Head of Data Ops & Systems

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Head of Data Ops & Systems based in Brazil.

As Head of Data Ops & Systems, you’ll lead the technology, data, and systems foundations that enable a globally distributed organization to operate effectively. You’ll combine strategic leadership with hands-on technical credibility, ensuring systems are secure, reliable, integrated, and fit for purpose. The role spans data architecture, governance, infrastructure, cybersecurity, systems integration, and organizational change. You’ll lead a multidisciplinary technical team while partnering closely with senior leaders and teams across multiple regions. Your work will shape technology investment decisions, strengthen data quality and governance, and reduce operational and technology risk. This is a high-impact leadership opportunity in a mission-driven environment where strong technical foundations directly support meaningful global outcomes.

Accountabilities

• Own the overall data, systems, and technology strategy, architecture, and investment direction, ensuring infrastructure and platforms are reliable, secure, scalable, and aligned with organizational priorities.
• Lead and develop a high-performing multidisciplinary team spanning platform engineering, development, data, and systems operations.
• Make technology architecture and platform decisions that balance operational resilience, security, cost, scalability, and long-term evolution.
• Oversee cybersecurity governance, access controls, data protection, compliance requirements, system performance, uptime, and incident response.
• Manage technology vendors and system providers, including contracts, service levels, commercial performance, and value realization.
• Establish and continuously improve IT documentation, operational processes, technical standards, and governance practices.
• Lead the integration strategy across internal platforms and tools, ensuring reliable data flows and eliminating duplication, friction, and inconsistencies.
• Evaluate existing systems and recommend improvements, replacements, or new solutions when current technology no longer meets organizational needs.
• Translate business and operational requirements into clear technical specifications, systems solutions, and implementation plans.
• Own and evolve the organization’s data architecture, including data structures, pipelines, infrastructure, and the broader flow of data across the organization.
• Establish data quality standards, processes, ownership models, and accountability mechanisms to ensure data remains accurate, consistent, and usable.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive data governance framework covering definitions, ownership, lineage, access, and appropriate use.
• Provide strategic direction for data science, data modeling, data mining, data extraction, and analytics activities.
• Act as the Data Protection Officer, overseeing data protection obligations and supporting compliance with applicable regulations across global jurisdictions.
• Develop and maintain a technology and data roadmap with clear priorities, milestones, success measures, and investment decisions.
• Identify, assess, prioritize, and mitigate technology, data, cybersecurity, and delivery risks across the organizational landscape.
• Lead a portfolio of technology and data transformation initiatives, managing dependencies, sequencing priorities, and maintaining delivery momentum.
• Drive organizational change by managing stakeholder expectations, communicating progress, and embedding new systems, processes, and ways of working.
• Partner with senior leaders and teams across regions to understand business needs and translate them into effective technology and data solutions.
• Communicate complex technical and data concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Promote innovation, reliability, continuous improvement, and high operational standards across the organization.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, information systems, data science, or a related discipline; extensive relevant professional experience may substitute for formal education.
• Significant senior-level experience leading data operations, data architecture, technology, and systems functions within global or geographically distributed organizations.
• Strong expertise in data science, data governance, data quality management, data modeling, and governance frameworks.
• Proven experience designing, evolving, and managing data architectures, pipelines, and supporting infrastructure.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary technical teams, including platform engineers, developers, and data professionals.
• Solid understanding of enterprise systems, IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, and integrations across multiple platforms and tools.
• Familiarity with business intelligence and analytics platforms, as well as data mining, extraction, cleaning, and transformation techniques.
• Significant practical experience with data protection requirements and regulations across multiple jurisdictions.
• Demonstrated ability to act as a senior technical authority while remaining comfortable reviewing technical designs, investigating complex issues, and engaging directly with implementation teams when required.
• Proven experience establishing technology and data governance frameworks, managing organizational risk, and translating strategy into executable roadmaps.
• Familiarity with standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 is an advantage.
• Strong programme and portfolio management experience, including managing multiple technology and data initiatives, dependencies, stakeholders, and organizational change.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and implement opportunities for innovation across technology, data, systems, and processes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders and communicate technical topics effectively to non-technical audiences.
• Fluent English is required; additional languages are a plus.
• Strong strategic thinking, systems thinking, problem-solving, and risk-management capabilities.
• Decisive, accountable, curious, collaborative, adaptable, and humble leadership style.
• Ability to work effectively across cultures, geographies, technical disciplines, and organizational functions.
• Candidates must have the legal right to work in Brazil without employer-sponsored work authorization.

Benefits

• Remote working environment with flexibility and opportunities for global collaboration.
• Opportunity to work alongside diverse teams across multiple geographies and disciplines.
• Meaningful, mission-driven work contributing to projects with global social impact.
• Regular exposure to senior leaders and the opportunity to influence organizational strategy and investment decisions.
• Access to high-quality training programs and mentorship from experienced senior leaders.
• Career growth opportunities within a growing organization committed to continuous improvement.
• Collaborative, talent-dense environment where knowledge-sharing and learning from colleagues are strongly encouraged.
• Comprehensive benefits package and competitive compensation.
• Opportunity to lead significant transformation across data, systems, technology, governance, and organizational operations.
• High degree of strategic ownership and autonomy in shaping the organization’s technology and data foundations.