Head of Data Architecture

About the Role

A top-tier global insurance company is seeking a Head of Data Architecture to lead the strategic design of a unified, scalable, and AI-ready data ecosystem across Asia. This senior leadership role involves crafting enterprise architecture strategies, taking hands-on ownership of solutions, and guiding regional stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Devise and implement the regional Data & AI architecture strategy and roadmap, defining the future-state architecture and steering significant technology decisions.
• Manage the architecture for extensive Data, Analytics, and AI initiatives, ensuring that solutions are scalable, secure, modular, and suitable for production deployment.
• Champion the adoption of advanced cloud-native data platforms such as Azure and Alicloud, along with modern architectural paradigms like Lakehouse, Data Fabric, and Data Mesh.
• Develop and enforce enterprise-wide standards and governance for data architecture, including data models, quality controls, lineage tracking, metadata management, interoperability, and lifecycle management.
• Lead the regional architecture governance and teams, collaborating closely with CIOs, CDOs, and leaders in technology, data, AI, and business to promote uniformity and modernization across various markets.

Candidate Requirements

• Possess at least 20 years of experience in Data, Analytics, and Enterprise Architecture, with recent years spent in senior architecture leadership roles.
• Proven success in delivering large-scale enterprise Data and AI platforms, ideally within Financial Services or Insurance sectors.
• Advanced technical proficiency in Azure, Alicloud, Lakehouse architectures, Data Fabric/Data Mesh strategies, AI/ML technologies, Generative AI, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and MLOps.
• Experience leading greenfield transformations or extensive platform modernization projects in complex, distributed system environments.
• Excellent executive communication skills with a strong ability to influence stakeholders and operate effectively across regional, local, and global teams within a federated governance framework.

Additional Information

The role requires liaising with multiple senior leaders and ensuring architecture decisions are consistent and forward-thinking. The position is authorized under EA Licence: 22C1396EA Personnel: R1658550.