Director of Engineering- Data Platform

POSITION DESCRIPTION

POSITION TITLE: Director Engineering -- Data Platform

Reports to: Chief Technology and Information Officer

Direct Reports: N/A

FLSA: Salary, Exempt

COMPENSATION: $195,000 -- $205,000 annually

JOIN OUR TEAM

At VASA Fitness, we want to create an uplifting experience for everyone by offering inclusive, accessible, and on-trend fitness. The foundation of our brand is rooted in a culture centered on unity, passion, love, integrity, fun, and trust. Because our culture is alive--embodied by members and team members alike--VASA is a place where lives are changed because of authentic connections made within our supportive community.

Our people BELIEVE in our brand, are HARD WORKING, have HIGH STANDARDS, and GIVE ENERGY to others.

BENEFITS

We offer a competitive, all-encompassing benefits package which includes healthcare benefits for employees who work 20 hours per week. All employees receive two complimentary gym memberships--one for themselves and another to give away--plus 401k options.

• 30 hours per week employees: Paid Time Off (hourly), Health, Dental, Vision Benefits and Paid Parental Leave (in addition to above)
• 40 hours per week employees: Flexible Vacation Plan (salary) & Paid Holidays (in addition to above)

Come join VASA Fitness and join a passionate, fun, and united team!

We are proud to be a 'Great Place to Work' certified company!

PURPOSE

VASA Fitness is seeking a Director of Engineering to lead the strategic development and implementation of our comprehensive data platform. This critical leadership role will drive the technical vision, architectural design, and operational excellence of our data infrastructure, with a focus on advanced analytics, machine learning and AI capabilities, and enterprise-wide data democratization.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Architect and oversee the development of a scalable data platform that supports both advanced analytical research and self-service analytics capabilities
• Design infrastructure that enables data democratization while maintaining robust governance, security, and data quality controls
• Create a flexible data ecosystem that supports diverse analytical needs--from complex machine learning initiatives to intuitive, user-friendly data exploration tools
• Establish a modern data architecture that balances centralized data governance with distributed, accessible analytics capabilities
• Lead the implementation of tools and platforms that empower non-technical users to derive insights while providing advanced capabilities for data scientists and researchers
• Select and manage technical implementation partners
• Over time build a lean team of engineers to enhance and maintain the data platform.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

Data Lake / Data Lakehouse Architecture

• Extensive experience designing and implementing enterprise-scale data lake architectures across cloud and hybrid environments
• Proven track record of developing data Lakehouse solutions that integrate structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data
• Deep understanding of modern Lakehouse technologies, including:
  • Delta Lake, Apache Iceberg, or Apache Hudi
  • Unified storage and compute frameworks
  • Advanced metadata management and governance
• Expertise in creating scalable, performant data lake architectures that support:
  • Multiple data sources and formats
  • Real-time and batch data processing
  • Seamless integration with advanced analytics and machine learning workflows

ETL/ELT Pipeline Architecture and DevOps

• Extensive experience designing enterprise-scale data integration architectures
• Proven expertise in developing scalable, resilient ETL and ELT pipeline strategies
• Deep understanding of modern data integration technologies and approaches, including:
  • Cloud-native ETL tools (Airflow, Databricks, AWS Glue, Azure Data Factory)
  • Stream processing frameworks (Apache Kafka, Apache Flink, Apache Beam)
  • Batch and real-time data transformation approaches

Advanced Analytics and Self-Service Infrastructure

• Experience designing data platforms that simultaneously support:
  • Complex, computationally intensive advanced analytics
  • Intuitive, accessible self-service analytics interfaces
• Proven ability to implement data virtualization and semantic layer technologies
• Expertise in creating scalable data catalog and metadata management solutions
• Deep understanding of access control, data lineage, and governance frameworks

Machine Learning and MLOps

• Demonstrated expertise in building sophisticated machine learning pipelines for production environments
• Comprehensive experience with MLOps tools and methodological frameworks
• Deep understanding of feature store design, model deployment strategies, and model serving architectures
• Ability to translate complex machine learning concepts into practical, scalable engineering solutions

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• 10 years of progressive engineering leadership expertise, including hands-on technical lead roles.
• 5 years hands-on modern software engineering experience (DevOps, Cloud, Agile)
• 5 years building ETL/ELT pipelines in cloud environments.
• Proven success leading high-performance technical teams
• Demonstratable expertise in designing and implementing enterprise data platforms
• Master's degree in computer science, Engineering, or related technical discipline preferred
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

STRATEGIC IMPACT

The ideal candidate will transform our data platform into a world-class infrastructure that combines cutting-edge technological innovation with operational reliability, driving strategic decision-making across the organization.

Interested candidates should be prepared to architect a data ecosystem that seamlessly integrates advanced technologies, robust operational practices, and strategic business requirements.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Primary work in a fitness facility and office setting. Temperature variations can occur. The environment includes some ambient noise such as talking and use of gym equipment and machinery.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ACTIVITIES AND REQUIREMENTS

• Talking: Especially where one must frequently convey detailed or important instructions or ideas accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Physical Strength: Non-Sedentary work, standing and walking most of the time. Must be able to lift, push, pull, and move a minimum of 50 pounds.
• Reasoning Ability: Ability to deal with a variety of variables under limited standardization. Able to interpret various instructions and relay instructions to clients
• Attendance is an essential duty of the position. Employees must work regularly scheduled shifts, during business hours to assist members and sell services in-person.

This position description intends to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. It is not intended to include all duties and responsibilities. The order in which duties and responsibilities are listed is not significant.

VASA Fitness is an Equal Opportunity Employer