Senior Data Engineering Leader – Customer Data & Analytics Strategy, Insight‑Driven Personalization, Journey Optimization, and Data‑Centric Innovation for Global Retail & E‑Commerce at brighthush

About brighthush

brighthush is more than a retailer; it is a cultural catalyst that fuels the passions of athletes, explorers, and everyday adventurers worldwide. From a modest bait‑and‑tackle shop in Binghamton, NY, the company has transformed into a global omnichannel powerhouse with over 850 physical locations and a digital footprint that touches millions of customers each day. brighthush’s mission is simple yet profound: to deliver the best possible customer experience in sport and recreation by marrying cutting‑edge technology, data‑driven insight, and a people‑first culture that empowers every teammate to innovate.

Today, brighthush is on a bold transformation journey—evolving from the world’s leading sports retailer to the world’s leading sports company. This evolution is powered by data, and the organization is seeking visionary leaders who can turn raw information into actionable intelligence, driving hyper‑personalized experiences that deepen loyalty and accelerate growth.

Why This Role Matters

In an era where customers expect seamless, personalized interactions across stores, mobile apps, e‑commerce sites, and social platforms, the data foundation must be rock‑solid, real‑time, and trustworthy. As the Senior Data Engineering Leader – Customer Data & Analytics Strategy, you will be the chief architect of that foundation. Your work will directly influence how brighthush anticipates customer needs, recommends the right product at the right moment, and creates memorable journeys that turn casual shoppers into lifelong brand advocates.

Role Overview

This role sits at the intersection of business strategy, data science, and engineering execution. You will partner with senior stakeholders, product owners, and data scientists to design, build, and continuously evolve a modern data platform that powers personalization, journey optimization, and data‑centric innovation across every touchpoint. Your leadership will ensure that data pipelines are reliable, scalable, and governed, while fostering a high‑performing engineering culture that thrives on curiosity, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

1. End‑to‑End Data Platform Ownership

• Architect, develop, and maintain robust data pipelines that ingest, transform, and deliver customer‑centric data for segmentation, recommendation engines, and real‑time personalization campaigns.
• Implement cloud‑native data storage and processing solutions (e.g., data lakes, warehouses, and streaming platforms) that support petabyte‑scale workloads with sub‑second latency.
• Establish and enforce data quality standards through automated testing, monitoring, and remediation frameworks that keep data trustworthy and compliant.
• Drive data cataloging, lineage, and metadata management to increase transparency, discoverability, and confidence across the organization.
• Lead migration of legacy systems to modern, scalable cloud platforms while preserving historical context and minimizing disruption.

2. Strategic Digital Transformation

• Define a multi‑year data roadmap aligned with brighthush’s broader digital strategy, prioritizing initiatives that deliver measurable business impact.
• Champion agile and design‑thinking methodologies to accelerate delivery of data products and ensure they meet evolving customer expectations.
• Quantify the ROI of data initiatives using metrics such as conversion lift, average order value, and customer lifetime value, and communicate results to executive leadership.
• Promote a data‑first culture by evangelizing data literacy, running workshops, and providing self‑service analytics tools to non‑technical stakeholders.
• Collaborate closely with marketing, merchandising, supply‑chain, and product teams to ensure data solutions are tightly integrated with business priorities.

3. Team Leadership & Talent Development

• Recruit, mentor, and retain a world‑class data engineering team spanning onshore and offshore talent, fostering an environment of continuous learning and experimentation.
• Design and deliver technical training programs on cloud data platforms, streaming architectures, MLOps, and modern DevOps practices.
• Implement performance management processes that set clear objectives, provide regular feedback, and recognize high‑impact contributions.
• Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion within the engineering organization, ensuring a welcoming environment for all voices.
• Facilitate knowledge‑sharing forums such as brown‑bag sessions, hackathons, and internal conferences to keep the team at the cutting edge of technology.

4. Visionary Architecture & Innovation

• Translate market trends and emerging customer insights into strategic data initiatives that open new revenue streams and enhance the overall brand experience.
• Partner with senior leadership to align data investments with corporate strategy, ensuring technology serves as a competitive advantage.
• Represent brighthush at industry conferences and forums, sharing best practices and bringing back fresh ideas to keep the organization ahead of the curve.
• Develop a long‑term, future‑proof data architecture that can scale with global growth, support advanced AI/ML workloads, and adapt to evolving regulatory landscapes.

5. Project & Portfolio Management

• Oversee a portfolio of high‑impact data projects, ensuring on‑time delivery, budget adherence, and alignment with business objectives.
• Utilize modern project‑management tools and methodologies (e.g., Scrum, Kanban, OKRs) to increase transparency, reduce cycle times, and manage risk.
• Implement lightweight governance frameworks that balance speed with quality, enabling rapid iteration without compromising data integrity.
• Drive continuous improvement cycles to refine processes, lower operational costs, and boost throughput.

6. Quality Assurance, Security & Compliance

• Build automated testing and validation frameworks for data pipelines, ensuring reliability across development, staging, and production environments.
• Lead incident response for data security events, working closely with brighthush’s security team to protect customer data and brand reputation.
• Ensure compliance with global privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA, etc.) through robust data governance, encryption, access controls, and audit trails.
• Educate engineering and business teams on security best practices to foster a culture of data stewardship.

7. Financial Stewardship & Vendor Management

• Collaborate with finance to develop annual budgets for data engineering initiatives, aligning spend with strategic priorities.
• Forecast resource needs for staffing, tooling, and cloud consumption, ensuring scalability and cost‑efficiency.
• Monitor spend against budget, identifying optimization opportunities without sacrificing performance.
• Negotiate contracts with technology vendors to secure favorable pricing, service‑level agreements, and future‑proof licensing models.

Essential Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in data engineering, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
• Demonstrated success building and scaling data platforms that support high‑volume, real‑time analytics and personalization.
• Deep expertise in customer data management, omni‑channel identity resolution, and activation of data‑science models for personalized campaigns.
• Hands‑on experience with brighthush’s cloud data platform and associated processing frameworks.
• Strong background in designing complex data schemas, data modeling, and performance‑tuned query architectures.
• Proficiency with modern orchestration tools (e.g., Airflow, dbt, or brighthush‑specific frameworks) and CI/CD pipelines for data workflows.
• Experience leading distributed onshore/offshore engineering teams and aligning them with core business objectives.
• Solid understanding of data governance, security, and compliance best practices.
• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, or a related discipline is preferred but not mandatory.

Preferred Qualifications & Soft Skills

• Exceptional people‑management abilities, including coaching, performance reviews, and career development planning.
• Outstanding communication skills, capable of translating complex technical concepts into clear business value for non‑technical audiences.
• Proven ability to influence and collaborate across multiple business units and senior leadership tiers.
• Experience with data cataloging, lineage, and metadata management solutions.
• Familiarity with AI/ML model deployment pipelines, MLOps, and operationalizing machine‑learning at scale.
• Track record of thriving in fast‑paced, high‑growth environments where priorities shift rapidly.
• Growth mindset with a passion for continuous learning and staying ahead of industry trends.

Core Skills & Competencies

• Customer Focus: Builds strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring data solutions directly address real‑world needs and enhance customer satisfaction.
• Strategic Vision: Anticipates future opportunities, translating insights into breakthrough strategies that shape the organization’s direction.
• Decision Quality: Makes timely, well‑informed decisions, balancing risk and opportunity while escalating issues when necessary.
• Action Orientation: Approaches challenges with urgency and energy, taking decisive steps to resolve problems and seize new opportunities.
• Team Builder: Fosters a collaborative environment where diverse skills and perspectives converge to achieve shared goals.
• Talent Developer: Mentors teammates, provides constructive feedback, and creates clear pathways for career advancement.
• Trust Builder: Earns confidence through honesty, integrity, and transparency, cultivating a culture of accountability.
• Tech Savvy: Stays ahead of emerging technologies, experimenting with new tools and platforms to drive performance and innovation.

Career Growth & Learning Opportunities

brighthush invests heavily in the professional development of its leaders. As a senior data engineering leader, you will:

• Participate in executive‑level strategy sessions, shaping the future of customer experience and data‑driven decision making.
• Lead cross‑functional initiatives that intersect technology, product, marketing, and operations, expanding your influence across the enterprise.
• Access a robust learning platform offering certifications in cloud data services, advanced analytics, and leadership development.
• Receive mentorship from senior executives and opportunities to present at internal and external conferences.
• Own high‑impact projects that directly influence company strategy, revenue growth, and market differentiation.
• Benefit from a clearly defined career ladder with transparent milestones, promotion pathways, and performance‑based incentives.

Compensation, Perks & Benefits

While exact figures vary by location and experience, brighthush offers a competitive total rewards package that includes:

• Market‑aligned base salary with performance‑based annual bonuses.
• Equity or stock‑option plans that align your success with the company’s long‑term growth.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents.
• Flexible work arrangements, including remote‑work options and flexible hours.
• Generous paid time off, parental leave, and wellness programs.
• Professional development budget and sponsorship for industry conferences.
• Employee discount program across all brighthush retail and digital channels.
• On‑site amenities such as fitness centers, wellness rooms, and collaborative community spaces.

Work Environment & Culture at brighthush

brighthush’s culture is built on curiosity, collaboration, and an unwavering focus on the customer. The environment encourages:

• Open communication and cross‑functional teamwork, breaking down silos to accelerate innovation.
• Experimentation and rapid iteration—fail fast, learn, and iterate.
• Recognition of individual and team achievements through formal awards and informal celebrations.
• Continuous learning, with access to internal labs, hackathons, and a library of technical resources.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensuring every teammate feels valued and heard.
• A balanced approach to work‑life integration, supporting both personal well‑being and professional ambition.

Ready to Shape the Future of Data‑Driven Retail?

If you are a visionary leader who thrives at the intersection of technology, strategy, and customer experience, brighthush wants to hear from you. Join us to build the data foundation that will power the next generation of personalized, immersive shopping experiences for millions of athletes and outdoor enthusiasts worldwide.

Apply Now and become a catalyst for data‑centric innovation at brighthush.