VP Of Data

VP Of Data

Stord is the commerce enablement platform that powers billions of dollars in commerce and millions of orders for some of the world's leading brands. We sit at the intersection of physical operations and software - running fulfillment centers, parcel networks, and the software that ties it all together. Data is the thread that connects every part of that system. We've made serious investment in our data platform over the past year - connecting all our core systems, building a modern cloud-native architecture, and standing up analytics capabilities that are already changing how we make decisions. Now we're ready to take the next step: building a world-class internal data organization and making Stord an AI-first data company.

This is a greenfield leadership opportunity for someone who wants to own it. You'll be the first VP of Data, reporting directly to the SVP of Product & Engineering, inheriting a small but capable team, and setting the direction for how data powers Stord's next phase of growth.

What You'll Own

• Data strategy and platform - Define and own Stord's data architecture and roadmap.
• Team build-out - You'll inherit an existing team of engineers and analysts and grow it into a full-scale data organization spanning data engineering, analytics & BI, and decision science.
• AI-first data access - Build a platform where every employee and every customer-facing product can access Stord's data naturally and intelligently.
• Adoption - Ensure the data platform is actually used. Move Stord from data-available to data-driven.
• Decision Science - Establish a decision science function that drives operational improvements and cost reductions through proactive, model-driven insights.
• Governance and trust - Establish the standards, quality frameworks, and SLAs that make data a reliable foundation for the business.

What Success Looks Like in Year 1

• The internal data team is fully staffed and high-performing - data engineering, analytics & BI, and decision science functions are in place and operating well.
• Our data platform transformation is complete - all core systems integrated, legacy reporting tools retired, and every function in the business working from a single source of truth.
• An AI-first data platform is live - both our customers and our internal teams can access Stord's data through natural language, not just dashboards.
• Decision science is established and showing measurable impact - cost reductions or operational improvements that the business can point to.

Year 2 is about compounding that foundation and expanding what's possible.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for a data entrepreneur who happens to be a technical expert. You've taken data organizations from scrappy and reactive, to trusted and high-performing. Not by waiting for permission or resources, but by treating the data org like your own business within a business. You move fast, build buy-in, and make things happen. This is a greenfield leadership opportunity for someone who wants to own it.

Technical Leadership

• Deep, hands-on familiarity with modern data architecture.
• Ability to credibly challenge and guide senior engineers on architectural decisions.
• Experience building platforms that are reliable, scalable, and actually used - not just stood up.
• AI-first mindset - you have a clear point of view on how to build platforms that LLMs and agentic tools can reason over, not just query, and you're excited by where this is going.

People & Organizational Leadership

• Proven track record of building a data organization from the ground up.
• Experience developing a leadership layer. You hire and grow managers and senior ICs, not just manage individual contributors yourself.
• Known for retaining strong talent and creating an environment where data people do their best work.
• Leads through clarity and trust. Your team knows what good looks like, why it matters, and how their work connects to the business.

Business & Stakeholder Impact

• Strong executive presence - you build credibility with business leaders quickly and translate complexity into decisions, not just dashboards.
• Driven real, attributable business outcomes from data - you can speak specifically to decisions that changed, revenue that moved, or costs that dropped because of work you led.
• You know the difference between data being available and data being used, and you've closed that gap more than once.
• High learning agility - we care about excellence and adaptability more than specific industry background.

This Role Is Not For Everyone

The work we do at Stord is complex, fast-moving, and high-stakes. Our environment rewards people who thrive under ambiguity, move quickly without sacrificing quality, and are motivated by hard problems. As VP of Data, you'll be operating in a space that touches every part of the business - from warehouse operations to brand-facing software to AI product development. You'll need to earn trust across the organization and build while the plane is flying.

If you want a steady-state role managing an established team, this isn't it. If you want to build something that matters at real scale, we'd like to talk.