Job Description
Exec Head: Data Platforms Engineering
Cape Town
Responsible for the establishment of new world data operating models, architectures and platforms to deliver data fluency in operational as well as BI contexts. On the BI side, these platforms should support both traditional reporting as well as advanced analytical solutions. On the operational side, capabilities such as master data management, data quality management, reference data management and metadata management will be required in support of amongst other objectives, the business’ digital client and intermediary engagement objectives.
Leadership & Change Management
Member of the Group Technology Executive Committee reporting to the Chief Information Officer;
Fulfill line management responsibility for several senior direct reports from potentially diverging backgrounds, operating across the various functional areas that make up the platform, including architecture, operations and projects;
Exhibit leadership skills including delegation, communication, influencing, coaching, building vision and taking ownership;
Actively participate in key management and governance forums and establish additional governance as required;
Encourage, motivate and drive team engagement and ensure adequate availability of capacity and skills;
Enable others by managing/measuring performance and developing individual team member skills;
Set direction and standards in the context of the Group Technology IT strategic pillars and actively drive adherence to these;
Manage diversity, performance and output delivery across various teams through cross- functional delivery;
Build a skilled internal Group Technology team to deliver data platforms sustainably to the business over time;
Communicate effectively across departments regarding the role of data in business and actively drive adoption of the modern data platforms and the decommissioning of legacy data platforms to gain the benefits of simplification of the platform environment;
Provide relevant training and support to business BI and operational functions established over time as the business becomes more and more data driven and reliant on the data platforms as a result;
Strategic Contribution
Actively engage with the business to understand the strategy of the Retail Affluent business, within the Life and Savings Cluster and Groupwide;
Provide input to the Group Technology strategy;
Provide input to the business’ data and digital strategy;
Develop the Data Platform & Engineering strategy and prepare supporting tactical plans;
Develop, drive, measure and feedback progress on the contribution of data platforms to the business strategy.
Data Platform & Engineering Management
Actively and continuously evolve the platform technologies, architecture and standard patterns to enable the business portfolio teams with solutions in a changing business landscape;
Establish the Data Platform & Engineering operating model and architecture to support both traditional reporting requirements as well as advanced analytics requirements to enhance business decisions, both operationally and strategically;
Manage the transition to the modern data platforms and the decommissioning of legacy data platforms to gain the benefits of simplification of the platform environment;
Establish and continuously improve agile ways of working in the delivery of platform related enhancements;
Collaborate closely with other Group Technology executive leaders and lines manager to manage interdependencies within the technology environment;
Establish a clear skills resourcing strategy that allows for core skills to be appointed and for burst capacity needs to be fulfilled through strategic vendor partnerships with a limited core group of vendor partners;
Maintain healthy relationships with vendor partners and engage strategically with them to optimise the value add from these relationships;
Establish an appropriate budgeting and cost recovery model, establish financial commitment from businesses making use of data platform services and manage the actual expenses and recoveries to budget on an ongoing basis.
Data Platform Project and Delivery Management
Manage the delivery of data platform-related enhancements, upgrades and proofs of concept using agile ways of working;
Establish the necessary project governance capabilities to ensure adequate governance and business engagement for platform projects.
Data Platform Operations Management
Establish the operational team and associated operating model for running he data platform operations upon which data workloads and experiments are productionised;
Establish the service model and relevant service level agreements with business stakeholders invested in the data platforms;
Executive Oversight over the data operational teams to deliver its contracted services in line with the relevant service model agreements;
Drive the continuous improvement of the data platforms and operational capability to facilitate optimal long-term total cost of ownership;
Establish and maintain robust risk management policies and procedures in line with Group Technoloy policies.
Custodian of the customer master data, MDM expertise.
Implementation of MDM frameworks and Platforms
Implementation of the operations platform and drive vision strategy, delivery, business support and governance for the platform. They will have responsibility for developing and maintaining the group’s data platform vision and strategy.
Business Support & Engagement
Overall Executive accountable for promoting the ways in which data platforms can enhance and/or support business goals;
Respond to all relevant data platform expectations from business;
Take responsibility for value generation from the investment in data in collaboration with the business;
Provide relevant inputs to businesses in meeting information governane requirements;
Collaborate closely with the Chief Data Officers and BI heads of the relevant business clusters to increase awareness of the business demand pipelines for data workloads and experiments to ensure that platform capability and capacity is in place to provide the necessary support;
Maintain platform architecture and foundation development roadmaps in collaboration with the business cluster delivery teams.
Qualification and Experience
Bachelors degree in Engineering, Science or Information Technology.
Management qualification will be advantageous.
Data Certifications highly advantageous
10 years relevant operational or project related experience of technology platform management in a data/BI environment;
10 years in positions requiring executive level influence and personally operating at senior management level would be advantageous;
Experience of applying Data Platform and Engineering in a Life Insurance or financial services business context would be advantageous;
Good knowledge and understanding of interaction between data, technology and business applications for insights and improving decision-making;
Sound knowledge of insurance products, distribution models and processes would be an advantage.
Experience of financial Services and Insurance
10+ years business management of a technical data platform
Advanced analytics to address business requirements
Business requirement identification
Object and data models
Profile source data and determine all source data and metadata characteristics
Strategic data management