Engineering Manager (Advice Data Platforms)
Role details
Job location
Tech stack
Job description
Join Vanguard's Advice & Wealth Management Technology team, where we build the platforms that enable personalized financial advice for millions of clients. As an Engineering Manager, you will lead a team responsible for a core client data platform that powers how Vanguard understands client engagement across advice services. This platform supports critical capabilities such as client identification, advice enrollment, and data consistency across advisor and client digital experiences. You will lead a team accountable for enhancing this platform to support future business needs and operating/maintaining it at scale. This work will also require modernization of legacy systems into cloud-native architectures and ongoing ownership of high availability production systems. This role requires strong technical leadership, ownership of delivery and system health, and the ability to partner across product, architecture, and engineering teams to deliver reliable, scalable solutions.
What You Will Do
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Lead, coach, and develop a team of engineers, fostering a culture of accountability, learning, and continuous improvement
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Own end-to-end delivery of platform capabilities, ensuring priorities are clear, risks are managed, and commitments are delivered reliably
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Provide technical leadership by guiding design decisions and ensuring systems are scalable, reliable, and maintainable
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Drive modernization of data platforms, including migration from legacy systems to cloud-based architectures
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Operate and improve mission-critical services, ensuring high availability, performance, and effective incident response
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Establish strong engineering practices, including testing, automation, observability, and operational readiness
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Partner with product managers, architects, and peer engineering teams to align priorities and deliver integrated solutions
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Manage dependencies across multiple systems and teams, ensuring consistent and reliable data across the ecosystem
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Contribute to broader engineering initiatives, including hiring, workforce planning, and continuous improvement, * Lead a team responsible for a foundational data platform at the center of Vanguard's advice ecosystem
Requirements
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Strong background in backend engineering, data platforms, or API-driven systems, with experience building and operating distributed systems
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Experience with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS) and modern cloud-native architectures, including microservices and event-driven patterns
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Familiarity with data storage and processing technologies, such as relational databases, NoSQL stores, and data pipelines
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Experience designing and operating high-availability, high-throughput services with reliability and performance considerations
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Working knowledge of modern programming languages (e.g., Java, Python, or similar) and software development best practices
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Experience with DevOps and engineering practices, including CI/CD, infrastructure as code, monitoring, and observability
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Ability to engage in technical design discussions and tradeoffs, balancing scalability, cost, and long-term maintainability
What It Takes
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Experience leading engineering teams responsible for production systems at scale
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Ability to balance delivery, operations, and long-term platform health in a complex environment
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Proven ability to influence across teams and drive alignment
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Strong communication and problem-solving skills, with the ability to simplify complex technical topics, * Minimum 8 years of experience in IT project management, software development, or IT service delivery. Previous leadership experience required.
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Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field. PMP, ITIL, or Agile certifications preferred.
Preferred Qualifications
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Experience supporting platform or shared services used across multiple teams
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Experience with data-intensive applications or client data domains
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Experience driving modernization initiatives (legacy to cloud, large-scale migrations)
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Background in financial services or other regulated industries