Director, Data & AI Platform

The team + the role Pendo runs on data and AI, and this team owns the foundation that makes both work. The Data & AI Platform team builds and maintains the trusted data infrastructure, semantic layer, BI platform, and internal AI tooling that powers every insight, automation, and AI-enabled workflow across the company. The team spans data engineering, analytics engineering, BI, and software engineering, and the edges between those disciplines are intentionally blurry. If you find that energizing rather than uncomfortable, this role was written for you. We're looking for a Director to lead this team. You'll own the data foundation the entire company leans on, drive the AI-ready infrastructure that makes agents and automations actually work, and create the internal AI workspace where every Pendozer can find, use, and contribute without friction. This is a high-autonomy, high-accountability role with real organizational reach and a clear mandate to build ahead of the business. This role is based in Raleigh, NC and follows Pendo's hybrid model: in-office 3 days per week. What this looks like day-to-day Lead organizational strategy and execution across the platform, establishing operating rhythms, prioritization frameworks, and delivery accountability that keep multiple workstreams moving clearly. Create alignment across engineering and business stakeholders, and communicate progress and tradeoffs upward and outward with clarity. Drive planning, staffing, and roadmap alignment across initiatives, partnering with senior technical leaders to translate strategy and architecture into execution. Ship the near-term foundation: governed connectors, a seeded skills library, a validated AI surface, and eval infrastructure. Own Pendo's internal AI platform - the workspace where every Pendozer can find, use, and contribute AI skills and workflows. This includes the skills flywheel, agent surfaces, and observability infrastructure that make it safe to scale. Drive measurable business outcomes: faster time to insight, higher KPI confidence, operational efficiency, and revenue impact tied directly to the team's work. Partner closely with Applied AI, Analytics, Business Systems, IT, and GTM Operations, understanding their needs well enough to build ahead of them. Make informed build vs. buy decisions, including knowing when to throw work away when something better comes along. Translate technical decisions into business impact, clearly and consistently, for leadership and operating stakeholders. Balance scale with moving at the speed the business requires, avoiding over-engineering and knowing when good enough ships. Set a clear direction while remaining open to changing course. Who you are Beyond the qualifications, we hire through a specific lens. These aren't buzzwords; they're the things we'll actually look for in how you talk about your work. You're a builder, not a maintainer. You're most energized when there isn't a clear path yet, and you get to define it. You don't wait for direction; you identify gaps, shape solutions, and drive them forward. At Pendo, great leaders don't just manage delivery — they operate as strategic owners, setting direction, influencing decisions across the org, and making the teams around them better. You're AI-curious — genuinely. You're not using AI tools occasionally. You're rewiring how you work around them. You're faster, sharper, and more prolific because of it, and you bring that energy to everything: how you evaluate new tooling, how you think about governance, how you build platforms that let others do the same. We want someone who sees AI as a multiplier, not a shortcut — and who understands what it actually takes to make AI safe and reliable at company scale. Must-haves 8+ years in data, engineering, or similar roles, with demonstrated people leadership experience across senior technical ICs. Strong command of data architecture, analytics engineering, BI platforms, and modern data stacks — you can engage deeply with the technical work, not just manage it. Experience building internal platforms or tooling, with an understanding of the governance and operational trust required for company-wide adoption. Track record owning company-critical metrics, semantic layers, and governance frameworks — stakeholders trusted your numbers. Comfort leading across blended disciplines: data engineering, analytics engineering, BI, and software engineering. Excellent judgment and prioritization skills, with a clear, confident communication style that translates technical work into business outcomes. Proven ability to develop senior ICs while building a high-trust, execution-oriented culture. Track record creating organizational clarity across complex, multi-disciplinary teams, not just managing delivery, but shaping how the team operates. Intellectual restlessness - you stay current on a fast-moving landscape and are genuinely willing to change course when the data demands it. Nice-to-haves Hands-on experience with dbt, Fivetran, BigQuery, or similar modern data stack tooling. Familiarity with AI observability and evaluation tooling such as LangSmith or Gemini ADK. Experience with BI platforms that include a semantic layer (Omni or similar). Prior use of Claude Enterprise or similar AI platforms in an enterprise context. Experience enabling self-serve analytics at scale across a non-technical user base. About Pendo Pendo was founded in 2013 by former product managers, who combined their heads and hearts to build something they wanted but never had as product managers: a simple way to understand and attack what truly drives product success. Our mission is to improve society's experience with software. Come join one of the fastest-growing startups, supported by best-in-class institutions like Battery Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, Spark Capital and Meritech. Pendo core values: Bias to Act, Hone Your Craft, The Team is Pendo, and Maniacal Focus. Location: Pendo is a hybrid culture. In-office 3 days per week unless designated remote. Benefits: Highly competitive, employer-heavy coverage (including $0 premium options), strong 401(k) match, equity, and flexible time off. Compensation: Our salary ranges are based on paying competitively for our size and industry, and are one part of many compensation, benefits and other reward opportunities we provide. The expected salary range for this role to be performed in: - North Carolina is $187,000 - $230,000 - New York is $200,000 - $245,000 EEOC: We are an equal opportunity employer and believe having diverse teams where everyone brings their whole self to Pendo is key to our success. We welcome all people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities and perspectives. Accessibility: Pendo is committed to working with, and providing access and reasonable accommodation to, applicants with mental and/or physical disabilities. If you think you may require an accommodation for any part of the recruitment process, please send a request to: [email protected]. All requests for accommodations are treated discreetly and confidentially, as practical and permitted by law.