Data Architect - Enterprise Data Strategy & Architecture

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