[Hiring] Manager, Applications and Data Operations @Vocate Education Solutions

Role Description

The Manager, Applications & Data Operations leads and supports the day-to-day delivery, reliability, and continuous improvement of software development, integrations, database administration, data engineering, and data operations. This is a hands-on, technical, people-management role responsible for coaching and developing a team of 8–10 software engineers, DBAs, and data engineers while providing practical technical guidance across applications, databases, data platforms, integrations, orchestration, and production support. The Manager ensures solutions and services are secure, reliable, scalable, supportable, and delivered with strong quality in a collaborative, lean, cost-conscious shared-services environment.

What You’ll Do

• People Leadership and Team Development:
  • Directly manage, coach, and develop 8–10 software engineers, DBAs, and data engineers.
  • Set clear expectations, establish accountability, and provide regular feedback.
  • Support hiring, onboarding, performance management, and professional growth.
• Hands-On Technical Leadership:
  • Provide practical technical guidance, review designs and implementations.
  • Troubleshoot complex issues and serve as a technical escalation point.
  • Maintain the ability to contribute directly to technical work when needed.
• Software Engineering and Integration:
  • Oversee support of cloud-native applications, APIs, SaaS integrations, orchestration workflows, CI/CD, and related services.
  • Ensure solutions are maintainable, secure, testable, observable, and supportable.
• Data and Database Operations:
  • Manage day-to-day operations of databases and data platforms.
  • Focus on performance, availability, backup and recovery, monitoring, incident response, change management, production support, capacity, and operational resilience.
• Delivery and Quality:
  • Work with business analysts, architecture, quality assurance, governance, security, and delivery teams.
  • Translate business needs into practical solutions and ensure work meets expectations for scope, quality, functionality, timeliness, security, supportability, and cost.
• Technical Problem Solving:
  • Investigate complex application, database, integration, pipeline, and data issues.
  • Coordinate root-cause analysis and corrective actions.
  • Remove blockers affecting delivery or operational stability.
• Platform Improvement:
  • Identify and implement opportunities to simplify, automate, consolidate, and optimize applications, databases, data platforms, integrations, and workflows.
  • Improve reliability and reduce operational overhead.
• AI-Assisted Development and Modern Tools:
  • Encourage responsible use of AI-assisted development tools and modern cloud-native practices.
  • Improve developer productivity, code quality, testing, documentation, and support outcomes.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Data Science, or a related field.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in software engineering, database administration, data engineering, data operations, or closely related technology functions.
• Demonstrated success managing and developing technical team members.
• Strong technical understanding of software development, SQL, databases, data engineering, data platforms, APIs, SaaS integration, orchestration, cloud-native architecture, pipelines, CI/CD, application of Artificial Intelligence, and Agile delivery practices.
• Ability to review, understand, troubleshoot, and contribute to application code, database objects, data pipelines, integrations, and deployment automation.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Azure services and cloud-native application and data patterns.
• Experience with database administration and enterprise data platforms.
• Strong understanding of data, including data architecture, modeling, quality, lineage, security, integration, lifecycle management, and analytics enablement.
• Ability to translate business needs into scalable, secure, maintainable technology and data solutions.
• Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, prioritization, communication, collaboration, and people-leadership skills.

Requirements

• Advanced degree or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Data Engineering, Data Science, or a related field.
• Experience with Microsoft Azure application and data services, Azure SQL, Databricks, Azure Data Factory, Cosmos DB, AKS/Kubernetes, and API Management.
• Experience with SaaS integration, orchestration platforms, data integration, data warehousing, lakehouse architectures, BI/analytics enablement, and data observability tools.
• Experience with GitHub or Azure DevOps repositories, pipelines, CI/CD automation, infrastructure or configuration as code, and DevSecOps practices.
• Experience with AI-assisted software development tools and practices.
• Experience with higher education technology and systems such as Anthology, Brightspace/D2L, or comparable student, learning, and business platforms.
• Relevant cloud, software development, database, data engineering, security, or Agile certifications.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Teams.

Benefits

• Medical (including prescription), Dental, Vision (UMA subsidized)
• FSA/HSA (Depending on Medical Plan chosen)
• Basic Life Insurance (UMA paid)
• Additional Voluntary Life Insurance (Team Member paid)
• Employee Assistance Program – EAP (UMA paid)
• Long Term Disability (UMA paid)
• Short Term Disability (Team Member paid)
• Supplemental Insurance such as Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital (Team Member Paid)
• Paid Time Off – 15 days accrued in year 1, 9 holidays, and 1 day of Volunteering Time Off
• 401k (eligible upon completion of 90 days of employment and must be at least 18 years of age)
• Pet Insurance
• Identity Theft Protection

Work Environment/Physical Demands

• This is a full-time remote position, with occasional onsite travel required.
• Home office set up, quiet place to work, ability to be on camera, and ability to hard wire into high-speed internet connection.
• May require setup of computer equipment; accommodation consideration available upon request.
• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends, as needed.

Compensation Range

$150,000 — $150,000 USD

OUR CORE VALUES

• COLLABORATE: We achieve more together.
• ADVOCATE: We boldly champion those we serve.
• RESPECT: We honor ourselves and each other.
• EMPOWER: We unlock potential.