Are you looking to make an impactful difference in your work, yourself, and your community? Why settle for just a job when you can land a career? At ICW Group, we are hiring team members who are ready to use their skills, curiosity, and drive to be part of our  journey as we strive to transform the insurance  carrier space. We're proud to be in business for over 50 years, and its change agents like yourself that will help us continue to deliver our mission to create the best insurance experience possible.

Headquartered in San Diego with regional offices located throughout the United States, ICW Group has been named for ten consecutive years as a Top 50 performing P&C organization offering the stability of a large, profitable and growing company combined with a focus on all things people. It's our team members who make us an employer of choice and the vibrant company we are today. We strive to make both our  internal and external communities better everyday! Learn more about why you want to be here!

PURPOSE OF THE JOB

The purpose of Director of Data Services is to lead the strategic direction and operational excellence of Data Engineering, Enterprise Business Intelligence (BI), and Enterprise Data Governance at ICW Group. This position ensures the integration of data services with business objectives, providing technical leadership to deliver scalable, high-quality data solutions that drive informed decision-making and sustained financial growth. The Director of Data Services will champion innovation, governance, and efficient data practices to support both tactical and strategic business goals. This position reports to the AVP of Technology and Data Engineering and will be a key member of the Data Technology leadership team.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Leads operational and strategic planning for Data Engineering, Enterprise BI, and Data Governance, ensuring alignment with business needs, project prioritization, and effective resource allocation.

• Develops, implements, and manages data strategies and technology roadmaps, ensuring scalable and secure data architectures that support the company’s growth and innovation objectives.

• Plans, coordinates, and directs all operational activities related to data management, data engineering pipelines, business intelligence platforms, and governance frameworks to support mission-critical business functions.

• Partners with senior leadership and cross-functional teams to identify, evaluate, and deploy data-driven solutions that optimize operational efficiency and enhance decision-making across the organization.

• Oversees and provides technical direction for key data initiatives, including cloud data platforms, analytics tools, data security, and compliance, ensuring alignment with long-term business and IT goals.

• Collaborates with IT and business leaders to develop, refine, and execute data strategies that drive enterprise-wide value, promote data stewardship, and maximize the company’s data assets.

• Fosters a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and data-driven decision-making across all levels of the organization, ensuring teams are equipped to meet future business challenges through cutting-edge technologies.

Provides strategic oversight and ensures operational excellence across Data Engineering, Enterprise Business Intelligence, and Data Governance programs.

• Defines and communicates project milestones, data service level agreements (SLAs), and resource allocation to the executive team, department leads, data engineers, analysts, and end users.

• Develops and reviews budgets for data-related initiatives and ensures alignment with organizational goals, financial guidelines, and strategic objectives.

• Monitors the performance of data systems, pipelines, and platforms to assess operating costs, productivity, and scalability requirements; ensures the systems meet business growth demands.

• Benchmarks, analyzes, and reports on data management processes, BI infrastructure, and governance practices, making data-driven recommendations for continuous improvement.

• Oversees the deployment, monitoring, maintenance, and development of data architectures, cloud platforms, and analytics tools within the portfolio, ensuring high availability and performance.

• Collaborates with the enterprise PMO to support business case development, cost/benefit analyses, and financial justification for data investments and initiatives.

• Leads research and evaluation of emerging data technologies, platforms, and solutions in support of new business opportunities and operational enhancements.

• Develops and enforces data policies, including those governing architecture, data security, data privacy, disaster recovery, and compliance, in line with industry best practices.

• Oversees vendor, outsourcer, and consultant contract negotiations and ensures data-related service agreements meet technical and business needs.

• Establishes regular, transparent communication with executives, department heads, and key stakeholders to ensure alignment on data-related strategies, initiatives, and performance updates.

Develops and leads a team of Data Engineering, Enterprise BI, and Data Governance professionals.

• Provides strategic, tactical, and daily direction to the data services team. Communicates the organization’s mission, values, and operating principles to both direct and indirect reports, fostering alignment with business objectives.

• Establishes and maintains an optimal workflow cadence across data services, ensuring high performance, data accuracy, and excellence in delivery and customer experience. Partners with leadership to ensure the team is engaged, motivated, and driven towards continuous improvement and innovation.

• Implements and enforces clear hiring criteria, onboarding practices, and training programs to build a highly skilled and diverse data team capable of driving strategic data initiatives across the enterprise.

• Oversees the performance management and development process for data professionals, providing regular coaching, development planning, and performance feedback to direct reports to promote growth and retention.

• Acts as a subject matter expert and resource for department leaders and team members, assisting with complex data-related challenges and providing guidance on best practices.

• Ensures data services align with enterprise priorities and deliver exceptional value to internal stakeholders and external customers.

• Ensures data quality, compliance with IT security standards, and adherence to data governance frameworks, while managing risk-related metrics such as data privacy, profitability, and compliance across the team.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Science, or a related field is required. A Master’s degree is preferred.

• Minimum 15 years of experience in data services or a related field, including data engineering, enterprise BI, and/or data governance, with significant leadership experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Minimum 10 years of experience managing or directing large-scale data operations, including cloud-based data platforms, analytics solutions, and governance frameworks, with a proven track record of leading cross-functional data teams and delivering strategic data solutions.

Specific Core Insurance Solutions Experience:

• Experience working in the insurance industry or insurance tech domain, with exposure to core components such as underwriting, claims, billing, and actuarial data solutions.

• Proven experience working closely with line of business leaders, including finance and business units, to drive data initiatives that align with enterprise goals.

• Experience in Worker’s Compensation, commercial multi-peril, or property and casualty insurance is preferred. Exposure to InsurTech companies or direct experience with an insurance carrier is highly desirable.

Specific Shared Services Experience:

• Experience delivering data-driven, customer-facing digital initiatives in enterprise environments within industries such as insurance, financial services, banking, real estate, or e-commerce.

• Experience delivering customer experience (CX) technology solutions or programs is preferred.

• Expertise in managing in-house data platforms and solutions that provide operational efficiencies while delivering new data insights and services for enterprise-wide use.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

None required.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• Must possess deep expertise in data management, data governance, and data engineering, with a proven track record of aligning data strategies to support business growth and operational excellence.

• Requires a strong understanding of business processes, financial management, and budgeting, as well as the ability to make data-driven decisions that enhance efficiency and scalability.

• Extensive technical knowledge of cloud-based data platforms, enterprise BI tools, and data governance frameworks is essential, along with hands-on experience in systems design, development, and the daily management of complex data infrastructures.

• Possess demonstrated leadership skills and the ability to present complex technical concepts in a clear, concise manner to both executive leadership and technical teams.

• Strong problem-solving abilities, particularly in applying “right-sized” solutions to data-related challenges, critical for driving operational improvements in a mid-size P&C insurance carrier.

• Proficiency with tools like Excel, PowerPoint, and collaboration platforms, along with knowledge of data privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA), is key.

• The ability to communicate effectively across various audiences is essential in ensuring alignment on data-driven initiatives and ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory standards.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The employee may need to sit in front of a computer for a period of time. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may occasionally need to reach, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.  The employee may need to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT 

This position operates in an office environment and requires the frequent use of a computer, telephone, copier, and other standard office equipment.

We are currently not offering employment sponsorship for this opportunity.

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The current range for this position is

This range is exclusive of fringe benefits and potential bonuses.  If hired at ICW Group, your final base salary compensation will be determined by factors unique to each candidate, including experience, education and the location of the role and considers employees performing substantially similar work.

WHY JOIN ICW GROUP?
•    Challenging work and the ability to make a difference
•    You will have a voice and feel a sense of belonging
•    We offer a competitive benefits package, with generous medical, dental, and vision plans as well as 401K retirement plans and company match
•    Bonus potential for all positions
•    Paid Time Off with an accrual rate of 5.23 hours per pay period (equal to 17 days per year)
•    11 paid holidays throughout the calendar year
•    Want to continue learning? We’ll support you 100%

ICW Group is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. ICW Group will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex/gender, age, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law.

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