Director – Data Platforms Engineering
About the job
- At least 12 years of experience in data engineering, data platforms, or data architecture.
- At least 5 years of experience leading global, distributed technical teams.
- A proven track record of owning and delivering enterprise-scale data platforms and architecture.
- Experience operating effectively in complex, matrixed organizations.
- Deep expertise in modern data platforms, including Snowflake, dbt Core, Airflow/Astronomer, and AWS.
- Experience with data observability tools such as Monte Carlo or similar platforms.
- A strong background in data modeling, including physical, semantic, and domain-oriented approaches.
- Proven experience designing and building scalable batch and real-time data pipelines.
- A solid understanding of distributed data systems, platform operations, observability, and data quality practices.
- Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and shape technical and business strategy.
- Ability to translate business needs into scalable technical solutions.
- Proven experience building and leading high-performing technical teams.
- Excellent communication, presentation, stakeholder management, and executive relationship-building skills.
- A bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
- Represent Data Platforms & Engineering to executive leadership, build relationships with senior business, technology, and market leaders, and influence enterprise strategy, technology investments, and platform priorities.
- Develop executive-level communications, business cases, strategic roadmaps, and operational reviews, translating technical concepts into business outcomes and recommendations for senior and C-level stakeholders.
- Lead a globally distributed organization supporting enterprise data platforms, establishing operating models, execution frameworks, and accountability mechanisms aligned with the AI, Data & Analytics strategy.
- Build high-performing technical teams through coaching, succession planning, and organizational development, and drive prioritization across business and technology demands.
- Own budget planning and financial stewardship for assigned platforms, tooling, vendor relationships, and delivery functions.
- Own the strategy, roadmap, and continuous evolution of the modern cloud data stack, including Snowflake, dbt Core, Airflow/Astronomer, Monte Carlo, AWS, and related technologies.
- Establish engineering standards across CI/CD, automated testing, modular pipeline design, semantic modeling, and observability.
- Evaluate and introduce emerging technologies, including AI-driven automation, to improve platform scalability, operational efficiency, and delivery speed.
- Define and execute the long-term vision, roadmap, and operating model for enterprise data platforms in partnership with AIDA leadership.
- Drive platform standardization and modernization across brands, functions, and technology teams, influencing investment decisions and technical priorities.
- Lead strategic vendor partnerships, contract negotiations, and commercial discussions, and evaluate build-versus-buy decisions.
- Lead globally distributed teams across Data Architecture, Engineering, and Operations, providing strategic direction, organizational leadership, and technical oversight for enterprise data platforms.
- Establish enterprise architecture patterns, engineering practices, and operational processes that improve platform quality, resiliency, maintainability, and delivery speed.
- Oversee delivery and support of enterprise data products, platform capabilities, and foundational datasets that power analytics, AI, and operational decision-making.
- Drive continuous improvement through automation, observability, performance optimization, and operational excellence.
- Serve as the senior authority for platform architecture and engineering decisions, guiding complex technical tradeoffs and influencing enterprise technology standards.
- Partner with business, product, technology, and BYTE Engineering leaders to translate strategic priorities into scalable data products and platform capabilities.
- Advise on platform capabilities, architecture decisions, and data strategy, aligning technical investments with business outcomes.
- Drive adoption and measurable value of enterprise data products, ensuring solutions are scalable, reusable, and aligned with enterprise technology roadmaps.
- Lead, mentor, and scale global teams by defining talent strategies, organizational structures, and capability development plans to support long-term growth and evolving business needs.
- Build and sustain a high-performance culture focused on ownership, innovation, collaboration, and delivery excellence.
- Informatica IICS experience.
About the company
Yum! Brands operates a global portfolio of fast-food chains, including KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and The Habit Burger Grill, primarily through franchising in more than 155 countries with about 61,000 restaurants. Its revenue mainly comes from franchise and license fees as well as royalties, plus some company-owned locations. The company differentiates itself by leveraging a large, multi-brand network with a franchise-heavy model that supports rapid international expansion while keeping operating costs down. Its goal is to grow its global footprint, maximize value from its brands, and continuously optimize operations and menus across markets.
Company Size
5,001-10,000
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Louisville, Kentucky
Founded
1997
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- September 1, 2026 Pizza Hut sale removed a chronic underperformer and $2.7 billion distraction.
- Ex-Pizza Hut Q2 2026 system sales rose 7% and core profit 8%.
- Taco Bell recovered from July's cyclospora shock, with sales improving week by week.
What critics are saying
- July 2026 Taco Bell cyclospora lawsuits already target Yum after two Michigan deaths.
- Taco Bell's lettuce supply chain still faces FDA scrutiny and repeat outbreak risk.
- A fresh food-safety crisis would hit royalties, invite class actions, and damage franchisee trust.
What makes Yum! Brands unique
- KFC, Taco Bell, and Habit run a nearly pure-franchise, asset-light global system.
- Taco Bell's digital sales exceeded 60% of mix after Pizza Hut's exit.
- KFC opened 660 restaurants across 55 markets in Q2 2026.
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Benefits
Flexible Work Hours
Professional Development Budget
Mental Health Support
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
8%1 year growth
8%2 year growth
8%Thrive Tribe Technologies has raised $500,000 through a placement of 500 million new ordinary shares at $0.001 each. The Australian company announced the issuance on 3 September 2026, having received shareholder approval at an extraordinary general meeting in July. The company filed a cleansing notice under section 708A(5)(e) of the Corporations Act 2001, enabling immediate trading of the placement shares. Thrive Tribe Technologies confirmed compliance with disclosure requirements and stated no excluded information exists under the Act. The shares were issued without disclosure under Part 6D.2 of the Corporations Act. An Appendix 2A for share quotation was released to the market on the same day.
Stonegate Capital Partners has initiated coverage on Yum! Brands, focusing on the company's performance following its Pizza Hut operations. Excluding Pizza Hut, Yum!'s second quarter 2026 results showed system sales up 7%, units up 6%, same-store sales up 4%, and core operating profit up 8%. Taco Bell remains the primary US growth driver, though a July food safety issue is expected to pressure third-quarter sales and margins. KFC opened 660 restaurants across 55 markets in the second quarter, with units growing 7%. The Pizza Hut divestiture is expected to yield approximately $2.3 billion in net proceeds. Stonegate notes the company will increasingly concentrate on its higher-growth, predominantly franchised KFC and Taco Bell businesses.
Taco Bell's same-store sales dropped 2% in July-September following a cyclospora outbreak linked to shredded lettuce, down from a 7% increase in the previous quarter. Parent company Yum Brands reported sales bottomed out the weekend of 18-19 July but have since recovered halfway to year-ago levels. The chain removed shredded iceberg lettuce from US restaurants on 17 July after federal health officials connected it to the outbreak affecting customers in nine states. Taylor Farms recalled iceberg lettuce from central Mexico the following day. Yum Brands chief executive Chris Turner credited quick action, clear social media communication, and daily specials like $1 Mexican pizza for winning back diners. Company shares rose 6% on Thursday. Other chains including Chipotle and Chopt also reported lower traffic due to the outbreak.
Yum Brands reported mixed second-quarter results on Wednesday but provided no update on the cyclospora outbreak linked to Taco Bell restaurants. The company posted adjusted earnings per share of $1.62, beating expectations of $1.58, whilst revenue of $2.17 billion fell short of the $2.2 billion forecast. Net income rose to $853 million from $374 million year-over-year. Net revenue climbed 12% to $2.17 billion, driven by new restaurant openings. Global same-store sales increased 3% in the quarter. Taco Bell's same-store sales jumped 7%, whilst KFC reported 2% growth and Pizza Hut declined 1%. The results cover the period ended 30 June, before the FDA linked the outbreak to Taco Bell in mid-July.
Yum! Brands reported Q1 revenues of $2.06 billion, up 15.2% year-on-year, exceeding analysts' expectations by 0.6%. The owner of KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and The Habit Burger Grill delivered strong results, beating EBITDA and same-store sales estimates. Despite the solid performance, the stock has declined 3.7% since reporting and currently trades at $150.75, suggesting investor expectations may have been higher than Wall Street's published projections. The traditional fast food sector showed strength overall in Q1, with 12 tracked companies collectively beating revenue consensus estimates by 1.4%. El Pollo Loco emerged as the quarter's top performer, reporting revenues of $126.2 million, up 5.9% year-on-year and exceeding expectations by 3.2%. Its shares rose 12.5% following the results.