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Data Leader Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

SoFi

Senior Manager, Data Science

San Francisco, CA · On-site

You will serve as a data leader, balancing urgent requests and delivering high quality projects to key stakeholders, through a clear and repeatable data informed approach. You will create a culture ...

TEKsystems

Data & Analytics Resource

San Francisco, CA

$85 - $90/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Key Requirements: • 10+ years in Data & Analytics leadership • Strong Data Engineering, Architecture, Governance, and Analytics • Experience establishing Data Product operating models and Data ...

TEKsystems

Data & Analytics Resource

San Francisco, CA

$85 - $90/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Key Requirements: • 10+ years in Data & Analytics leadership • Strong Data Engineering, Architecture, Governance, and Analytics • Experience establishing Data Product operating models and Data ...

TEKsystems

Data & Analytics Resource

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$85 - $90/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Key Requirements: • 10+ years in Data & Analytics leadership • Strong Data Engineering, Architecture, Governance, and Analytics • Experience establishing Data Product operating models and Data ...

Adobe

Dir, Machine Learning Eng

San Jose, CA · On-site

They are seeking a highly motivated AI/ML and data leader to enhance their data platform organization and drive AI/ML innovation within the Adobe Experience Platform. Responsibilities : • Lead a ...

Delta Dental of Illinois

Principal Data Architect

Oakland, CA · On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

The Principal Data Architect is a leadership position responsible for developing the vision for AI-enabled data ecosystems, defining the Enterprise Data Strategy, and establishing the Data ...

New

Delta Dental Ins.

Principal Data Architect

Oakland, CA

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

The Principal Data Architect is a leadership position responsible for developing the vision for AI-enabled data ecosystems, defining the Enterprise Data Strategy, and establishing the Data ...

DoorDash

Engineering Manager, Data

San Francisco, CA · On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

You are a people leader. You thrive in hiring, building, growing and nurturing impactful business focused data teams * You are a technology leader. You drive the technical and strategic vision for ...

Salesforce, Inc.

Principal Data Engineer

San Francisco, CA

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

Ready to level-up your career at the company leading workforce transformation in the agentic era ... Department Overview Data Solutions is the force that propels Salesforce into the AI era, informing ...

Salesforce, Inc.

Principal Data Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

Ready to level-up your career at the company leading workforce transformation in the agentic era ... Department Overview Data Solutions is the force that propels Salesforce into the AI era, informing ...

Salesforce, Inc.

Principal Data Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$197 - $314/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

## Principal Data EngineerApplyremote type: Office Tech-Flexiblelocations: California - San Francisco ... Ready to level-up your career at the company leading workforce transformation in the agentic era ...

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Showing results 1-20

All JobsData Leader JobsData Leader Jobs in California

Data Leader information

What is the difference between Data Leader vs Data Analyst?

AspectData Leader
ResponsibilitiesStrategic data management, setting data vision, leading data teams
Skills & CertificationsData strategy, leadership, advanced analytics, often with certifications like CDMP or DAMA
Work EnvironmentExecutive-level, cross-departmental collaboration, senior management
FocusHigh-level data governance, business impact, long-term data strategy

While a Data Leader focuses on strategic oversight, governance, and leading data initiatives at an organizational level, a Data Analyst primarily handles data analysis, reporting, and supporting decision-making through data insights. Both roles require strong analytical skills, but the Data Leader emphasizes leadership and strategy, whereas the Data Analyst concentrates on technical analysis and data interpretation.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a data leader?

To thrive as a Data Leader, you need expertise in data analytics, data management, and strategy, often backed by an advanced degree in a quantitative field and experience in data-centric roles. Familiarity with tools like SQL, Python, data visualization platforms (e.g., Tableau, Power BI), and cloud data systems is typically required. Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills help drive organizational alignment and data-driven decision-making. These competencies are crucial for shaping effective data strategies, ensuring data quality, and delivering business value through insights.

What is a data leader?

A Data Leader is a senior professional responsible for developing and implementing an organization’s data strategy, ensuring that data assets are effectively managed and leveraged to drive business value. They oversee data governance, data quality, analytics initiatives, and often manage teams of data scientists, engineers, and analysts. Data Leaders play a key role in shaping data-driven decision-making, aligning data projects with business objectives, and ensuring compliance with data regulations. Their work helps organizations unlock insights from data, improve operations, and gain a competitive advantage.

How do data leaders typically balance strategic oversight with hands-on involvement in data projects?

Data Leaders often face the challenge of balancing high-level strategy with direct involvement in data initiatives. While their primary responsibility is to set the vision for data governance, analytics, and architecture, they also need to stay engaged with teams to ensure alignment and remove obstacles. This often means participating in key project meetings, reviewing major deliverables, and facilitating communication between technical and business stakeholders. Effective Data Leaders delegate operational tasks but remain accessible for critical decision-making and mentorship, fostering both team autonomy and strategic coherence.

What are popular job titles related to Data Leader jobs in California?

For Data Leader jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Data Leader jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Data Leader jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Data Leader jobs?

Cities in California with the most Data Leader job openings:

Data Leader jobs near you
Infographic showing various Data Leader job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 82% Full Time, 12% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 86% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution.

Senior Manager, Data Science

SoFi

San Francisco, CA • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 9 days ago

Job description

Employee Applicant Privacy Notice
Who we are:
Shape a brighter financial future with us.
Together with our members, we're changing the way people think about and interact with personal finance.
We're a next-generation financial services company and national bank using innovative, mobile-first technology to help our millions of members reach their goals. The industry is going through an unprecedented transformation, and we're at the forefront. We're proud to come to work every day knowing that what we do has a direct impact on people's lives, with our core values guiding us every step of the way. Join us to invest in yourself, your career, and the financial world.
The role
The Data Science team is seeking a Senior Manager who will help support growth in our SIPS businesses by improving SoFi's ability to execute with data. This is an exciting role for someone to leverage their Analytical, Engineering, and Management skills to lead a team of Data Scientists with high visibility and impact.
You will serve as a data leader, balancing urgent requests and delivering high quality projects to key stakeholders, through a clear and repeatable data informed approach. You will create a culture of strong technical ownership, deliver impact with prioritization, support the growth of individual contributors, and hold the team accountable with high standards.
You are expected to work cross-functionally, including: engineering, product managers, lifecycle marketing, data science, design, operations, finance, risk, legal, compliance, and executive teams to set business objectives, define product strategy, prioritize features, and execute on them.
What you'll do:
  • Manage a team of Data Scientists supporting SoFi's Checking and Savings, Invest, Credit Card, Protect, and Lantern businesses
  • Collaborate with senior leaders and other stakeholders to identify and prioritize Data Science initiatives
  • Set high standards for quality and on-time delivery.
  • Recruit, grow, and retain top talent
  • Ensure that the team is operating in an agile and efficient manner
  • Stay up-to-date on the latest AI/ML technologies
  • Identify high impact business opportunities to help members achieve their financial goals
  • Mentor and guide data scientists in the team by promoting best practices, strong technical decisions, coding standards, and thorough documentation.
  • Build strong relationships with stakeholders and present insights on a regular cadence communicating findings to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams and business leaders to understand needs and offer data-driven solutions

What you'll need:
  • Bachelor's Degree in a technical field
  • 7+ years of Data Science or Software Engineering experience
  • 3+ years management experience
  • Experience leveraging data-driven analysis to influence key decisions, preferably in a Tech or Finance company
  • Experience with using Airflow and DBT to build Data Pipelines in Snowflake
  • Strong programming skills in SQL and Python
  • Experience with building data visualizations with Tableau, Looker or other BI tools
  • Knowledge of varied ML algorithms, applicability to different business problems, and experience in deploying ML models at scale in production with monitoring metrics.
  • Ability to work in a dynamic, cross-functional environment, with a strong attention to detail;
  • Effective communication and presentation skills and ability to explain complex analyses in simple terms to business leaders;
  • Strong relationship building and collaborative skills;
  • Exceptional problem-solving

Compensation and Benefits
The base pay range for this role is listed below. Final base pay offer will be determined based on individual factors such as the candidate's experience, skills, and location.
To view all of our comprehensive and competitive benefits, visit our Benefits at SoFi page!
SoFi provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion (including religious dress and grooming practices), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, breastfeeding, and conditions related to breastfeeding), gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age (40 or over), physical or medical disability, medical condition, marital status, registered domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military and/or veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable state or federal law.
The Company hires the best qualified candidate for the job, without regard to protected characteristics.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
New York applicants: Notice of Employee Rights
SoFi is committed to an inclusive culture. As part of this commitment, SoFi offers reasonable accommodations to candidates with physical or mental disabilities. If you need accommodations to participate in the job application or interview process, please let your recruiter know or email accommodations@sofi.com.
Due to insurance coverage issues, we are unable to accommodate remote work from Hawaii or Alaska at this time.
Internal Employees
If you are a current employee, do not apply here - please navigate to our Internal Job Board in Greenhouse to apply to our open roles.

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