Yum! Brands is seeking a strategic and technically accomplished Director to lead the Data Architecture, Engineering, and Operations functions within the AI, Data & Analytics organization.
This role is responsible for defining the vision, strategy, operating model, and execution framework for enterprise data platforms that power analytics, AI, and business operations across Yum! Brands. As a key member of the DP&E leadership team, this individual will lead globally distributed teams, oversee strategic technology investments and vendor partnerships, partner with executive stakeholders, and drive alignment between platform capabilities and enterprise objectives.
The ideal candidate combines proven experience leading large-scale technical organizations with deep expertise in modern cloud data platforms, data architecture, and engineering practices. They will be equally comfortable influencing enterprise strategy, building high-performing teams, communicating with senior leadership, and guiding technical decisions that drive scalability, reliability, and innovation.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Organizational Excellence
Serve as a primary representative of Data Platforms & Engineering within Yum! to executive leadership, building trusted relationships with senior business, technology, and market leaders while influencing enterprise strategy, technology investments, and platform priorities.
Develop and deliver executive-level communications, business cases, strategic roadmaps, and operational reviews, translating complex technical concepts into clear business outcomes and actionable recommendations for senior leadership and C-level stakeholders.
Lead a globally distributed organization supporting enterprise data platforms, establishing operating models, execution frameworks, and accountability mechanisms that support Yum!’s AI, Data & Analytics strategy.
Build high-performing technical teams through coaching, succession planning, and organizational development while driving prioritization across competing business and technology demands.
Own budget planning and financial stewardship across assigned platforms, tooling, vendor relationships, and delivery functions.
Modern Data Stack Ownership
Own the strategy, roadmap, and continuous evolution of the modern cloud data stack, including Snowflake, dbt Core, Airflow/Astronomer, Monte Carlo, AWS, and related technologies.
Establish engineering standards across CI/CD, automated testing, modular pipeline design, semantic modeling, and observability.
Evaluate and introduce emerging technologies, including AI-driven automation, to improve platform scalability, operational efficiency, and speed of delivery.
Enterprise Data Platform Strategy
Define and execute the long-term vision, roadmap, and operating model for enterprise data platforms in partnership with AIDA leadership.
Drive platform standardization and modernization efforts across brands, functions, and technology teams while influencing investment decisions and technical priorities.
Lead strategic vendor partnerships, contract negotiations, and commercial discussions while evaluating build-versus-buy decisions.
Data Platform Leadership
Lead globally distributed teams across Data Architecture, Engineering, and Operations, providing strategic direction, organizational leadership, and technical oversight for enterprise data platforms.
Establish enterprise architecture patterns, engineering practices, and operational processes that improve platform quality, resiliency, maintainability, and speed of delivery.
Oversee delivery and support of enterprise data products, platform capabilities, and foundational datasets that power analytics, AI, and operational decision-making.
Drive continuous improvement through automation, observability, performance optimization, and operational excellence.
Serve as the senior authority for platform architecture and engineering decisions, guiding complex technical tradeoffs and influencing enterprise technology standards.
Business Partnership & Data Product Enablement
Partner with business, product, technology, and BYTE Engineering leaders to translate strategic priorities into scalable data products and platform capabilities.
Act as a trusted advisor on platform capabilities, architecture decisions, and data strategy, ensuring alignment between technical investments and business outcomes.
Drive adoption and measurable value of enterprise data products while ensuring solutions are scalable, reusable, and aligned with broader enterprise technology roadmaps.
Talent & Organizational Development
Lead, mentor, and scale global teams by defining talent strategies, organizational structures, and capability development plans that support long-term growth and evolving business needs.
Build and sustain a heart-led, high-performance culture focused on ownership, innovation, collaboration, and delivery excellence.
Qualifications & Requirements
Experience
12+ years of experience in data engineering, data platforms, or data architecture.
5+ years of experience leading global, distributed technical teams.
Proven track record of owning and delivering enterprise-scale data platforms and architecture.
Experience operating effectively in complex, matrixed organizations.
Technical Skills
Deep expertise in modern data platforms, including Snowflake, dbt Core, Airflow/Astronomer, and AWS. Informatica IICS experience is a plus.
Experience with data observability tools such as Monte Carlo or similar platforms.
Strong background in data modeling, including physical, semantic, and domain-oriented approaches.
Proven experience designing and building scalable batch and real-time data pipelines.
Solid understanding of distributed data systems, platform operations, observability, and data quality practices.
Leadership Skills
Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and shape technical and business strategy.
Strong capability to translate business needs into scalable technical solutions.
Proven experience building and leading high-performing technical teams.
Excellent communication, presentation, stakeholder management, and executive relationship-building skills.
Education
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
Salary range: $218,600 - $273,100 + eligible bonus + comprehensive benefits
Skills Required
- 12+ years of experience in data engineering, data platforms, or data architecture
- 5+ years of experience leading global, distributed technical teams
- Proven track record of owning and delivering enterprise-scale data platforms and architecture
- Experience operating effectively in complex, matrixed organizations
- Deep expertise with Snowflake, dbt Core, Airflow/Astronomer, and AWS
- Experience with data observability tools such as Monte Carlo or similar platforms
- Proven experience designing and building scalable batch and real-time data pipelines
- Strong background in data modeling (physical, semantic, domain-oriented)
- Solid understanding of distributed data systems, platform operations, observability, and data quality practices
- Experience establishing engineering standards across CI/CD, automated testing, modular pipeline design, and observability
- Ability to influence senior stakeholders and shape technical and business strategy
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent practical experience
- Informatica IICS experience
Yum! Brands Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Yum! Brands and has not been reviewed or approved by Yum! Brands.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Corporate roles include four weeks of vacation, year‑round half‑day Fridays, company holidays, dedicated “Live Well” days, and paid volunteer days. These policies contribute meaningfully to overall compensation value for corporate employees.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Offerings include free access to mental‑health counselors, onsite/virtual wellness tools, onsite gyms in select offices, and wellbeing discounts. Smoking‑cessation and weight‑management programs further bolster lifestyle support.
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Parental & Family Support — Benefits span family‑planning coverage such as adoption, fertility, and baby‑bonding leave. Corporate materials also note enhanced parental leave for U.S. corporate employees.
Yum! Brands Insights
What We Do
Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Kentucky, and its subsidiaries franchise or operate a system of over 55,000 restaurants in more than 155 countries and territories under the Company’s concepts – KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and the Habit Burger Grill. The Company's KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut brands are global leaders of the chicken, Mexican-style food, and pizza categories, respectively. The Habit Burger Grill is a fast casual restaurant concept specializing in made-to-order chargrilled burgers, sandwiches and more. What makes Yum! a great place to work? It's our people. As the world's largest restaurant company, we invest in people capability so that our global workforce can make the most of their careers. With ongoing opportunities for personal and professional success, we've built a culture that rewards and recognizes great effort while providing the flexibility that is so important to all of us.
