Manager, Test Data Engineering Team

Test Data Engineering Manager

Live Nation Core Data Services is seeking a Test Data Engineering Manager to lead and evolve a team of primarily QA-background engineers into a high-performing, engineering-driven function. This role focuses on building scalable, automated data testing solutions, including synthetic data generation, test harnesses, and regression frameworks integrated into deployment pipelines. The manager will partner with internal stakeholders to define data validation requirements and establish reusable testing frameworks across the organization. This is a globally distributed team spanning the US, UK, and offshore, requiring strong cross-time-zone collaboration.

This is a high-impact role within an entrepreneurial team backed by the scale and reach of a global live entertainment leader. The role leads the transformation of data quality into a scalable, engineering-driven capability by building and managing a team focused on automated validation frameworks, test data engineering, and data observability within a Databricks-based platform.

The position requires driving research-led, iterative validation using TDD (Test Driven Development) practices, while managing multiple roadmaps and shared-service backlogs supporting diverse engineering teams. Highly visible, this role operates across North America, Europe, and Asia, partnering with cross-functional stakeholders to deliver reliable, scalable data solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Data Quality Platform Engineering
• Design and build reusable data quality frameworks integrated into Databricks pipelines.
• Develop standardized validation libraries (schema checks, freshness, volume, anomaly detection)
• Define and enforce data quality standards and "Definition of Done" across pipelines.
• Test Data Engineering
• Build scalable solutions for synthetic data generation and masking.
• Develop replay frameworks for validating pipeline changes against production scenarios.
• Create automated regression testing harnesses for batch and streaming pipelines.
• Data Observability & Reliability
• Establish monitoring, alerting, and SLA/SLO frameworks for data pipelines.
• Build tools to measure and track data quality, pipeline health, and reliability metrics.
• Enable proactive detection of data issues in production environments.
• Team Leadership & Collaboration
• Lead and grow a team of data quality engineers and test data engineers.
• Partner with Data Engineering, Product, and Analytics teams to embed quality practices.
• Drive adoption of frameworks and standards across global engineering pods.
• Strategy & Execution
• Define and execute a long-term roadmap for enterprise data quality.
• Prioritize initiatives across multiple stakeholders and global teams.
• Eliminate manual validation processes through automation and engineering best practices.

What This Person Will Bring

• 5+ years in Data Engineering, Test Data Engineering, or related fields.
• 2+ years in a technical leadership or management role.
• Strong experience with Databricks, Spark, distributed data systems, Python and SQL.
• Experience building automated validation or data quality frameworks.
• Hands-on with data observability or validation tools (e.g., Great Expectations, Deequ, Soda).
• Familiarity with streaming architectures and real-time validation.
• AI orchestration experience a huge plus; ability to automate test data practices such as synthetic data generation, data profiling, and pipeline regression testing.
• Solid understanding of anomaly detection and large-scale data validation patterns (e.g., hash/Merkle-based validation), and/or major TDM tools for data profiling and sampling.
• Comfortable juggling multiple concurrent projects and setting priorities.
• Experience with JIRA / agile user story and acceptance criteria writing.
• Willingness to work with cross-functional teams across time-zones and odd hours as necessary.
• Excellent analytical skills required, experience with user behavior data will be a leg up.
• Track record of success launching test data solutions or BI validation applications.
• Versatile, hands-on mindset with a bias for execution.
• Passion for live music and events is a plus.
• Optimism with drive, drive, drive.

What Success Looks Like

• Data quality checks embedded in all critical pipelines.
• Reduced time to detect and resolve data issues.
• Elimination of manual QA validation processes.
• Scalable frameworks adopted across global engineering teams.

Benefits & Perks

Our motto is 'Taking Care of Our Own' through 6 pillars of benefits:

• HEALTH: Medical, vision, dental and mental health benefits for you and your family, with access to a health care concierge, and Flexible or Health Savings Accounts (FSA or HSA)
• YOURSELF: Free concert tickets, generous paid time off including paid holidays, sick time, and personal days
• WEALTH: 401(k) program with company match, stock reimbursement program
• FAMILY: New parent programs including caregiver leave and baby bonuses, plus fertility, adoption, foster, or surrogacy support
• CAREER: Career and skill development programs with School of Live, tuition reimbursement, and student loan repayment
• OTHERS: Volunteer time off, crowdfunding match

Equal Employment Opportunity

We aspire to build teams that reflect and support the fans and artists we serve. Every day we aim to promote environments where everyone can be themselves, contribute fully, and thrive within our company and at our events. As a growing business we will encourage you to develop your professional and personal aspirations, enjoy new experiences, and learn from the talented people you will be working with.

Live Nation strongly supports equal employment opportunity for all applicants regardless of age (40 and over), ancestry, color, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), family and medical care leave or the denial of family and medical care leave, mental or physical disability (including HIV and AIDS), marital status, domestic partner status, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, military and veteran status, political affiliation, national origin (including language use restrictions), citizenship, race, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), gender, gender identity, and gender expression, sexual orientation, intersectionality, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local law, rule, ordinance or regulation.

We will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinance, San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and the California Fair Chance Act and consistent with other similar and / or applicable laws in other areas.

We also afford equal employment opportunities to qualified individuals with a disability. For this reason, Live Nation will make reasonable accommodations for the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual with a disability who is an applicant consistent with its legal obligations to do so, including reasonable accommodations related to pregnancy in accordance with applicable local, state and / or federal law. As part of its commitment to make reasonable accommodations, Live Nation also wishes to participate in a timely, good faith, interactive process with a disabled applicant to determine effective reasonable accommodations, if any, which can be made in response to a request for accommodations. Applicants are invited to identify reasonable accommodations that can be made to assist them to perform the essential functions of the position they seek. Any applicant who requires an accommodation in order to perform the essential functions of the job should contact a Human Resources Representative to request the opportunity to participate in a timely interactive process. Live Nation will also provide reasonable religious accommodations on a case-by-case basis.

Live Nation recruitment policies are designed to place the most highly qualified persons available in a timely and efficient manner. Live Nation may pursue all avenues available, including promotion from within, employee referrals, outside advertising, employment agencies, internet recruiting, job fairs, college recruiting and search firms.