Data Architect - Enterprise Data Strategy & Architecture

Summary of Role

We are seeking an experienced Data Architect to lead the development of an Enterprise Data Strategy and establish a scalable, secure, and governed data architecture capability. The successful candidate will partner with business stakeholders, IT leadership, security teams, architects, and data owners to define a future-state data environment that enables digital transformation, advanced analytics, AI, data science, and business intelligence initiatives.

This role combines strategic data leadership with hands-on architecture, governance, and roadmap development.

Responsibilities

Enterprise Data Strategy

• Develop and define an enterprise-wide data strategy aligned to business objectives.
• Assess current data capabilities, maturity, and opportunities.
• Create a multi-year roadmap for data transformation and modernization.
• Identify and prioritize strategic data initiatives that drive business value.
• Align data strategy with organizational policies, standards, privacy, and compliance requirements.

Data Architecture

• Develop current-state and target-state enterprise data architectures.
• Create conceptual, logical, and high-level physical data models.
• Define enterprise data architecture principles, standards, and best practices.
• Design architecture patterns for data integration, storage, governance, and consumption.
• Assess existing data platforms and recommend future-state technologies.
• Identify opportunities to improve data pipelines, data flows, and information management processes.

Data Governance & Data Management

• Establish enterprise data governance frameworks and operating models.
• Define data ownership, stewardship, and accountability structures.
• Develop recommendations for data quality management and controls.
• Define metadata management and master data management requirements.
• Recommend data classification, retention, security, and access management standards.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, privacy, and information security requirements.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Facilitate workshops and interviews with business and technology stakeholders.
• Collaborate with executive leadership, architects, data owners, and vendor partners.
• Present findings, recommendations, and strategic roadmaps to senior management.
• Build alignment across business units on enterprise data priorities and governance standards.

Key Deliverables

Discovery & Assessment

• Current-State Data Landscape Assessment
• Enterprise Data Source Inventory
• Data Flow and Integration Assessment
• Data Maturity Assessment
• Gap Analysis and Opportunity Assessment

Strategy

• Enterprise Data Strategy
• Data Strategy Roadmap
• Prioritized Data Initiatives
• Data Maturity Development Plan

Governance

• Data Governance Framework
• Data Ownership Model
• Data Stewardship Model
• Data Quality Framework Recommendations
• Data Security and Classification Framework

Architecture

• Current-State Data Architecture
• Target-State Data Architecture
• Data Architecture Principles and Standards
• Technology and Platform Recommendations
• Data Integration Improvement Recommendations

Qualifications

• Matric and a Bachelor's Degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, or related discipline.
• Relevant Architecture certifications advantageous:
• TOGAF
• DAMA CDMP
• Azure Data Certifications
• AWS Data & Analytics Certifications
• Google Cloud Data Certifications

Experience

• Minimum 8-10 years' experience in Data Architecture, Data Management, or Enterprise Architecture roles.
• Proven experience developing Enterprise Data Strategies.
• Strong experience establishing Data Governance frameworks and operating models.
• Experience conducting Data Maturity Assessments and roadmap development.
• Experience designing enterprise-scale data architectures across multiple platforms.
• Experience engaging senior business and executive stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of data security, privacy, compliance, and risk management.
• Experience supporting AI, advanced analytics, business intelligence, data science, and digital transformation initiatives.

Technical Expertise

Strong knowledge of:

• Enterprise Data Architecture
• Data Governance & Data Management
• Data Modeling (Conceptual, Logical, Physical)
• Master Data Management (MDM)
• Metadata Management
• Data Quality Management
• Data Warehousing & Data Lakes
• Data Integration & ETL/ELT Solutions
• Cloud Data Platforms (Azure, AWS, Google Cloud)
• Data Security & Privacy Frameworks
• Business Intelligence & Analytics Platforms
• Data Strategy and Transformation Programs

Key Competencies

• Strategic Thinking
• Executive Communication
• Stakeholder Management
• Consulting & Advisory Skills
• Problem Solving
• Influencing & Negotiation
• Business Acumen
• Facilitation & Workshop Leadership
• Change Management
• Documentation & Presentation Skills