VP, Data & Analytics Platform with a Large Insurer – Hartford, CT

Role Overview for VP, Data & Analytics Platform with a Large Insurer – Hartford, CT

JRG Partners is proud to represent a premier, large-scale insurance provider in their search for a transformative Vice President, Data & Analytics Platform. This is a pivotal executive leadership position based in Hartford, CT, designed for a visionary leader who will redefine how our client leverages data as a strategic asset. In an industry undergoing rapid digital transformation, the ability to harness data for risk assessment, customer personalization, operational efficiency, and new product innovation is the ultimate competitive advantage. This role is at the heart of that transformation.

The VP, Data & Analytics Platform will be the central owner and evangelist for the enterprise’s data ecosystem. You will be responsible for the overarching strategy, architecture, development, and operational excellence of a modern, scalable, and secure data platform. This platform serves as the foundational layer for all analytics, business intelligence, reporting, and machine learning initiatives across the organization. You will lead a multi-disciplinary team of talented data engineers, architects, and platform managers, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and engineering excellence.

This is not just a technical leadership role; it is a business-critical strategic position. You will work closely with C-suite executives and business unit leaders to understand their challenges and opportunities, translating them into a data platform roadmap that delivers tangible business value. You will champion data literacy and a data-driven culture, ensuring that insights are accessible, reliable, and actionable for decision-makers at every level. The ideal candidate is a seasoned data professional with a proven track record of building and scaling cloud-native data platforms, combined with the executive presence and strategic acumen to influence a large, complex organization. If you are passionate about building the future of data in the insurance industry, this is an unparalleled opportunity to make a lasting impact.

Key Responsibilities of VP, Data & Analytics Platform with a Large Insurer – Hartford, CT

• Strategic Vision and Roadmap Development: Define, articulate, and execute a comprehensive, multi-year vision and strategy for the enterprise data and analytics platform. Ensure this strategy is tightly aligned with overarching business objectives, digital transformation goals, and future growth initiatives. Continuously evaluate the technology landscape to ensure the platform remains modern, cost-effective, and capable of meeting future demands.
• Platform Architecture and Engineering: Lead the design, build, and operationalization of a best-in-class data platform utilizing modern, cloud-native technologies (e.g., data lakes, lakehouses, data warehouses, streaming platforms). Oversee the entire data lifecycle, including data ingestion, ETL/ELT processing, storage, data modeling, and data access. Establish and enforce architectural standards and best practices to ensure scalability, reliability, security, and performance.
• Team Leadership and Talent Development: Build, mentor, and lead a world-class organization of data engineers, data architects, and platform operations specialists. Foster an inclusive and high-performance culture that values innovation, continuous learning, and accountability. Manage resource allocation, team structure, career pathing, and professional development to attract and retain top-tier talent.
• Data Governance and Quality: In partnership with the Chief Data Officer and business stewards, implement and operationalize a robust data governance framework. Champion policies and processes for data quality, metadata management, data lineage, and data security. Ensure the platform adheres to all regulatory and compliance requirements (e.g., CCPA, GDPR, NAIC regulations).
• Operational Excellence and FinOps: Drive operational excellence across all platform services, establishing SLAs, monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs), and implementing robust incident management processes. Champion FinOps principles to manage and optimize cloud infrastructure costs, ensuring maximum return on technology investments.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Business Enablement: Serve as a trusted advisor to senior business and IT leaders. Collaborate closely with analytics teams, data scientists, and business units to understand their data requirements and deliver enabling platform capabilities. Act as a primary evangelist for the platform, promoting its adoption and demonstrating its value through clear business outcomes.
• Innovation and Emerging Technologies: Stay at the forefront of industry trends and emerging technologies in data, analytics, AI, and machine learning. Evaluate and pilot new tools and frameworks that can enhance platform capabilities, drive efficiency, and unlock new business opportunities. Drive the evolution of the platform to support advanced analytics and MLOps at scale.

Requirements for the VP, Data & Analytics Platform with a Large Insurer – Hartford, CT

• Executive Experience: A minimum of 15 years of progressive experience in data management, data engineering, or technology architecture, with at least 7-10 years in a senior leadership capacity managing large, cross-functional teams.
• Educational Background: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related quantitative field. A Master’s degree or MBA is highly preferred.
• Industry Knowledge: Significant experience within the insurance or financial services industry is strongly preferred. A deep understanding of insurance data domains (e.g., claims, underwriting, policy, actuarial) is a major asset.
• Technical Acumen: Proven, hands-on experience building and managing large-scale, distributed data platforms on a major cloud provider (AWS, Azure, or GCP). Deep expertise in modern data architecture patterns (e.g., Data Lakehouse, Data Mesh) and technologies such as Snowflake, Databricks, Redshift, BigQuery, Kafka, and Spark.
• BI and Analytics Expertise: Strong familiarity with the analytics and business intelligence landscape, including tools like Tableau and Power BI. Understanding how data platforms enable self-service analytics and data science is crucial. For context, you should be familiar with leaders in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms.
• Leadership and Influence: Demonstrated ability to lead through influence in a large, matrixed organization. Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate a complex technical vision to both technical and non-technical executive audiences.
• Strategic and Business Mindset: Proven ability to think strategically, connecting technology solutions to tangible business outcomes. Experience with financial management, including budget planning, cost optimization (FinOps), and vendor management.
• Transformational Leadership: A track record of driving significant change and transformation. Experience leading teams through technology modernization, process improvement, and cultural shifts towards a data-driven mindset.

Benefits & Perks Offered

Our client provides a comprehensive and competitive benefits package designed to support the well-being and success of their executives. This includes:

• Competitive Compensation: A highly competitive base salary, annual performance-based bonus, and long-term equity incentives.
• Comprehensive Health & Wellness: Premium medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your dependents. Access to wellness programs, mental health resources, and fitness subsidies.
• Retirement Planning: A robust 401(k) plan with a generous company match and potential profit-sharing contributions.
• Work-Life Balance: A generous paid time off (PTO) policy, including vacation, sick days, and company holidays, to ensure you have time to recharge.
• Professional Development: A dedicated budget for continuous learning, including industry conferences, executive coaching, and certifications.
• Relocation Assistance: A comprehensive relocation package is available for the right candidate to move to the Hartford, CT area.
• Additional Perks: Life insurance, disability coverage, parental leave, and other corporate benefits designed for senior leadership.

How to Apply

This is an exclusive search being conducted by JRG Partners. To be considered for this confidential opportunity, please submit your resume and a cover letter detailing your qualifications and experience in leading enterprise data platforms. We encourage you to apply promptly as we are actively reviewing candidates.

JRG Partners is a leader in executive search for the technology and data sectors. To learn more about our expertise and other opportunities, please visit our technology and data analytics practice area page. We look forward to connecting with you and exploring how this role can be the next great step in your career.