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Assistant Director, Software Engineering

External
northwesternmutual logoNorthwesternmutual · Milwaukee
Full-timeHybridToday
ClassificationComplianceCross-functional CollaborationLeadershipSystem Design
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About the role

We are seeking an experienced and technically strong Assistant Director to lead execution, delivery, and evolution of the Data De-Identification (DDI) initiative, a critical component of our broader Testing Transformation strategy. This role requires a deeply technical and hands-on engineering leader with experience designing and delivering data de-identification solutions , including techniques such as data masking, truncation, tokenization, synthetic data generation, data scanning, and remediation . The Assistant Director will be responsible for applying these techniques at scale across complex enterprise systems to ensure secure and compliant handling of sensitive data. Reporting to the Senior Director, this role is responsible for driving day-to-day engineering leadership, technical direction, and roadmap execution for DDI solutions. The Assistant Director will lead a team of engineers and vendor partners to build scalable, secure, and high-impact solutions that improve how sensitive data is handled across prevent, detect, and remediate pillars. This role requires a hands-on technical leader who has practical experience working on similar data protection, privacy, or de-identification initiatives , with the ability to navigate complex data ecosystems and influence enterprise-wide adoption.

Responsibilities

  • Engineering Leadership & Delivery
  • Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of engineers, fostering accountability, technical excellence, and continuous improvement.
  • Own end-to-end delivery of DDI solutions, ensuring timely execution against roadmap commitments such as Data masking, Data truncation, Synthetic data generation, Data scanning and discovery and Data remediation workflows
  • Drive a strong execution culture , ensuring work is prioritized, tracked, and delivered with quality and predictability.
  • Actively remove blockers and ensure teams are focused on delivering outcomes.
  • Define and create new technical solutions to address complex business and engineering challenges within the DDI domain.
  • Pull together key technical SMEs (data, platform, security, application teams) to evaluate solution options, align on architecture, and drive execution.
  • Drive alignment and progress despite constraints (technical, organizational, or operational) to ensure successful delivery of results.
  • Technical Leadership & Decision Making
  • Serve as a hands-on technical leader , capable of diving deep into architecture, design, and implementation.
  • Make and drive key technical decisions aligned with enterprise architecture and long-term scalability goals.
  • Review and guide system design, data flows, and integration patterns across applications.
  • Ensure adherence to engineering best practices, design patterns, and data protection standards.
  • Roadmap Ownership & Product Alignment
  • Partner closely with Product, Program, and Business stakeholders to define and execute the DDI roadmap.
  • Translate business strategy into clear technical plans, priorities, and deliverables .
  • Ensure DDI solutions to integrate seamlessly into the broader developer workflow, test environments, and automation ecosystem.
  • Continuously evaluate and refine roadmap based on business needs, technical insights, and outcomes.
  • Vendor & Execution Management
  • Lead delivery through a mix of internal teams and vendor partners .
  • Demonstrate a proven ability to get work done through vendor resources , ensuring accountability, quality, and delivery outcomes.
  • Establish clear expectations, operating models, and performance metrics for vendors.
  • Actively manage vendor relationships to optimize cost, productivity, and results.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Collaborate across engineering, platform, security, and business teams to align solutions with enterprise needs.
  • Drive enterprise adoption of de-identified and synthetic data patterns , influencing teams to shift toward secure and compliant data practices.
  • Work closely with Testing Transformation teams to drive alignment across test data, environments, tooling, and automation .
  • Influence decisions and drive alignment across multiple stakeholders and teams.
  • Operational Excellence
  • Implement and improve engineering processes, SDLC practices, and delivery frameworks .
  • Ensure high standards for product quality, reliability, and performance .
  • Drive continuous improvement in development, deployment, and operational practices.
  • Talent Development
  • Hire, develop, and retain top engineering talent.
  • Provide direct feedback, mentorship, and performance evaluations.
  • Build strong technical capabilities within the team and develop future engineering leaders .
  • Domain Expertise
  • Proven experience working on data de-identification, data privacy, or sensitive data management initiatives
  • Strong understanding of:
  • Data masking and obfuscation techniques
  • Synthetic data generation approaches
  • Data discovery, classification, and scanning tools
  • Data remediation and compliance workflows
  • Technical & Leadership Skills
  • Strong understanding

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