Data Operations Engineer

About Calamos

Calamos is a diversified, global asset and wealth management firm offering a wide range of innovative investment strategies. As one of the top liquid alternative asset managers in the world, Calamos maintains dedicated investment teams across all asset classes, with global research capabilities and access to specialized private and public markets. Calamos offers investment strategies and personal wealth management solutions through separately managed portfolios, mutual funds, ETFs, closed-end funds, private funds, and UCITS funds. Clients include major corporations, pension funds, endowments, foundations, and individuals, as well as the financial advisors and consultants who serve them. Headquartered in the Chicago metropolitan area (with offices in both Naperville and Fulton Market in Chicago), the firm also maintains offices in New York, San Francisco, Milwaukee, Portland, and the Miami area.

Summary of the Role

Calamos is seeking a talented Data Operations Engineer to join our world-class Data Engineering team. This role is directly responsible for maintaining the operational integrity and reliability of our enterprise data platform. You will serve as the front line for data operations, ensuring our critical data pipelines run smoothly and resolving issues quickly when they arise.

Working collaboratively with Data Engineering, Investment Systems, Research Systems, Distribution, Marketing, Fund Administration, Operations, Data Science, Risk, and Quantitative teams, you will ensure the delivery of high-quality data products that power investment decisions and business operations across the firm.

Primary Responsibilities

• Monitor data pipeline performance, job execution, and system health using observability tools and dashboards

• Respond to data pipeline alerts and incidents within defined service level agreements (SLAs)

• Investigate and troubleshoot data quality issues, pipeline failures, and system anomalies

• Perform root cause analysis on operational incidents and document findings

• Participate in on-call rotation to provide support for production systems

• Optimize and support large-scale ETL/ELT pipelines using Databricks (PySpark, Spark SQL, Delta Lake)

• Coordinate production deployments and releases with the Data Engineering team

• Maintain and execute operational runbooks and standard operating procedures

• Identify opportunities to improve pipeline reliability, performance, and efficiency

• Work with business stakeholders to understand data requirements and operational needs

• Manage incident tickets and service requests through Jira Service Management

• Communicate status updates on incidents and issues to technical and non-technical leadership

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related technical field

• 2-4 years of experience in operational data management

• Proficiency in Python and SQL for data manipulation and analysis

• Experience with operational support, monitoring, alerting, and incident management

• Demonstrated ability to debug and troubleshoot complex technical issues under pressure

• Experience with query optimization and performance tuning

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team

• Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with cloud data platforms (Azure, AWS, or GCP)

• Familiarity with Databricks Unity Catalog, Delta Live Tables, and Workflows

• Experience working with ticketing and service desk applications (Jira Service Management, ServiceNow, etc.)

• Knowledge of CI/CD practices and deployment automation

• Experience with data observability and monitoring tools

• Background in financial services or investment management industry

• Familiarity with .NET development

• Experience with Agile/Scrum methodologies

• Understanding of data governance and security best practices

• Possess enthusiasm for technology outside of work-related activities

Compensation Disclosure

The compensation for this role takes into account various factors, including work location, individual skill set, relevant experience, and other business needs. The estimated base salary range for this position is $110,000 - $130,000. Additionally, this position is eligible for an annual discretionary bonus.

Please note that this is the current estimate of the base salary range intended for this role at the time of posting. The base salary range may be adjusted in the future.

Benefits

Calamos offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, and employer-paid short and long-term disability), as well as retirement benefits (401(k) and profit sharing), paid time off, paid parental leave, and other wellness benefits.