[Hiring] Head of Data @Light & Wonder

Role Description

The Head of Data is a critical, highly visible leadership role at the heart of Light & Wonder's AI transformation. Reporting directly to the Chief Strategy Officer, this leader will build L&W's centralized data hub, establishing the infrastructure, master data management, governance, and data science capability that the enterprise AI agenda depends on.

This role partners directly with the Executive Leadership Team, business unit leaders, Finance, Operations, and Technology to ensure data becomes a defensible source of competitive advantage and a measurable driver of business value.

The Head of Data will serve as a core architect of that journey, translating L&W's data ambition into infrastructure, capability, and outcomes that directly support the enterprise AI AEBITDA agenda.

This is an executive level role with significant scope, visibility, and impact.

Primary Roles and Responsibilities Include:

• Lead the Build of L&W's Centralized Data Function
  • Stand up L&W's centralized data hub, including infrastructure, master data management, governance, data engineering, analytics engineering, and data science capability.
  • Define and operate the hub-and-spoke operating model that pairs centralized standards with embedded data partnership across business units and functions.
  • Hire, onboard, and develop the full data hub team, building a high-performing organization with a strong talent bar and low attrition.
• Develop and Execute the Multi-Year Data Strategy
  • Develop a multi-year data roadmap covering infrastructure, master data management, governance, and AI-aligned use-case sequencing, endorsed by the Executive Leadership Team and integrated into the broader AI transformation plan.
  • Translate L&W's enterprise strategy and AI ambitions into a sequenced, executable data investment plan with clear value, timing, and accountability.
  • Make architectural and platform decisions that establish Snowflake-as-source-of-truth, modern data tooling, and governance standards across the enterprise.
• Drive Measurable Business Value
  • Deliver an early, fully shipped, financially-validated win that demonstrates the value of the data function, visible to leadership, signed off by Finance, and meaningful in dollar impact.
  • Stand up data infrastructure that materially supports Finance and Operations in achieving their AI AEBITDA targets, including documented data dictionaries, lineage, and shared definitions.
  • Ensure the data infrastructure built and operated by this role drives a meaningful share of L&W's enterprise AI AEBITDA target by 2028, with Finance attestation.
  • Build and deliver an R&D Intelligence Layer to support portfolio and game development decision-making, partnering closely with the Head of Product.
• Establish Enterprise Data Governance and Trust
  • Establish and operate enterprise data governance, including policies, stewardship roles, data domains, decision rights, and an executive Data Council.
  • Ensure data quality, security, regulatory compliance, and AI-readiness across critical data domains.
  • Build the trust, transparency, and shared definitions that allow data to be confidently used in decisions across Finance, Operations, and the business units.
• Executive Leadership Collaboration and Strategic Influence
  • Serve as a trusted partner to the Chief Strategy Officer, Executive Leadership Team, and Board on data and AI priorities.
  • Build coalitions with peer leaders across Technology, Finance, Operations, and the business units, driving alignment without relying on hierarchical authority.
  • Prepare and deliver executive-level communications, insights, and recommendations that translate data and AI strategy into business outcomes.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading data, analytics, or data engineering organizations at the VP, SVP, or Chief Data Officer level.
• Track record of building data capability in technically complex environments, including organizations with fragmented systems, multiple ERPs, and limited integrated data infrastructure.
• Demonstrated ability to translate data investments into measurable business value, expressed in dollars of revenue, cost, or AEBITDA.
• Hands-on credibility in modern data infrastructure and data engineering, including cloud data platforms (Snowflake, Databricks, or equivalent).
• Strong working knowledge of current AI tooling, agentic workflows, LLM capabilities, and how they fit into an enterprise data strategy.
• Proven ability to develop proof points and pilots through iterative phases, demonstrating value sequentially.
• Track record of building cross-functional coalitions with peer-level executives such as CTOs, CFOs, COOs, and BU heads.
• Demonstrated ability to attract, retain, and develop top-tier talent.
• Public-company experience strongly preferred, including comfort with audit, regulatory, and disclosure requirements.
• Industry experience in gaming, hospitality, entertainment, media, or another complex multi-business-unit consumer enterprise is a plus.

Education

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MS, PhD, or equivalent in a quantitative or technical field) preferred.

Work Conditions

• This role is open to remote work for the right individual, with a strong preference of being full time in Las Vegas, NV. If remote, 50% travel will be required.
• The targeted salary range for this role is $300,000–$350,000, and total compensation may include an annual performance bonus and equity.
• Employees are eligible for comprehensive company-sponsored benefits, including medical, dental, vision, paid time off, a 401(k) plan, tuition assistance, and more.