Intermediate Data Architect

General Accountability:

This role is an Intermediate Data Architect reporting to the Data Architect / Lead Data Architect, with ownership of data architecture within assigned domains or initiatives.

While the role has a strong hands-on focus on data modeling and data design, it is also accountable for architecture outcomes, ensuring that data solutions are consistent, governed, scalable, and aligned with enterprise strategy.

The Associate Data Architect is expected to operate with a degree of autonomy, contribute to architecture governance, and influence key data design decisions, while aligning with the broader direction set by senior data architect.

• Owns the end-to-end data architecture for assigned domains or initiatives, ensuring alignment with enterprise data architecture standards
• Designs and maintains conceptual, logical, and physical data models, ensuring they are scalable, reusable, and fit-for-purpose
• Translates business requirements into architecture-aligned data designs, balancing immediate needs with long-term sustainability
• Defines and governs data flows, integration patterns, and data structures supporting applications and analytics platforms
• Ensures adherence to enterprise data architecture standards, naming conventions, and modeling practices
• Acts as a data architecture steward within assigned scope, ensuring consistency across systems and projects
• Participates in and contributes to architecture review boards and model governance processes
• Reviews and approves data models and designs produced by other team members or project teams
• Contributes to the evolution of data architecture strategy, particularly in data modeling, integration, and domain design
• Identifies opportunities to improve data structures, reduce redundancy, and enhance data usability across platforms
• Provides input into target-state architecture and roadmap planning, based on domain insights
• Supports alignment with enterprise initiatives such as OCDM and enterprise data architecture frameworks
• Handles complex and ambiguous data requirements, making informed design decisions within defined architectural guardrails
• Conducts impact analysis and trade-off assessments for changes in data models and data flows
• Resolves data design conflicts and inconsistencies across systems and stakeholders
• Works closely with:
  • Business stakeholders
  • Product owners
  • Data engineers
  • Application teams
• Ensures that data requirements are accurately translated into models and implementations
• Provides guidance and mentorship to junior team members or project contributors on data modeling best practices
• Supports cross-team alignment to ensure data architecture consistency across domains
• Owns and maintains:
  • Data models (ERDs, LDMs, PDMs)
  • Data dictionaries and metadata
  • Integration and Mapping Artifacts (DFD, S2TM, Data Lineage
  • Architecture documentation and design decisions
• Ensures documentation supports governance, reuse, and transparency

Domain-Specific Requirements:

Knowledge and experience with the following are essential:

• Strong expertise in:
  • Conceptual, logical, and physical data modeling
  • ERDs, normalization/denormalization
• Proven ability to design and own data models for medium to large-scale systems
• Solid understanding of:
  • Data integration patterns and data flow design
  • Relational databases and exposure to NoSQL concepts
• Working knowledge of enterprise data architecture principles and governance practices
• Familiarity with regulatory and compliance requirements influencing data design (e.g., GDPR, BCBS 239)
• Practical experience with modern data platforms, preferably Azure:
  • Azure Data Factory
  • Azure Databricks
  • Azure Data Lake / Storage (Parquet)
  • Azure Synapse
  • Power BI

Knowledge/Skills/Competencies/Education:

Education

• 4–6+ years of experience in data modeling, data architecture, or closely related roles
• Demonstrated ownership of data design and architecture deliverables in real-world projects
• Experience working across multiple systems or domains, not just isolated project tasks
• Exposure to architecture governance, design reviews, and standards enforcement
• Experience contributing to solution design decisions, not just execution support

Knowledge and experience with the following will be an advantage:

• 2+ years of experience in Financial Services (e.g., insurance, banking, investments), or equivalent project exposure
• Exposure to insurance customer channels, such as Direct, Affinity, Agents, Brokers, Group Insurance, or Bancassurance
• Understanding of the insurance industry and core business concepts, with interest in learning more about industry trends, digital transformation, and customer expectations
• Familiarity with insurance business processes and systems, with the ability to learn and navigate new platforms and applications
• Awareness of evolving IT, insurance, and cross-industry trends (e.g., cloud platforms, data and analytics, digital channels, integration patterns), and the willingness to apply relevant concepts under the guidance of senior/lead architects

Skills & Abilities

• Architecture & Technical Skills
  • Strong ability to design, evaluate, and govern data models and data flows
  • Capable of making architectural decisions within defined guardrails
  • Balances short-term delivery vs long-term data architecture sustainability
• Strategic & Analytical Thinking
  • Able to connect data design decisions to business outcomes
  • Contributes to architecture direction and continuous improvement
  • Comfortable working with ambiguity and evolving requirements
• Governance & Accountability
  • Takes ownership of architecture quality, consistency, and compliance within assigned scope
  • Enforces standards while adapting to practical constraints
  • Acts as a custodian of data integrity and design quality
• Communication & Influence
  • Clearly communicates data architecture decisions to:
    • Technical teams
    • Business stakeholders
  • Able to influence design choices and drive alignment across teams
  • Participates actively in design discussions and architecture forums
• Collaboration & Leadership Potential
  • Strong team player with the ability to guide and support others
  • Builds effective relationships across business and IT stakeholders
  • Demonstrates readiness to grow into a full Data Architect role

When you join our team:

• We’ll empower you to learn and grow the career you want.

• We’ll recognize and support you in a flexible environment where well-being and inclusion are more than just words.

• As part of our global team, we’ll support you in shaping the future you want to see.

About Manulife and John Hancock

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. To learn more about us, visit https://www.manulife.com/en/about/our-story.html.

Manulife is an Equal Opportunity Employer

At Manulife/John Hancock, we embrace our diversity. We strive to attract, develop and retain a workforce that is as diverse as the customers we serve and to foster an inclusive work environment that embraces the strength of cultures and individuals. We are committed to fair recruitment, retention, advancement and compensation, and we administer all of our practices and programs without discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, religion or religious beliefs, creed, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), sexual orientation, genetic characteristics, veteran status, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, disability, or any other ground protected by applicable law.

It is our priority to remove barriers to provide equal access to employment. A Human Resources representative will work with applicants who request a reasonable accommodation during the application process. All information shared during the accommodation request process will be stored and used in a manner that is consistent with applicable laws and Manulife/John Hancock policies. To request a reasonable accommodation in the application process, contact [email protected].