Data Strategy & Program Lead, PART DataOps

Description

You will set the direction for how Retail Finance's data is sourced, built, governed, and delivered - translating business needs into a clear technical roadmap and orchestrating the engineers and partner teams who execute it. Today that work spans dozens of data pipelines processing billions of records per day; your job is to ensure that work is prioritized well, built to a high standard, and continuously evolving to meet changing business conditions.

You will lead through influence as much as authority. You'll direct the priorities and delivery of our data engineering resources and partner with technical teams across Apple, relying on those partners for the deepest engineering expertise. Your value is in connecting the dots: understanding the business deeply, knowing enough about the technology to make sound trade-offs and challenge designs, and keeping a complex set of initiatives moving toward outcomes that leadership can trust.

We're a growing team with plenty of interesting technical and business challenges to solve. We're looking for a self-starter who learns fast, adapts well to changing requirements, builds trust across organizational boundaries, and is comfortable working with minimal direction in a global, fast-paced, sometimes ambiguous environment.

Responsibilities:

Own the data strategy and multi-quarter roadmap for Retail Finance data, partnering with cross-functional leadership to define and gain buy-in on a long-term vision

Define "what good looks like" - setting standards, principles, and success metrics for data quality, reliability, and delivery - and hold the work to them

Translate Retail Finance business needs into clear requirements, prioritized initiatives, and well-scoped projects

Direct the priorities, workload, and delivery of data engineering resources, balancing competing demands while maintaining quality

Partner with Apple's IT and technical partner teams who hold deep data engineering expertise - directing the work, making trade-off decisions, and ensuring solutions are scalable, efficient, and well-architected

Establish and champion data governance frameworks, including data quality, validation, monitoring, and ownership

Monitor initiatives from intake through delivery - planning schedules, managing dependencies, surfacing risks, and keeping stakeholders informed

Articulate priorities, trade-offs, and technical concepts in business context to senior Finance, Sales, and Operations leaders

Drive adoption of data products and self-service capabilities across the Retail Finance organization

Champion modern technology and AI adoption across the team and the analysts we support, helping the organization understand where new tools can drive leverage

Plan and run enablement activities - training, workshops, summits - to build data fluency across Retail Finance

Preferred Qualifications

Experience directing, mentoring, or managing engineers, contractors, or technical project teams

Working familiarity with the modern data stack and concepts behind technologies like Python, SQL, Airflow, Spark, Trino, Kafka, Docker, Iceberg, and Databricks - enough to set direction and make informed decisions, even if you're not the hands-on builder

Experience establishing data governance, data quality, and data product frameworks

Proficiency in process mapping, business process analysis, and systems development lifecycles

Familiarity with SDLC best practices, version control, and CI/CD

A point of view on applying AI/LLM tooling to improve analyst and engineering workflows

Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) for data infrastructure

Experience managing large-scale data migrations or onboarding data from external partners

Finance and accounting process experience; familiarity with Retail or Sales Finance a plus

BS or MS in Engineering / Computer Science

Minimum Qualifications

8+ years in program/project management, data strategy, business analysis, or technical program management roles, with a strong data and technology focus

Demonstrated experience owning and delivering complex, cross-functional initiatives end-to-end in an ambiguous, fast-paced environment

Strong technical fluency: able to read and reason about SQL and data pipelines, understand data warehouse/lakehouse architecture, and credibly challenge technical designs and trade-offs

Proven ability to influence and build trust across all levels of an organization, including with senior leadership and technical partner teams

BS or equivalent degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Finance, Business, or a related field

Pay & Benefits

At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay range for this role is between $146,300 and $244,100, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

Apple employees also have the opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through participation in Apple's discretionary employee stock programs. Apple employees are eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards, and can purchase Apple stock at a discount if voluntarily participating in Apple's Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You'll also receive benefits including: Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits, a range of discounted products and free services, and for formal education related to advancing your career at Apple, reimbursement for certain educational expenses - including tuition. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments as well as relocation. Learn more about Apple Benefits

Note: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.

Client-provided location(s): Cupertino, CA

Job ID: apple-200649576-0836

Employment Type: OTHER

Posted: 2026-05-28T19:34:36