Data Operations Lead

WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands.  We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth.    We work with the world's most valuable brands and have global reach across 100+ markets, with deep local expertise.   Our people are the key to our success. We're committed to fostering a culture of creativity, belonging and continuous learning, attracting and developing the brightest talent, and providing exciting career opportunities that help our people grow.    For more information, visit WPP.com.   Why we're hiring: WPP Media is embarking on a transformative data journey through Databridge - our internal data integration framework - designed to unify our fragmented global data landscape. We are moving from isolated, market-specific implementations to a standardized, scalable, cloud-agnostic, and AI-ready data platform built on a modern tech stack: dbt, Databricks, Python (dlthub), and GitHub Actions. As a Data Operations Engineer, you will be a foundational member of our new Data Integration & Operations team in Chennai. You will be the bridge between development and production, ensuring data pipelines are delivered reliably, consistently, and securely across global markets. This is a hands-on technical role focused on operationalizing, automating, and monitoring data workflows. You will implement CI/CD for data pipelines, enforce data quality standards, manage production deployments, respond to incidents, and continuously improve data delivery. What you'll be doing: * CI/CD Implementation & Automation * Build and maintain automated CI/CD pipelines for data workflows using GitHub Actionsand Databricks Asset Bundles * Implement automated testing gates including code quality checks, data quality validation, and pre-commit hooks * Configure and manage multiple environments with proper isolation and access controls * Automate deployment processes ensuring repeatable, zero-touch releases * Data Pipeline Operations & Monitoring * Monitor daily execution of Databricks Jobs/Workflows, tracking pipeline health, data quality, and SLA compliance * Set up comprehensive alerting and notifications for failures, SLA breaches, and cost anomalies * Use monitoring dashboards to proactively identify and resolve issues * Perform regular health checks on production data products * Data Quality & Governance * Enforce platform-wide data quality standards by creating reusable test macros and validation patterns * Review Data Engineer code for proper test coverage, documentation, and adherence to standards * Support Databricks Unity Catalogintegration for metadata management, lineage tracking, and access control * Production Deployment & Incident Management * Own production deployment workflows and manage Databricks Jobsconfigurations * Maintain version-controlled job definitions in Git for Infrastructure as Code * Act as first responder for production incidents, performing triage and root cause analysis * Use operational runbooks to diagnose and resolve common issues * Escalate to Data Engineers or DevOps when needed and document incidents with detailed RCA * Participate in on-call rotation for operational coverage * Documentation & Continuous Improvement * Create and maintain operational runbooks detailing schedules, troubleshooting steps, escalation paths, and recovery procedures * Document standards, guidelines, and workflows in Confluence * Contribute to the Central Data Solution Repositorywith reusable templates and patterns * Analyze incident trends and participate in retrospectives to drive platform optimization What you'll need: * Experience * 5+ yearsof hands-on experience in data operations, data engineering, or platform engineering * Proven track record supporting production data pipelines and operational workflows * Technical Expertise * Databricks Platform: * Practical experience with Databricks SQL Warehouses, Jobs/Workflows, and CLI * Understanding of Unity Catalogfor governance, access control, and lineage * Knowledge of Delta Lakeand performance tuning * Familiarity with Databricks Asset Bundlesfor Infrastructure as Code * * Data Transformation Pipeline - Operational Proficiency: * Strong working knowledge of SQL-based transformation frameworksfor operational purposes (e.g., dbt, Dataform, SQLMesh, or orchestrated transformation pipelines) * Understanding transformation project structure, dependency management, testing frameworks, and documentation standards * Reading and understanding SQL transformations for validation and troubleshooting * Running transformation commands/workflows for CI/CD and production operations * CI/CD integration, environment management, and automated deployment * Troubleshooting production transformation pipeline issues using logs and error messages * Production experience with data quality testing and validation at scale * * CI/CD & Automation: * Proficiency with GitHub Actionsincluding workflows, secrets management, and environment configuration * Understanding of Git workflows and code review processes * Familiarity with pre-commit hooks, linting, and automated testing * Basic knowledge of Infrastructure as Code principles * * Python & SQL: * Proficient in Pythonfor scripting and automation (experience with dlthub is a plus) * Strong SQLskills for data validation and troubleshooting * Ability to read and understand complex data transformation logic * * Cloud & Operational Skills: * Solid understanding of core cloud services in Azure and/or GCP * Experience with production monitoring, alerting, and incident response * Understanding of SLA management and operational metrics * Strong problem-solving skills for diagnosing distributed system issues * Excellent communication and documentation skills * Detail-oriented with commitment to operational excellence * Preferred Skills * Production operational experience with dbt Core (our primary transformation framework) including project structure, models, tests, macros, and CLI operations * Understanding of FinOps practices for cloud cost optimization * Exposure to Power BI or similar BI tools * Experience with Terraform or other Infrastructure as Code tools * Familiarity with Confluence and Jira Who you are: You're open: We are inclusive and collaborative; we encourage the free exchange of ideas; we respect and celebrate diverse views. We are open-minded: to new ideas, new partnerships, new ways of working. You're optimistic: We believe in the power of creativity, technology and talent to create brighter futures or our people, our clients and our communities. We approach all that we do with conviction: to try the new and to seek the unexpected. You're extraordinary: we are stronger together: through collaboration we achieve the amazing. We are creative leaders and pioneers of our industry; we provide extraordinary every day.   What we'll give you: Passionate, inspired people – We aim to create a culture in which people can do extraordinary work. Scale and opportunity – We offer the opportunity to create, influence and complete projects at a scale that is unparalleled in the industry. Challenging and stimulating work – Unique work and the opportunity to join a group of creative problem solvers. Are you up for the challenge?   We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process. WPP is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers. PLEASE READ OUR PRIVACY NOTICE (HTTPS://WWW.WPP.COM/EN/CAREERS/WPP-PRIVACY-POLICY-FOR-RECRUITMENT) FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW WE PROCESS THE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE.

WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands.  We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth.    We work with the world's most valuable brands and have global reach across 100+ markets, with deep local expertise.   Our people are the key to our success. We're committed to fostering a culture of creativity, belonging and continuous learning, attracting and developing the brightest talent, and providing exciting career opportunities that help our people grow.    For more information, visit WPP.com.   Why we're hiring: WPP is a creative transformation company, helping clients create growth by combining technology and creativity. As one of the world's largest marketing and advertising services organizations, we are committed to driving innovation and operational excellence across our vast global network. You will be joining the Automation Operations Centre within WPP's Enterprise Technology, Automation & AI department. This is a pivotal time for us as we're building a dedicated, in-house team to deliver, manage, monitor, and optimize our growing portfolio of automation solutions. This team is at the forefront of our digital transformation, ensuring the seamless operation and continuous improvement of critical automation capabilities across WPP globally You will play a crucial role in solution delivery and day-to-day technology management of the Global Automation Operations Centre (AOC) program. Reporting to the AAI Operations Director and AAI Product Lead, you will lead the architecture, standards, and advanced development requirements for our global automation portfolio. Alongside AAI Leadership, you will guide a crew of 6-10 developers to ensure the release of high-quality automation products on time and within budget. The AOC is chartered to develop and delivery automation products, support global automation products or projects delivered by Automation delivery teams from around WPP. Our support apparatus gives those teams confidence and freedom to hand over their existing successes and continue innovating. Are you a visionary technical leader with a deep mastery of the Microsoft Power Platform and a passion for engineering excellence? We are looking for an Automation Engineering Lead to drive our technical strategy and architectural standards. In this senior role, you will be responsible for conducting research spikes, providing technical guidance to development teams, and ensuring that our global automation suite is built on a foundation of robust, scalable, and maintainable components. You will combine your extensive experience from the D365/Dataverse era with modern ALM practices to keep our global operations at the cutting edge of AI and automation. What you'll be doing: Automation Engineering Lead (Engineering Excellence + AI-Driven Automation)  We are looking for an experienced Automation Engineering Lead who combines a complete view across multiple engineering technology streams with a strong background in automation and AI-driven engineering practices across modern technology stacks.  This is not a single-stack or platform-specific role.  You will act as an enterprise engineering leader, responsible for designing scalable, high-performance solutions by evaluating the right engineering approach across diverse technology streams spanning APIs, backend services, modern frontends, cloud platforms, deployment architecture, and AI/ML capabilities.  You will play a critical role in shaping engineering strategy, establishing end-to-end engineering processes, guiding engineering teams, and ensuring solutions are fit-for-purpose, scalable, and future-ready.   What You’ll Be Doing  Solution Architecture & Technology Decisioning  * Own end-to-end architecture for automation use cases across the enterprise   * Evaluate and recommend the right approach across:   * Cloud-native engineering (microservices, serverless, container platforms)   * Custom engineering (APIs, backend services, UI frameworks)   * AI-augmented automation combining ML services, LLMs, and intelligent workflows   * Make informed trade-offs between build vs buy, custom vs platform, and AI-driven vs deterministic approaches based on scalability, cost, and maintainability   * Act as a key decision-maker on the right technology stream and tooling for each engineering problem   * Knowledge in Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate, Dataverse)   Architectural Governance  * Define and enforce global architecture standards, design patterns, and best practices   * Establish reusable engineering frameworks and AI-driven automation accelerators across teams   * Ensure consistency, scalability, and maintainability across implementations    Technical Leadership  * Lead and mentor a team of 6–10 engineers   * Provide hands-on guidance, solution reviews, and architectural oversight   * Drive engineering excellence and a culture of continuous improvement    Advanced & Hybrid Development  * Lead complex implementations involving:   * Custom connectors and API integrations   * AI/ML model integration and intelligent automation patterns   * Backend services (.NET / Java / Node.js / Python) where required   * Handle research spikes and evaluate new tools, frameworks, and capabilities    Integration & Data Architecture  * Design robust integration solutions using:   * REST APIs, webhooks, and service-based architectures   * Event-driven and asynchronous processing patterns   * Work with structured and unstructured data across:   * Cloud data platforms (Azure Data Lake, BigQuery, Snowflake, etc.)   * SQL / external data systems   * Dataverse  * Optimize performance, scalability, and reliability of automation workflows    ALM & DevOps Strategy  * Own and mature end-to-end engineering processes including ALM, code quality, and release governance across the organization   * Implement CI/CD pipelines, deployment automation, and infrastructure-as-code using Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, or similar   * Drive adoption of code-first, version-controlled, and AI-assisted development practices    Stakeholder Collaboration  * Partner with business and leadership teams to translate requirements into scalable technical solutions   * Align architecture decisions with business goals, timelines, and budgets   * Communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders    Security, Compliance & Supportability  * Ensure solutions comply with enterprise security, governance, and data protection policies   * Design solutions for operational readiness, observability, and smooth handover to support teams    What You’ll Need  Experience  * 12+ years in software engineering, solution architecture, or enterprise application development   * Proven track record leading engineering teams across multiple technology streams with a strong background in automation and AI-driven engineering   * Knowledge in Power platform or Dynamics 365 ecosystem   Engineering Process & AI-Automation Expertise  * Deep expertise in:   * End-to-end engineering processes (SDLC, code reviews, quality gates, release management) implemented at organizational scale   * Deployment and technical architecture across cloud and hybrid environments   * Automation engineering (CI/CD, infrastructure-as-code, test automation, workflow automation)   * Experience with:   * Engineering AI workstreams (LLMs, agentic systems, intelligent automation)   * Applying AI in automation (code generation, automated testing, intelligent code review, copilots)   * Ability to drive engineering excellence and modernize platforms using AI-augmented approaches    Architecture & Engineering Breadth (Critical)  * Strong experience with API design and REST-based integrations   * Solid understanding of SQL, data modeling, and performance optimization   * Hands-on experience with at least one backend technology (.NET / Java / Node.js / Python)   * Exposure to modern frontend frameworks (React or similar)   * Understanding of:   * Microservices and distributed systems   * Event-driven architecture (queues, messaging, pub/sub)   * Proven ability to design and deliver solutions across diverse engineering streams with the right deployment and architecture choices    DevOps & ALM  * Experience with CI/CD pipelines and automated deployments   * Familiarity with Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, or similar tools   * Strong understanding of environment strategy, solution segmentation, and release management    Leadership & Problem Solving  * Proven ability to lead and mentor engineering teams   * Strong architectural thinking and decision-making skills   * Ability to solve complex, ambiguous technical challenges   * Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills    Nice to Have  * Experience with Azure services (Functions, Logic Apps, Service Bus, API Management)   * Knowledge of enterprise integration patterns and iPaaS platforms   * Hands-on experience embedding LLMs, agents, or copilots into automation and engineering workflows    Certifications  * Certifications in AI/ML, DevOps, or enterprise architecture (TOGAF, SAFe, or equivalent), PL-600: Microsoft Power Platform Solution Architect (preferred)   Who you are: You're open: We are inclusive and collaborative; we encourage the free exchange of ideas; we respect and celebrate diverse views. We are open-minded: to new ideas, new partnerships, new ways of working. You're optimistic: We believe in the power of creativity, technology and talent to create brighter futures or our people, our clients and our communities. We approach all that we do with conviction: to try the new and to seek the unexpected. You're extraordinary: we are stronger together: through collaboration we achieve the amazing. We are creative leaders and pioneers of our industry; we provide extraordinary every day. What we'll give you: Passionate, inspired people – We aim to create a culture in which people can do extraordinary work. Scale and opportunity – We offer the opportunity to create, influence and complete projects at a scale that is unparalleled in the industry. Challenging and stimulating work – Unique work and the opportunity to join a group of creative problem solvers. Are you up for the challenge? We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process. WPP is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers. PLEASE READ OUR PRIVACY NOTICE (HTTPS://WWW.WPP.COM/EN/CAREERS/WPP-PRIVACY-POLICY-FOR-RECRUITMENT) FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW WE PROCESS THE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE.

WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands.  We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth.    We work with the world's most valuable brands and have global reach across 100+ markets, with deep local expertise.   Our people are the key to our success. We're committed to fostering a culture of creativity, belonging and continuous learning, attracting and developing the brightest talent, and providing exciting career opportunities that help our people grow.    For more information, visit WPP.com.   Why we're hiring: Responsible for leading the Cloud Automation Engineering function. Primary focus will be leading a team of other engineers in designing and implementing automation solutions to improve customer experience and increase productivity in our cloud estates. Responsible for maintaining and delivering automation solutions through infrastructure as code, ensuring security best practice, evangelising automation practice and tools, and supporting customer needs, both internal and external. What you'll be doing: * Identify opportunities for improvement and automation of operations * Design, build, test and implement use cases to drive automation adoption and improve operational efficiency * Work closely with the IT Operations team to develop automated incident detection and response mechanisms. Implement proactive monitoring and * alerting systems to quickly respond to and resolve critical issues, minimizing downtime and service disruptions * Responsible for driving CSI initiatives to improve operations (processes/tools) working with various stakeholders * Responsible for providing feedback at various levels of seniority, including reporting on service level improvement and cost savings through * automation practice. * Responsible for creation of centralised modules for re-use to support customer and internal needs in delivering automation * Responsible for leading design and implementation of automation tooling and scripting for other internal teams to solve challenges in * implementation, reporting, compliance and governance. * Responsible for setting technical direction and guiding the development of members of the Automation Engineering team * Acts as reporting line for members of the Automation Engineering team. * Ensure that automation solutions adhere to security best practices and compliance standards. Implement access controls, data encryption, and * secure APIs to protect sensitive information * Maintain detailed documentation of automation code, practice, processes, and system changes. Generate regular reports on system performance, * incident trends, and resource utilization to support decision-making and optimization efforts * Collaborate with other cloud engineering teams, sharing best practices, knowledge, and innovations to enhance the overall cloud infrastructure * Ownership of the WPP Enterprise Technology platforms, tools, and pipelines that deliver Infrastructure as Code, and Automated DevOps * Toolchains * Ownership of other automation platforms and Cloud Tools as may be necessary to deliver operational service What you'll need: * Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field * Proven experience in cloud computing platforms (at least two AWS, Azure, GCP) and associated services * Deep understanding of infrastructure as code, CI/CD systems, and DevOps toolchains * Proven experience in the use of Terraform for delivering cloud computing infrastructure or other platforms * Solid understanding of DevOps principles and practices for continuous integration and deployment * Experience with containerization technologies like Docker and familiarity with orchestration platforms like Kubernetes * Experience in programming languages like Python or Go for scripting and automation tasks * Strong analytical skills and the ability to interpret complex data sets to make informed decisions * Excellent problem-solving and troubleshooting abilities, especially in high-pressure situations * Excellent communication and collaboration skills to work effectively in a team-oriented environment * Proven analytical and problem-solving skills * Autonomous and self-motivated Who you are: You're open: We are inclusive and collaborative; we encourage the free exchange of ideas; we respect and celebrate diverse views. We are open-minded: to new ideas, new partnerships, new ways of working. You're optimistic: We believe in the power of creativity, technology and talent to create brighter futures or our people, our clients and our communities. We approach all that we do with conviction: to try the new and to seek the unexpected. You're extraordinary: we are stronger together: through collaboration we achieve the amazing. We are creative leaders and pioneers of our industry; we provide extraordinary every day.   What we'll give you: Passionate, inspired people – We aim to create a culture in which people can do extraordinary work. Scale and opportunity – We offer the opportunity to create, influence and complete projects at a scale that is unparalleled in the industry. Challenging and stimulating work – Unique work and the opportunity to join a group of creative problem solvers. Are you up for the challenge? #LI-Hybrid  We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process. WPP is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers. PLEASE READ OUR PRIVACY NOTICE (HTTPS://WWW.WPP.COM/EN/CAREERS/WPP-PRIVACY-POLICY-FOR-RECRUITMENT) FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW WE PROCESS THE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE.