Senior Lead Data Engineer

Location: Wilmington, DE, United States

Job Family: Data Engineering

About the Role

At JP Morgan Chase, we are at the forefront of financial services innovation, and our Data Engineering teams play a pivotal role in powering the bank's global operations. As a Senior Lead Data Engineer in our Wilmington, DE office, you will drive business impact by tackling complex data engineering challenges that span multiple pipelines, architectures, and consumers across investment banking, consumer banking, and asset management. This role involves leading the creation of scalable, secure data solutions that handle petabyte-scale financial transactions, enabling real-time insights for risk management, compliance, and customer personalization in a highly regulated environment. In this leadership position, you will architect and optimize data flows using cutting-edge technologies, ensuring seamless integration with JP Morgan's enterprise platforms. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including data scientists and business analysts, to deliver robust systems that support strategic initiatives like fraud detection and portfolio optimization. Your expertise will be crucial in maintaining data integrity and performance under stringent regulatory standards, such as those from the SEC and Federal Reserve, while fostering a culture of innovation within the team. We value engineers who thrive in dynamic settings and are passionate about leveraging data to create competitive advantages in the financial sector. This role offers the opportunity to mentor emerging talent, influence firm-wide data strategies, and contribute to JP Morgan Chase's mission of delivering superior client experiences through technology. Join us in Wilmington to shape the future of data engineering in one of the world's leading financial institutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and optimization of complex data pipelines that support multiple business units within JP Morgan Chase, ensuring scalability and reliability for financial analytics
• Collaborate with data scientists, analysts, and stakeholders to translate business requirements into robust data architectures for applications in investment banking and asset management
• Implement and maintain data ingestion, transformation, and storage solutions using tools like Apache Spark, Kafka, and Hadoop to handle high-volume transaction data
• Drive innovation in data engineering practices, including the adoption of cloud-native technologies to enhance performance in real-time financial reporting
• Ensure data quality, security, and compliance with industry standards such as PCI-DSS and internal JP Morgan policies across all pipelines
• Mentor and guide a team of data engineers, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and knowledge sharing in a fast-paced banking environment
• Troubleshoot and resolve issues in production data systems, minimizing downtime for critical financial operations
• Conduct code reviews, develop best practices, and contribute to the evolution of JP Morgan's enterprise data platform
• Partner with architecture teams to integrate AI/ML models into data workflows, supporting advanced analytics for risk assessment and fraud detection
• Monitor and optimize data infrastructure costs, aligning with JP Morgan's commitment to efficient resource utilization in global operations

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field; advanced degree preferred
• 8+ years of experience in data engineering, with a focus on building and maintaining scalable data pipelines in a financial services environment
• Proven track record of leading cross-functional teams in data-intensive projects at large-scale organizations like JP Morgan Chase
• Deep expertise in cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP, with hands-on experience in data storage and processing services
• Strong understanding of financial data regulations including GDPR, SOX, and Basel III compliance requirements
• Experience with agile methodologies and DevOps practices in delivering data solutions for banking and investment services
• Excellent problem-solving skills demonstrated in high-stakes, mission-critical data environments

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Data Science or a related discipline
• Prior experience working at a global financial institution, ideally in risk management or trading data systems
• Certification in cloud data engineering (e.g., AWS Certified Data Analytics or Google Professional Data Engineer)
• Familiarity with machine learning pipelines and integration with data engineering workflows
• Experience mentoring junior engineers and driving data governance initiatives in a regulated industry

Required Skills

• Proficiency in Python, Java, or Scala for data processing and ETL development
• Expertise in SQL and NoSQL databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Cassandra)
• Hands-on experience with big data frameworks like Apache Spark, Hadoop, and Flink
• Knowledge of stream processing tools such as Apache Kafka or AWS Kinesis
• Cloud computing skills in AWS (S3, EMR, Glue) or equivalent platforms
• Data modeling and warehousing techniques for financial datasets
• Version control and CI/CD pipelines using Git, Jenkins, or Terraform
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities in complex data environments
• Excellent communication skills for collaborating with non-technical stakeholders
• Understanding of data security protocols and encryption in regulated industries
• Experience with containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Familiarity with data governance tools like Collibra or Alation
• Agile project management and scrum methodologies
• Ability to handle high-pressure situations in time-sensitive financial projects

Benefits

• Competitive base salary and performance-based annual bonuses tied to firm and individual contributions
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans with employer contributions
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with generous company matching up to 6% of eligible compensation
• Paid time off including vacation, sick days, and parental leave policies supporting work-life balance
• Professional development opportunities through JP Morgan's internal training programs and tuition reimbursement
• Employee stock purchase plan and access to financial wellness resources
• On-site fitness centers, wellness programs, and mental health support services at Wilmington facilities
• Relocation assistance for eligible candidates joining the Wilmington, DE team

JP Morgan Chase is an equal opportunity employer.