A leader in the Insurance Space, based in Johannesburg, is seeking a Data Architect to join their dynamic team

Essential Qualifications

• Relevant Information degree and data architecture experience commensurate with the role.
• Enterprise Architecture Framework certification in TOGAF or Zachman or related

Job Related Experience

10 plus years’ experience in Data and Information Architecture, Data Modelling & Design and Data Integration at large financial institutions with relevant industry experience across EA, specifically within Data and Information architecture practice domains. Ability to deal across all levels of business and technology organizations.

Role Overview

As the Enterprise Data Architect, you own the Data and Information architecture domains, ensuring that these are aligned to the business capabilities. Operating at the EA level you will be delivering enterprise architecture artefacts and content for the Data and Information domains i.e. the data architecture strategy, reference architectures, data principles, data landscapes (As-Is and To-be) , data dictionaries, data frameworks and roadmaps and be the custodian of the enterprise data management frameworks. Provide enterprise guidance and impact analysis concerning data architecture on strategic projects. Must be able to produce conceptual logical and physical data architecture designs for delivery into solution architecture teams. Build the Business to IT alignment data capability views and apply data modelling concepts in preparing data solution designs. Apply the relevant data architecture governance as aligned to the information governance, IT governance, project governance and SDLC activities. Understand the external factors such as strategy direction, emerging technologies, business drivers and compliance and regulatory laws and their impact on the enterprise data platforms. Able to interpret this impact into meaningful scenarios and architecture solutions.

Broad knowledge required for the role include:

• Broad knowledge of system development methodologies
• Broad knowledge of technology, IT systems and enterprise software as applied to large enterprise IT environments
• Good understanding of the business and client/end user environment
• Ability to interpret business capabilities and business requirements and map suitable IT capabilities and architectures to meet those requirements
• Ability to perform impact analysis of new and proposed architectures in relation to the current EA landscape and available technologies utilized in the IT environment
• Solid understanding of TOGAF or Zachman or other EA methodologies and frameworks with practical experience of the application of these EA frameworks
• Strategic evaluation of new generation data architectures and platforms in the financial services environment
• Solid understanding of architectural styles, architecture patterns and solution designs for meeting end to end enterprise solutions.

Work within a Data Management Framework according to the principles and guidelines set out in the DMBOK Framework as defined by DAMA which includes:

• Data Governance
• Data Architecture
• Data Modelling and Design
• Data Storage and Operations
• Data Security
• Data Integration and Interoperability
• Documents and Content
• Reference and Master Data
• Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence
• Meta Data
• Data Quality
• Data Analytics

Deep Knowledge of the Microsoft Data platform in particular (MS SQL, SSIS, Master data services (MDS)) and other MS database technology components will be advantageous.

Extensive knowledge of at least one major vendor data integration platform (e.g. Informatica, DataStage, etc.)

The role demands a driven and committed individual with strong analytical and problem-solving skills able to drive alignment between teams of the enterprise, solution and data architecture groups across the BU’s to ensure alignment to standards principles and policies. The individual will have a continuous improvement approach and be committed to developing themselves and focusing on optimizing the value of the IT and information assets in the organization.

Skills

• TOGAF
• Zachman
• Data Governance
• Master Data
• DAMA
• DMBOK
• Data Modelling
• Data Integration

Requirements

• Education Tertiary Degree
• Experience 5+ Years