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Mars UK • Slough, Berkshire, United Kingdom

Enterprise Data & Analytics Platforms Director

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top 3 scores:
94%

Location flexibility

91%

Hours flexibility

90%

Autonomy

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Job Description

Job Description:

We are seeking a highly skilled and visionary Director of Data Platforms and Architecture to lead the design, development, and governance of our enterprise-wide Snacking data platform ecosystem. This individual will be responsible for driving platform strategy, fostering innovation, and ensuring robust data architecture that empower multiple products and capabilities to power business decisions, scalability, and operational excellence.

As a strategic leader, the Director of Data Platforms and Architecture will oversee the implementation and optimization of cutting-edge data technologies & solutions, establish best practices in data platforms and governance, and provide technical leadership to multidisciplinary teams. You will work closely with stakeholders across business, IT, and analytics teams to align data architecture with organizational goals, enabling seamless data acquisition and advanced analytics capabilities.

What will be your key responsibilities?

Strategic Leadership:

  • Develop and drive the long-term vision for enterprise data platforms and architecture, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and priorities.
  • Collaborate with C-level executives and business leaders to identify opportunities for leveraging data as a strategic asset.

Data Platform Oversight:

  • Oversee the design, implementation, and maintenance of modern data platforms, including cloud-native solutions, data lakes, data warehouses, and real-time processing systems.
  • Ensure scalability, reliability, and high availability of the data ecosystem to support growing business needs.

Architecture Design:

  • Define and implement enterprise data architecture standards, including data modeling, integration, and API frameworks.
  • Optimize workflows and pipelines to ensure efficient and secure data ingestion, processing, storage, and access.
  • Foster a data-driven culture by ensuring architecture supports self-service analytics and business intelligence tools.

Data Governance & Security:

  • Establish and enforce robust data governance practices, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and company policies.
  • Partner with IT security teams to implement secure-by-design data architectures that protect sensitive information and mitigate risks.

Team Management:

  • Lead and mentor a team of data architects, platform engineers, and data governance professionals.
  • Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning within the team.

Emerging Technologies:

  • Stay abreast of emerging technologies, tools, and industry trends in data platforms, AI/ML, and big data.
  • Proactively evaluate and recommend new technologies that enhance data capabilities and drive business innovation.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

  • Partner with IT, analytics, and business teams to identify data needs and translate them into actionable platform solutions.
  • Advocate for data democratization by enabling access to clean, high-quality data for decision-making.

What are we looking for?

  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Engineering, or a related field.
  • 10+ years of experience in data engineering, architecture, or platform management roles, with 5+ years in leadership positions.
  • Expertise in modern data platforms (e.g., Azure, AWS, Google Cloud) and big data technologies (e.g., Spark, Kafka, Hadoop).
  • Strong knowledge of data governance frameworks, regulatory compliance (e.g., GDPR, CCPA), and data security best practices.
  • Proven experience in enterprise-level architecture design and implementation.
  • Hands-on knowledge of database systems (SQL/NoSQL), ETL/ELT processes, and data modeling techniques.
  • Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
  • Ability to work in fast-paced, agile environments and balance long-term strategy with short-term execution.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Certifications in cloud platforms (AWS Certified Data Analytics, Azure Data Engineer, etc.).
  • Experience with AI/ML technologies and data science platforms.
  • Familiarity with DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, and Infrastructure as Code (IaC).

What can you expect from Mars?

  • Work with diverse and talented Associates, all guided by the Five Principles.
  • Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
  • Best-in-class learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.
  • An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus.

#TBDDT

Mars is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, it is available upon request. The company is pleased to provide such assistance, and no applicant will be penalized as a result of such a request.

Company benefits

Open to part-time employees
Open to job sharing
Open to compressed hours
Sabbaticals
Enhanced maternity leave – 26 weeks at 90% pay
Enhanced paternity leave – 26 weeks at 90% pay
24 days annual leave + bank holidays
“Pawternity” leave
Pregnancy loss leave
Bank holiday swaps
Shared parental leave
Adoption leave
Family health insurance
Pregnancy support
Neo-natal leave
Faith rooms
Meditation space
Dog friendly office
Dog friendly co-working space
Flexible working week
Annual bonus
Employee discounts
Cinema discounts
Referral bonus
Joining bonus
Cycle to work scheme
Electric Car Salary Sacrifice
Enhanced pension match/contribution
Theme park discounts
Lunch and learns
In house training
LinkedIn learning license
Studying sabbaticals
Open to part time work for some roles

We asked employees of Mars UK what it's like to work there, and this is what they told us.

Location flexibility
94%
Employees are very happy with their working location freedom
Hours flexibility
91%
Employees are very happy with the flexibility in the hours they work
Benefits
84%
Employees are very happy with the benefits their company offers
Work-life balance
80%
Employees feel that they can switch off quite easily from work
Role modelling
81%
Employees feel that flexible working is part of the culture
Autonomy
90%
Employees feel they have complete autonomy over getting their work done

Additional employee ratings
(these do not contribute to the FlexScore®)

Diversity
75%
Employees feel that the diversity is good and there are continued efforts to improve it
Inclusion
78%
Employees feel that the culture supports equity and inclusivity well
Culture
86%
Employees feel like it is a really great environment to work in
Mission
84%
Employees feel very excited about and aligned with the company mission
Salary
70%
Employees feel that their salary is good and matches the value they bring

Working at Mars UK

Company employees

4,000 In the UK

Gender diversity (male:female)

57:43

Currently Hiring Countries

Brazil

Denmark

France

Ireland

Poland

Spain

United Kingdom

United States

Office Locations

Awards & Achievements

1st – Large companies

1st – Large companies

Flexa100 2024
Consumer Goods

Consumer Goods

Industry awards 2023
3rd – Large companies

3rd – Large companies

Flexa100 2023
Retail & Ecommerce

Retail & Ecommerce

Industry awards 2022