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Job Description

Role Overview

The Enterprise Data Architect translates the Data Architect & Modeller Lead’s strategic vision and standards into actionable plans for the entire enterprise. This role creates and maintains the high-level data architecture frameworks, reference models, and guidelines that ensure the bank’s data landscapes are consistent, secure, compliant, and capable of supporting advanced analytics, including AI/ML. The Enterprise Data Architect ensures that all enterprise data solutions can aggregate and report risk data accurately, completely, and in a timely manner. Although the Data Governance Lead and team define governance policies, the Enterprise Data Architect ensures that these policies and quality standards are integrated into the organisation’s data architectures, enabling sustainable compliance with regulatory and risk management requirements.

KEY RESULTS AREAS

Enterprise Frameworks & Standards:

· Develop, refine, and maintain enterprise-wide data architecture principles, standards, and reference architectures that align with the strategic vision set by the Data Architect & Modeller Lead.

· Ensure these frameworks support effective data lineage tracking, metadata management, data quality controls, and data privacy/security measures.

· Incorporate flexibility into the architectures so that the organisation can quickly adapt to evolving regulatory mandates, risk reporting requirements, and emerging technology trends.

Governance, Compliance & Risk Reporting Support:

· Embed governance directives from the Data Governance team into enterprise frameworks, ensuring that all architectural standards facilitate data quality, stewardship, and accountability.

· Integrate requirements for accurate, timely, and complete risk data aggregation and reporting into data architectures, ensuring compliance with industry regulations and international banking standards.

· Evaluate and select technologies, tools, and methodologies that improve the efficiency and reliability of data solutions, including those supporting advanced analytics and AI/ML initiatives.

Collaboration & Knowledge Sharing:

· Collaborate with Data Architects, Data Modellers, Solution Architects, and other technical teams to ensure that domain-level solutions and data models are aligned with enterprise frameworks.

· Offer guidance, patterns, and templates that squads can use to ensure their data solutions meet governance and compliance standards, as well as performance, scalability, and cost optimisation goals.

· Serve as a point of contact and advisor for enterprise-level architecture decisions, promoting best practices and consistency across the organisation’s data landscape.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement:

· Lead or oversee enterprise-level proofs of concept (POCs), pilot projects, and sandbox initiatives to evaluate emerging data technologies, frameworks, and methodologies.

· Assess the feasibility, scalability, and regulatory implications of new data solutions, incorporating successful outcomes into enterprise standards and reference architectures.

· Provide guidance and mentorship to Data Architects and Data Modellers, ensuring that lessons learned inform best practices and improve the organisation’s overall architectural maturity.

· Continuously review and refine enterprise data architectures based on insights gained, focusing on performance optimisation, cost efficiency, compliance, and the ability to rapidly adapt to evolving regulatory and business needs.

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS

· Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field (preferred).

· 10+ years of experience in BI/Analytics, data architecture, and cloud-based data solutions, with a strong understanding of data governance, privacy, and regulatory frameworks in banking or similar regulated industries.

· Demonstrated ability to develop and implement enterprise-scale data architectures that incorporate risk management principles, data lineage, data quality, and advanced analytics capabilities.

· Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and influencing skills to align multiple teams under consistent architectural standards.

Competencies & Skills

· Enterprise Data Architecture Mastery

· Strong Alignment with Governance & Regulatory Requirements

· Expertise in Data Quality, Metadata, and Data Lineage Techniques

· Adaptability to Emerging Technologies & Evolving Compliance Demands

· Collaboration & Influence Across Complex, Matrixed Environments

What Success Looks Like

· Clear, cohesive enterprise data architecture frameworks that domain teams can easily apply, resulting in consistent, compliant, and high-quality data solutions.

· A data landscape that supports accurate, timely risk data reporting, advanced analytics, and rapid adaptation to changing regulations or business priorities.

· Positive feedback from domain architects, modellers, governance leads, and stakeholders on the clarity, reliability, and scalability of the provided enterprise frameworks and guidelines.

The appointment will be made from the designated group in line with the Employment Equity Plan of Old Mutual South Africa and the specific business unit.

Crafts solutions that are fit for purpose from a business perspective. The focus is on a larger facet of service (the solution package).

ResponsibilitiesData Architecture

Design, implement, and evolve robust and effectively aligned architecture solutions that operate in the business ecosystem.

Data Management

Manage key aspects of the data management system. This includes being responsible for developing or operating key elements of the system.

Database Specifications

Approve database specifications, ensuring all agreed standards and protocols are followed and data integrity is preserved.

Databases Installation

Install and test the most complex databases and associated products to ensure they are suitable for use and meet customer requirements.

Information Security

Lead in detecting and analyzing security incidents, including attacks, breaches, and identified vulnerabilities, and remediate any security gaps in line with the security incident management procedure.

Analysis of "As Is" and "To Be"

Document complex "as is" and "to be" processes and describe the changes required to migrate to the "to be" capability to record accurately the change required.

Horizon Scanning

Explore and develop a detailed understanding of external developments or emerging issues and evaluate their potential impact on, or usefulness to, the organization.

Performance Improvement through Business Intelligence

Create complex algorithms that identify patterns in structured data through supervised and unsupervised data. Manage data preparation in collaboration with different stakeholders and internal clients in the business.

Personal Capability Building

Act as subject matter expert in an area of technology, policy, regulation, or operational management for the team. Maintain external accreditations and in-depth understanding of current and emerging external regulation and industry best practices through continuing professional development, attending conferences, and reading specialist media.

Skills

Adaptive Thinking, Application Development, Confidentiality, Database Administration, Database Queries, Data Classification, Data Compilation, Data Compression, Data Encoding, Data Modeling, Data Recovery, Executing Plans, Gateway Servers, IT Architecture, Test Case Management

Competencies

Cultivates Innovation

Ensures Accountability

Manages Complexity

Optimizes Work Processes

Persuades

Plans and Aligns

Strategic Mindset

Tech Savvy

Education

NQF Level 9 – Masters

Closing Date

20 January 2025 , 23:59

The appointment will be made from the designated group in line with the Employment Equity Plan of Old Mutual South Africa and the specific business unit in question.

Old Mutual Limited is pro-vaccination and encourages its workforce to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

All prospective employees are required to disclose their vaccination status as part of the recruitment process.

Please refer to the Old Mutual’s Covid-19 vaccination policy for further detail. Kindly note that Old Mutual reserves the right to reinstate the requirement to vaccinate at any point if it is of the view that it is imperative to do so.

The Old Mutual Story!