IT Ops use cases.

• Experience supporting the adoption of enterprise reference architectures.

• Critical thinking, excellent communication, detail-oriented, team-first attitude, creative and adaptive.

• Insurance and Financial domain experience is a plus.

• Experience working in an Agile environment using Lean, Kanban, and/or Scrum practices.

Job Description Summary

Nationwide's industry leading workforce is passionate about creating data solutions that are secure, reliable and efficient in support of our mission to provide extraordinary care. Nationwide embraces an agile work environment and collaborative culture through the understanding of business processes, relationship entities and requirements using data analysis, quality, visualization, governance, engineering, robotic process automation, and machine learning to produce targeted data solutions. If you have the drive and desire to be part of a future forward data enabled culture, we want to hear from you.

As a Data Leader you'll hire, lead, coach, deploy, and re-deploy data professionals. You'll enable effective and efficient data analysis and modeling delivery through skill readiness and best practices. This position ensures the right resources with the appropriate skills are aligned to the right work and are focused on building and implementing best data and modeling practices.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

• Leads a team through guidance and support on the execution of data work; responsible for the management of associates including but not limited to performance management, salary planning, training, development, workforce planning, hiring, and disciplinary actions; and attracts, hires, engages and develops the team through impactful recruitment, coaching and feedback.
• Manages external supplier and consultant relationships.
• Responsible for applying secure software and systems engineering practices throughout the delivery lifecycle to ensure our data and technology solutions are protected from threats and vulnerabilities.
• Provides leadership, guidance, and support on the execution of projects/programs through continuous integration of analytic best practices.
• Contributes to the development of data analytic capabilities through the development of strategic and tactical plans.
• Reviews technical project documentation to ensure the project direction conforms to the Enterprise Data Strategy.
• Provides direction and guidance to team members on effective analysis of programs and communication of the findings to Leadership.
• Develops systems and processes and supervises the use of established systems and processes for identifying, tracking, measurement, reporting, and analysis of data-intensive projects/programs.
• Collaborates and provides guidance to teams on needs assessments, potential solutions, and approaches to managing data-intensive work for their assigned projects or programs.
• Encourages and reinforces the sharing of knowledge and best practices related to data.
• Supervises and supports the team's participation in data audit activities and alignment with Data Governance policy, standards, and processes.
• Provides end-to-end direction and deliverables across all data analysis disciplines that directly impact the success programs.

May perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Reporting Relationships: Reports to AVP or above, Data Leader; responsible for direct management of five or more data professionals.

Typical Skills and Experiences:

Education: Undergraduate studies in computer science, management information systems, business, statistics, math, a related field or comparable experience and education strongly preferred. Graduate studies in business, statistics, math, computer science or a related field are a plus.

License/Certification/Designation: Certifications are not required but encouraged.

Experience: Five or more years of relevant experience with data management standards or practices. Two years of leading a project and/or program experience. Three years of management experience is preferred. Insurance/financial services industry knowledge a plus.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skills: Substantial knowledge of data application and trends. Understanding of data analytics theory and experience with application in a key project and/or program. Must have the ability to manage a staff, lead through change. Strong oral and written communication skills to interact with all levels of associates, senior management and vendors.

Other criteria, including leadership skills, competencies and experiences may take precedence.

Staffing exceptions to the above must be approved by the hiring manager's leader and HR Business Partner.

Values: Regularly and consistently demonstrates the Nationwide Values.

Job Conditions:

Overtime Eligibility: Exempt (Not Eligible)

Working Conditions: Normal office environment.

ADA: The above statements cover what are generally believed to be principal and essential functions of this job. Specific circumstances may allow or require some people assigned to the job to perform a somewhat different combination of duties.

Benefits

We have an array of benefits to fit your needs, including: medical/dental/vision, life insurance, short and long term disability coverage, paid time off with newly hired associates receiving a minimum of 18 days paid time off each full calendar year pro-rated quarterly based on hire date, nine paid holidays, 8 hours of Lifetime paid time off, 8 hours of Unity Day paid time off, 401(k) with company match, company-paid pension plan, business casual attire, and more. To learn more about the benefits we offer.

Nationwide is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone feels challenged, appreciated, respected and engaged. Nationwide prohibits discrimination and harassment and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to any characteristic (or classification) protected by applicable law.

NOTE TO EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES:

We value the partnerships we have built with our preferred vendors. Nationwide does not accept unsolicited resumes from employment agencies. All resumes submitted by employment agencies directly to any Nationwide employee or hiring manager in any form without a signed Nationwide Client Services Agreement on file and search engagement for that position will be deemed unsolicited in nature. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is subsequently hired as a result of the referral or through other means.