Senior Director, Data (remote)

Ad Hoc is a digital services company that helps the government better serve people through modern technology and product development practices. Some examples of the services we support include Healthcare.gov and VA.gov, both of which are used by millions of people. We help implement modern technologies that government agencies are increasingly interested in, bringing in best practices as we do: among other things, this includes API design, implementation, and governance; platform infrastructure for developers; responsive, accessible websites; and mobile applications. 

We are looking for a Senior Director of Data who can help evolve the culture, practices, and systems for our data practitioners that will enable us to deliver impact at scale. 

The Senior Director of Data is the leader and cultural steward of the data practitioners at Ad Hoc. They are responsible for managing the overall “health” of the data practice, which includes defining best practices and approaches that support a 21st century government as well as building a diverse team and an inclusive culture that supports our people as we grow. 

The Senior Director of Data will work closely with our Growth team to advocate for, cultivate and secure new data opportunities and partnerships.  The Senior Director of Data will also work alongside the Technology leadership from our other disciplines including product, engineering, and experience (research design) to guide a unified experience for how we work at Ad Hoc. Finally, this role will serve as a public-facing evangelist for more effective data practices within government and drive thought-leadership and innovation in these areas.

Successful candidates will have a track-record of building high-performing data teams as well as leading at scale. The willingness to dive in and build new systems and processes, sometimes from scratch, is essential, as is leading through influence within a matrixed environment. Previous experience working in a client services organization (i.e., consulting or a digital agency) or adjacent to government is helpful but not required, as is interest in working with the government.

This role reports to the VP of Technology.

Essential functions: 

• Work closely with our teams to cultivate new growth opportunities for Ad Hoc to grow our impact as it relates to data.
• Participate in go-to-market opportunities and cultivate strategic data partnerships 
• Help our business grow in the right way by supporting growth efforts, as needed, to ensure that the capabilities and interests of our people align with the work we pursue.
• Articulate a forward-thinking vision for data within government. 
• Execute a roadmap for how the data practice at Ad Hoc should evolve by developing new capabilities and approaches that meet the needs of our people and the market.
• Define and create the frameworks, processes, and/or tools that help us learn, build, and measure how we operate and evolve
• Develop artifacts and other content that highlights the value of Ad Hoc’s approach, and codifies lessons-learned.
• Develop the core approaches that guide how our data practitioners’ work and which support the health and wellbeing of the data discipline at Ad Hoc. 
• Cultivate, grow, and govern the data practice across our business units to deliver successfully with excellence across a wide portfolio of programs.
• Define and communicate the impact of data at Ad Hoc across a wide portfolio of programs.
• Promote knowledge-sharing across disciplines and teams; develop artifacts and other content that highlights the value of Ad Hoc’s approach, and codify lessons-learned.
• Identify organizational roadblocks inhibiting success. Help define, manage and deliver on key initiatives that support operational needs within the company in partnership with other groups within the organization.
• Ensure that team members have clear pathways for professional development and growth and that we have the necessary supporting systems in place to support performance at scale. Evolve the data career ladder as needed.
• Serve as a coach, mentor and role model for Ad Hoc’s senior data staff.
• Support recruitment and staffing processes
• Promote knowledge-sharing across technology disciplines and across the company. Align perspectives and work together cross-functionally to achieve our mission.
• Work with business, program, and practice leadership to guide the direction of our products and to develop data-driven strategies that support Ad Hoc’s business goals.  
• Maintain awareness of the evolving body of techniques and technologies needed to effectively cultivate, grow, and govern a modern data practice. This includes techniques and technologies applicable to the spectrum of data disciplines (e.g., data engineering, data analysis, and data science) in both on-premise and cloud-based environments, as well as their relative strengths and limitations for different use cases, to ensure solutions are fit for purpose and achieve desired outcomes.

All Ad Hoc Leaders are expected to embody Ad Hoc’s core values in their leadership and to hold their team accountable to the same. Ad Hoc Leaders are expected to ensure we are always growing by tackling hard problems, being strategic and learning from others.  Ad Hoc Leaders are expected to lead with humility. This involves being there for their teams, having a perspective, and demonstrating low/no ego in their leadership. 

Required: 

• 8 years working within a data function or closely related role
• 3 years experience leading a mid-sized data organization, or equivalent
• Experience leading within an organization at scale (Multi-team environment. Lead of leads experience.)
• Proven experience leading multiple data disciplines including data analysis, data science, and data engineering
• Strong understanding of modern data practices and digital transformation

Desired: 

• Government or government contracting experience

Benefits

• Company-subsidized Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Use What You Need Vacation Policy
• 401K with employer match
• Paid parental leave after one year of service
• Continuing education/annual conference attendance stipend

Although this position is remote, team members in this role are expected to occasionally attend in-person team events, client and/or partner meetings as required by business needs.  In-person attendance at these meetings and events is an essential function of this role as a leader of people at Ad Hoc.

In support of the Colorado Equal Pay Transparency Act, and others like it across the country, Ad Hoc job descriptions feature the starting range we reasonably expect to pay to candidates who would join our team with little to no need for training on the responsibilities we've outlined above. Actual compensation is influenced by a wide range of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, and responsibility. The range of starting pay for this role is $193,796 - $257,801 and information on benefits offered is here. Our recruiters will be happy to answer any questions you may have, and we look forward to learning more about your salary requirements.